Meet Mariela Briceno | Founder & CEO at Viva Plus | Co-Founder of Venprendedoras

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariela Briceno and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariela, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I am a co-founder of Venprendedoras Foundation. We are an entrepreneur network that gives visibility and provides resources to Venezuelan women entrepreneurs globally. Venprendoras was created to provide visibility, create community, empower and support the growth of Venezuelan women entrepreneurs. In 2022 we’ll bring to our community “Focus Mujeres Emprendedoras,” an entrepreneurial education program in partnership with Cisneros Media Group.

Venprendedoras is the result of thinking becoming action. In 2019, I participated in an entrepreneurship program with 19 women. There, I realized the power of the community and the importance of weaving support networks. In less than a year, we built a global community of Venezuelan female entrepreneurs eager to grow their businesses and impact the places they now call home. In 2022 we are bringing this same program that inspired me to all our community as a partner of “Focus Mujeres Emprendedoras.”

What should our readers know about your business?
In addition to Venprendedoras Foundation, I am the founder and CEO of the communications and marketing agency Viva+. With more than a decade of experience working with entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, and corporations, we recognized that startups and entrepreneurs require strategic and marketing planning. We, therefore, created Viva+ Strategic Sessions, a service designed for entrepreneurs, which follows a growth framework developed by our agency, which saves the entrepreneur the process of trial and error and hours of searching and researching. I firmly believe that “failing to plan is planning to fail,” and we, at the agency, ensure that our clients not only plan their actions but also implement them with a system of accompaniment and follow-up based on SMART objectives, performance evaluation, and strategy correction.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a bookworm, one of my favorite places in Miami is the Books & Books bookstore. Besides its excellent book selection and the beautiful, welcoming store, what I love most about this place is the sense of community and belonging it fosters. As a cultural institution and community center, there is always something going on there.

Unfortunately, one of my favorite places in Miami did not survive the pandemic. “The Way” was an event venue and coffee shop inspired by the places you find along the way on the “Camino de Santiago” in Spain. It was like a home away from home, there was always something going on, and you could come in anytime, any day, to find friends, do a yoga class or enjoy wine tastings… After it shut down, one of his owners moved to Coral Gables in a house they now call “The House of the Pilgrims,” Though it is not open to the public, they still hold events and activities to maintain the pilgrim spirit. If you want to get notified of events there, you have to follow @apbwellness

I also loved Wynwood Yard, which was reborn as Doral Yard. Known for its laid-back style and curated food court, it is the best spot in Doral, and Della Bowls serves delicious plant-based bowls there. It would be great if there were a Della Bowl in every Miami neighborhood. You can also enjoy Paletas Morelia or delicious vegan cupcakes at Bunnie Cakes, across the street, if you’re there.

I consider the Margulis Collection one of Miami’s best-kept secrets and a favorite site. Located in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, the gallery occupies a retrofitted warehouse with 50,000 square feet of space. The Warehouse presents seasonal exhibitions from the collection of renowned art collector Martin Z. Margulies. Hidden in a Wynwood cul-de-sac is a collection at the level of the best in the world.

If you live in Miami, you love the beach, and any beach in Miami Beach will suit your needs. I enjoy going to North Miami Beach, where there is parking, umbrellas, and chairs to rent on the beach, and when you leave, you can stop at the nearby “Panadería Moises” and try their typical delicious Venezuelan “cachitos de jamón.”

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To FOCUS MUJERES EMPRENDEDORAS, the entrepreneurial program that pushed me forward.

Website: https://venprendedoras.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venprendedoras/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marielabriceno/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/venprendedoras

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZe54kqD1SH5JcvDgpymZVg