Nerma Albertorio Barnés

Founder
Centro para Emprendedores

Nerma Albertorio Barnés is a Puerto Rican-born and raised entrepreneur and an active community leader in the island's entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

One of her most significant accomplishments was the creation of Centro para Emprendedores (Center for Entrepreneurs) in 2012.  Since then, she has impacted over 6,000 people, helped establish over 100 small businesses and startups, and designed and successfully implemented entrepreneurship education programs.  More recently, after the hits of Hurricanes Irma and María and the Pandemic, her work was crucial in defining how to support small businesses during crises following natural disasters. She helped raise over 20M in capital for startups and small business owners during her career.  Because of her contributions, Nerma was recognized as Mentor of the Year in 2015 and Puerto Rico Entrepreneurship Pillar in 2018; she is a Cordes Foundation Fellow and an Aspen Fellow. Also, Nerma co-founded 100 Ventures, a private firm that provides support services to startups and small businesses and Tribu 83 a digital content creation agency.  Recently, she published her first book Emprende sin Rendirte.