6 Puerto Ricans to watch

In the midst of a serious fiscal crisis, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico finds itself with 45% of the population living in poverty, record outmigration numbers, decaying educational and healthcare systems, more than 12 percent unemployment, and a looming Zika epidemic the situation is dire. Significant research asserts that creativity may contribute to a more resilient economy in times of crisis. A handful of Puerto Ricans, living both on the island and in the mainland, got their creative juices flowing and found into innovative ways to cope with the crisis. The following innovators are living proof of the richness of the island, be it in its art forms, in its flavors and cuisine, or entrepreneurial spirit; Puerto Rico shines through in every market of the economy.

Amongst all the Puerto Rican innovators and entrepreneurs we’ve decided to highlight the initiatives of a few whose work has been extremely successful and relevant amidst the economic crisis. Angiemille Latorre stands out for having brought together a diverse group thinkers from very different backgrounds – from anthropologists to architects and cinematographers – to form SeriouslyCreative, a consulting agency that works with Puerto Rico’s biggest companies and help them tackle complex issues creatively – one of them being the financial crisis. Its disruptive style puts emphasis on playful collaboration amongst the team, combining a human centered approach with design thinking methodology. SeriouslyCreative is not your average consulting agency. Besides its methodology, its headquarters are located in a colonial house in Santurce, where instead of cubicles and desks, spaces are colorful couches for creative thinking and co-working. Latorre’s agency is just one of many examples of how creativity is your best asset in the face of crisis.

On the same note, four visionary millennials – Miguel Columna, Natalie Trigo Reyes, Isabel Rullán y Ciara Napoli – living in San Juan and Washington D.C. founded the think-and-do tank ConPRmetidos, in 2011. With its headquarters in San Juan, this innovative, independent, non-profit and non-partisan organization is a combination of a social ventures incubator, a social impact consulting firm, and a knowledge building entity on social change with the ultimate goal of advancing innovative solutions that enhance Puerto Rico’s economic development. ConPRmetidos is an example of how visionary millennials, regardless of their place of residence, are engaged and finding solutions through dialogue for the island.

Puerto Rico’s food represents an extremely important theme amongst the crisis. With over 85% of staple foods being imported into the island, entrepreneurs like brothers Pedro and Jorge Casas are re-thinking the way the island eats by strengthening the agricultural ecosystem in place. They’re finding innovative ways to use drone technology for overseeing their crops, and using iPads to connect buyers with sellers on the island, creating a market for locally sourced food. Initiatives like this not only help create attractive jobs in the island but also represent the island’s culture and cuisine.

The creativity of Puerto Ricans can also be felt beyond the island. The richness of Puerto Rico’s cuisine has made its way to one of New York’s most famous outdoor food scene – Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, where Manolo López, born and raised in the island, founded MofonGO. MofonGO’s popularity is no coincidence, Manolo’s special twist on this traditional Puerto Rican dish has people forming lines to try the mofongo. His success as a street food vendor is helping close the cultural gaps between the island and the mainland.

Very much like cuisine, music and theater are transcendental mediums. Puerto Rican Lin-Manuel Miranda – Tony, Pulitzer, Emmy and Grammy winner – invokes Alexander Hamilton’s words in his Broadway musical “Hamilton” to give Puerto Rico –and immigrants – a voice. Besides being a personal outlet for Miranda, the sold-out musical has allowed him to be vocal on the issue of Puerto Rico’s debt, on which he invited politicians, writers, thinkers and artists to unite in order to find a solution for the island.

As Lin-Manuel uses music, muralist David Zayas, known for his massive representations of Puerto Rican culture, uses this medium in times of crisis to represent his conception of the current situation. In his mural “Por el panismo, por el ay bendito, por el chanchú, por los anesteciantes cupones, por El Progreso…” he illustrates the Capitol underwater, and numerous piglets happily swimming around it. Zayas uses this as a metaphor of the current situation, where the piglets, who scientists say are extremely noble and smart animals, hidden behind the Capitol’s walls, bleed the island to death without noticing i