Post by Westerwelle Foundation

Meet the Founder// Maria (Mariu) Garces Vielma is one of our Young Founders from this year’s cohort. She is the Co-Founder and COO of Go4us App a mobile platform that changes user experience when visiting a food court. How would you describe yourself in 3 words? Passionate, curious, resilient. Why did you choose to take part in the Westerwelle Foundation Young Founders Program? I read about how the program's purpose was to leverage German market expertise to support emerging market entrepreneurship. This is exactly what I needed, not just for my business but for myself. I needed to learn from top-level experts the right tools and knowledge to apply for the development of my company in our regional context. What advice would you give to someone starting their own business? Love the what, the why, the how, and the who of your company. Love the "what“ you are doing, your product or solution; love it enough to always look for ways to improve it. Love the "why" you are doing it, your purpose in life, and the value you bring to changing the world. Love the "how" you are doing it, your daily activities, find joy in the little achievements and celebrate them with your team even if they are very small. Love the "who" you do it with. Love your team and co-founders. Find people who share your passion, vision, and values. Stick to the ones who truly bring value and commitment to your project. Don’t be afraid to let go of those who don’t. Sometimes things do not go as expected. It's a long road to the top. Your crazy, blind, and devoted LOVE for all these things is what keeps you going