From left to right: Christine Wilson, co-founder of El Cubo; Federico Parker, commercial manager of Multimoney Guatemala; Janma Bardi, founder of the Volcano Summit; Juan Aldana, corporate investment manager at Castillo Hermanos; and María José Paiz, manager of Fundación BI at Banco Industrial Guatemala, during the press conference launching the Volcano Innovation Summit in Guatemala City. EFE/Mariano Macz.

Volcano Innovation Summit to gather 130 speakers from 30 countries

Guatemala City, Jun 12 (EFE).- The upcoming Volcano Innovation Summit in Guatemala will bring together 130 speakers from 30 countries this September in an event expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees, organizers confirmed this week during the summit’s official launch.

The international firm Castillo Hermanos was announced as one of the event’s sponsors.

A global platform for Latin American innovation and entrepreneurship

The Volcano Innovation Summit is a global initiative that serves as a platform for exchanging ideas and experiences. It is driven by a mission to connect Latin America to the global network of innovation, science, and culture by bringing together business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and creatives for cross-sector dialogue and inspiration.

Now in its sixth edition, the summit will be held from September 6 to 8 in Antigua Guatemala, a colonial city located 50 kilometers west of the Central American country’s capital.

“The Volcano Innovation Summit gathers speakers from many regions—innovators in their fields and in technology,” said Juan Fernando Aldana, corporate investment manager at Castillo Hermanos, during the presentation. “We believe it’s essential to foster that knowledge and to give more people access to these figures. It’s key to encouraging greater entrepreneurship and innovation in Guatemala.”

Juan Aldana, corporate investment manager at Castillo Hermanos, at the launch of the Volcano Innovation Summit on Wednesday in Guatemala City. EFE/Mariano Macz.
Juan Aldana, corporate investment manager at Castillo Hermanos, at the launch of the Volcano Innovation Summit on Wednesday in Guatemala City. EFE/Mariano Macz.

Castillo Hermanos and the future of collaborative entrepreneurship

According to Castillo Hermanos, the summit has “established itself as one of the most influential innovation platforms in Latin America.”

Their participation, the company said, “reflects its future-oriented approach, focused on collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and supporting high-impact entrepreneurship.”

Alongside keynote talks and forums, the summit will host Startup Avenue 2025, a competition offering more than $150,000 in funding to support aspiring entrepreneurs.

“This year, we’ve chosen to return to the essentials: our roots, our values, and our truth,” said Janma Bardi, founder of the summit.

From left to right: Christine Wilson, co-founder of El Cubo; Federico Parker, commercial manager of Multimoney Guatemala; María José Paiz, manager of Fundación BI at Banco Industrial Guatemala; Juan Aldana, corporate investment manager at Castillo Hermanos; and Janma Bardi, founder of the Volcano Summit, during the press conference launching the Volcano Innovation Summit in Guatemala City. EFE/Mariano Macz.
From left to right: Christine Wilson, co-founder of El Cubo; Federico Parker, commercial manager of Multimoney Guatemala; María José Paiz, manager of Fundación BI at Banco Industrial Guatemala; Juan Aldana, corporate investment manager at Castillo Hermanos; and Janma Bardi, founder of the Volcano Summit, during the press conference launching the Volcano Innovation Summit in Guatemala City. EFE/Mariano Macz.

Confirmed speakers and sector diversity for Volcano 2025

Confirmed speakers include Mark Schwartz, U.S. director of strategy for Amazon Web Services; Tomer Lancewicki, director of artificial intelligence at Walmart Global, from Israel; and Brazilian executive Ricardo Pero, CEO of SellersFi, among others.

The first Volcano Innovation Summit was held in 2019, followed by annual editions in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Each focused on innovation, investment, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, according to the organizers.

The 2025 edition will convene global leaders from fields including digital technology, corporate strategy, finance, telecommunications, cybersecurity, energy, mobility and sustainability. EFE

 EFE had the support of Castillo Hermanos for content distribution.