Sacky JA Wins 2026 De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award
March 4, 2026
Sacky JA from JA Ecuador has made history at the 2026 De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award as the first JA student company to win the global championship for the JA Americas region.
Competing against five other JA student company regional champions from Junior Achievement Africa, JA Asia Pacific, JA Europe, INJAZ Al-Arab/JA MENA, and Junior Achievement USA, Sacky JA secured the top spot with a collective demonstration of innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, and commitment to solving real-world challenges.
Meet the 2026 De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award Finalists
The De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award recognizes outstanding JA entrepreneurs. The first-place team from each of our six annual regional JA company competitions (also known as Company of the Year, Generation E, Young Entrepreneurs Competition, and FutureBound) are automatically entered as finalists for the award. The winning team receives awards, plus US $15,000, educational opportunities, and more.
JA Africa: SMARTGENIX’s (JA Nigeria) precision agriculture drone reduces costs, saves time and labor, and enhances climate action through sustainable, efficient farming practices.
JA Americas: Sacky JA (JA Ecuador) created sustainable lunch bags made from recycled plastic bottles. The bags feature Ecuadorian animals and illustrations that promote healthy eating habits and environmental awareness.
JA Asia Pacific: Zester (JA Hong Kong SAR—China) promotes awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals through its self-named card game and sustainability workshops.
JA Europe: VerifyID (Fonden for Entreprenørskab [JA Denmark]) creates smart ID scanning technologies for online and physical businesses, aiding compliance with legal standards and preventing misuse.
INJAZ Al-Arab/JA MENA: EcoRock (INJAZ Palestine) transforms rock wool, an industrial byproduct, into a growth medium for hydroponic farming that reduces waste, saves water, and enhances food security.
Junior Achievement USA: InnovaQuest’s (JA of Southeastern Pennsylvania) Cards of Creativity is a unique card game designed to ignite imagination and build emotional and cognitive creativity through storytelling, engineering, and the arts.
Watch all six student company video submissions at jaworldwide.org/delavega.
Who selects the winner?
Each student company presents their business venture via video recording and a one-page executive summary, highlighting their creativity, problem-solving skills, and resilience. An exclusive jury composed of JA board members, staff, alumni, and partners from around the world reviewed each company’s submissions and scored each according to a detailed rubric to determine the winner.
Sacky JA: David Obandon, Marketing Manager; Gabriel Guerrero, CEO; Héctor Arroba, Human Resources Management; Marco Sáenz, Financial Manager; and Martina Becerra, Production Manager
In addition to the competition, this year’s ceremony included an inspiring fireside chat with JA Worldwide CEO Asheesh Advani and Cornel Amariei, CEO of .lumen, Global Business Hall of Fame Laureate, and JA Romania alumnus. Award founder Ralph de la Vega also spoke to the students, offering encouraging and inspiring words about the entrepreneurial journey and the road ahead:
I want to welcome our extraordinary young entrepreneurs, who are joining us from the United States, the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. What a wonderful set of young entrepreneurs. I'm super proud of the job that you guys have done.
Today, we celebrate more than competition. We celebrate courage, we celebrate creativity, and we celebrate the willingness to step forward when others hesitate. Each of you saw a problem and chose not to walk past it. You chose to build. You chose to lead. You chose to take the risk of turning an idea into action. That mindset, that willingness to create value where none existed before, is the essence of entrepreneurship.
The world you're entering is changing faster than any generation before you. Technology is accelerating. Markets are shifting. All rules are being rewritten. But one thing has not changed: Progress belongs to those who act.
You're not just learning about business. You're learning about resilience, teamwork, accountability, and integrity. You're learning how to listen to customers, how to recover from setbacks, and how to lead with purpose. These are not just students skills. These are leadership skills that would last a lifetime. Cornell gave a great testament to resilience and the skill that he learned that has lasted him a lifetime.
Today, we honor the regional winners who represent the very best of JA around the world, and we will recognize the company of the year. But understand that simply being here means you are among a remarkable community of builders and changemakers. After viewing all of your videos, I am reminded of a powerful idea that young people are the living messages we send to the future.
Looking at you today, that message is clear and unmistakable. Young people like you give us hope. Hope that we're developing leaders who will carry forward opportunity, create prosperity and build a more peaceful world. You're not just preparing for the future. You are shaping it. Thank you for the inspiration you give all of us, and congratulations for what you have already achieved and all that is yet to come.
—Ralph de la Vega, Founder, De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award
Sacky JA’s Story
In the hours after their team was announced as the winner of the 2026 De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award, the students behind Sacky JA took a moment to reflect on what the journey had meant to them.
The company, made up of 17-year-old students in their final year of secondary school at ISM Quito, developed Sacky JA company through the JA Company Program facilitated by Junior Achievement Ecuador. Gabriel Guerrero, Marco Sáenz, Martina Becerra, Héctor Arroba, and David Obando built their business around collaboration, community impact, and a shared belief that entrepreneurship could create opportunity beyond their school walls.
Speaking shortly after the ceremony, the students described the moment as both exciting and overwhelming.
“There are a lot of emotions here, not just for me but for all of us,” CEO Gabriel said. “It’s gratitude, hope, and also nervousness. The fact that we are now making history in our country is unbelievable.”
Sacky JA stood out for its commitment to working with local artisans. While developing the lunchbox product, the students explored multiple production options before deciding to partner with textile artisans located in Cotacachi, a village outside Quito known for leather and textile craftsmanship.
“We thought about our country and the communities here,” Gabriel explained. “If we can improve the recognition of local artisans and support the local economy, that growth comes from within ourselves as Ecuadorians.”
The connection with the artisans came through Production Manager Martina Becerra, who introduced the group to the craftswomen who ultimately produced the lunchboxes.
For the Sacky JA team, the experience of building a company together became just as meaningful as the competition itself. What began as a group of classmates gradually transformed into a close team that learned to navigate challenges together.
“At the beginning we were friends but not very close,” Martina reflected. “Through this process we shared many experiences creating our product and sharing ideas and emotions. Because of that we became much more connected.”
As a group, Sacky JA team agreed that the experience reshaped their understanding of entrepreneurship.
Gabriel shared, “Being part of a group and trying to lead your peers at our age is a challenge. But that challenge is something I’m very grateful to experience, because these are the things we will face when we graduate and go into the real world.”
Late nights studying business concepts and preparing for competition became a defining part of the journey.
“One of the most memorable moments was the nights we stayed studying everything about entrepreneurship and about the company,” Hector recalled. “When we started winning awards in Ecuador, it was surprising for us because we had worked so hard for it.”
The experience also created connections beyond the team itself. Through the JA Company Program and the competitions, the students met other young entrepreneurs from across the country and the region.
“We met many amazing teenagers here in Ecuador,” David shared. “Even after the competition we stayed in contact with them. But also inside our own team, we became more than friends. Now we are more like a family because we faced many challenges together.”
For several team members, the program reinforced ambitions they already had for the future.
For David in particular, entrepreneurship is in his blood: “In my family, business is very important. When I saw this opportunity, I didn’t think twice. My goal has always been to help other people by creating business opportunities.” This experience, David said, will stay with him long after graduation. “If you want something, fight for it. Sometimes you sacrifice things. Maybe you miss parties or time with family. But in the end, it deserves the effort.”
As they reflected on their success, the students were quick to recognize the people who supported them along the way. Teachers, mentors, parents, and volunteers all played a role in helping them reach the global stage, particularly advisor Nicole Valencia and ISM’s academic coordinator Pablo Pusda.
“They have been supporting us all the time,” one student said. “Without them, this journey would not have been possible.”
For these students, the award represents more than a global title. It marks the culmination of a journey that brought together teamwork, perseverance, and a shared belief in what young people can achieve when given the opportunity to build something of their own.