i-genius caught up with the passionate Lauren Diaz Arias whilst traveling in Mexico City. A student at Universidad de Costa Rica, Lauren tells us about her project and dreams.

i-genius: What is Nueva Oportunidad (New Opportunity)?
Lauren: I have two answers to this question:

1. “Nueva Oportunidad” is a social entrepreneurship project supporting the resocialization process facing people who have committed a crime and are at the end of their sentence and looking for a new job. For this, I wanted to encourage “entrepreneurship” at the jail, so that these people can develop their own business plan. To guarantee the success of this project, the new business ideas will have to follow an implemental phase, including capital support and strict technical supervision.

2. “Nueva Oportunidad” is my personal dream. It is my way to be a different lawyer and an entrepreneur with a social conscience. It is an idea that one day born in my mind as a project that someone should perform, but today I am totally sure that I am the person to execute this idea and realize this dream. Today I am the protagonist of my own dream.

i-genius: What makes your business/project unique?
Lauren: My project is unique because doing something like this is new in Costa Rica. And it is a unique initiative to give empowerment in detention centers, using an innovation methodology: the empowerment. “Nueva Oportunidad” is not charity, “New Opportunity” is a tool to grow and defend themselves in the world with a job and a decent life.

i-genius: Who/what do you most admire?
Lauren: People that I most admire are my parents. Because, they are two persons totally dreamers and that has done everything in their lives through their own efforts and dedication. But, despite this they had have time to care for their kids and give love to their family.

In the professional area, I admire Raul Zaffaroni, he is an important criminal lawyer of Argentina who has written about the problems of the people in the jails and the importance of enforcing their Human Rights.

In general, I admire the people to who dares to be different, to dream and realize their dreams. I admire the sunset, the flight of birds, the smile of children, the wisdom of the elders and experience of experts.

i-genius: What challenges have you faced?
Lauren: My biggest challenge has been to raise awareness. My biggest challenge has been to try and explain that even in the jail they have Human Rights and continue to be citizens.

i-genius: Who would make an ideal team member? Why?
Lauren: The ideal member of my team is difficult to describe. It is a person without fear to the challenges, and with wishes to be part in a project that requires lots of heart. A creative person, with dreams, without selfishness, and wanting to “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

Because, I think all social entrepreneurship projects/businesses need to have in your team potential changemakers.

i-genius: What book are you reading now?
Lauren: I am currently reading “Walk without feet, fly without wings and think without mind” by Osho.

This book is a about to the need of resurrection in the love. Leave the stereotypes and schemas, to live a more spiritual world.

I share a phrase: “If you become too exact, you start losing contact with life. You have to be as inexact as life is. You have to be as volatile as life is. You have to be continuously on the move! Life is not a noun – -it is a verb. You have to be as much of a verb as life is… it is a process.”