WILLEMSTAD - Big ideas can start at any age. Last Friday, 150 students of Frater Aurelio SBO officially began their entrepreneurial journey through the BeYourOwnBoss program by Qredits Curaçao, with Orco Bank proudly sponsoring the program with 150 licenses for the 2026– 2027 school year.
The initiative reflects a shared commitment by Orco Bank and Qredits Curaçao to encourage entrepreneurship among Curaçao’s youth and equip students with knowledge and practical skills they can carry into their future.
Learning entrepreneurship by doing
BeYourOwnBoss introduces students to the different aspects of entrepreneurship while challenging them to put what they learn into practice. The program combines e-learning, real-life cases and practical assignments, ultimately guiding students toward developing their own business ideas and business plans.
Rather than only learning entrepreneurship in theory, students are encouraged to think creatively, take initiative, solve problems and experience what it takes to turn an idea into a potential business. The program is designed to stimulate entrepreneurship and help students develop a more entrepreneurial mindset.
During the kick-off at Frater Aurelio SBO, Gilson Naaldijk, Senior Account Executive Corporate Banking, represented Orco Bank and spoke to the students about an important part of entrepreneurship that can sometimes be overlooked: the relationship between an entrepreneur and their bank:
“A great idea may be where your journey starts, but building a successful business also means surrounding yourself with the right partners. Your bank can be one of those partners—not only when you need financing, but as your business develops and your ambitions grow. We want these students to understand from an early age that entrepreneurship is about building strong ideas, strong financial habits and strong relationships.”
Supporting Curaçao’s entrepreneurial future
Qredits Curaçao is a non-profit financial institution focused on strengthening Curaçao’s entrepreneurial climate. In addition to providing financing, Qredits supports entrepreneurship through practical tools and educational initiatives such as BeYourOwnBoss. Its philosophy behind the program is that entrepreneurship can be stimulated from a young age, giving students an opportunity to learn, experiment and make mistakes in a learning environment before potentially pursuing entrepreneurship later in life.
The Representative and Head of Qredits Curaçao, Ms. Raiska Herrera, was also present at the kickoff. She spoke about the mission and vision of Qredits and highlighted the importance of developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
Not everyone will become an entrepreneur, but everyone can benefit from having an entrepreneurial mindset.
Orco Bank's support of BeYourOwnBoss builds on an existing collaboration with Qredits Curaçao. Through the partnership, 200 students had already been given the opportunity to learn more about entrepreneurship in previous years.
With another 150 students participating at Frater Aurelio SBO during the 2026–2027 school year, Orco Bank continues to invest in youth development and education while helping create opportunities for Curaçao’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
Today, they are students with ideas. Tomorrow, they could be the entrepreneurs shaping Curaçao’s future.