Carlos Recinos, a young Salvadoran entrepreneur, has found success in his home country thanks to the experience and skills he gained during his internship in Seattle, funded by the Salvadoran American Scholarship Program (SASP) of the United States Embassy in El Salvador. During his time in Seattle, Carlos worked in a technology hub and was inspired to create El Chalet, a home delivery application tailored to businesses in his hometown of Chalatenango.
Despite facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlos continued to work with American companies to save money for his project. Upon returning to El Salvador, he launched the Beta version of El Chalet for Android phones in January 2023. Since then, the app has grown to include an iPhone version and has gained over 1,300 users and processed more than 3,200 orders in a single year.
Carlos is not only the CEO of El Chalet but also works as one of the delivery personnel for the app. He is continuously improving the app’s features, including a module to provide delivery personnel with their own wallet for better earnings. The business model charges by distance, similar to Uber, to ensure fair pricing for customers and delivery personnel.
Carlos plans to expand El Chalet to neighboring municipalities and eventually into San Salvador. His entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to his community have earned him recognition, including the National Youth Award in the Science, Innovation, and Technology category. He credits much of his success to the support he received from the SASP program, which aims to empower young Salvadorans through education and training opportunities in the United States.
The SASP program, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, has sent over 400 young Salvadorans to study and specialize in various fields, including software development. Local institutions and American partners have invested millions of dollars to support these young scholars in their academic and professional endeavors. The program continues to support outstanding students from various universities in El Salvador, providing them with the resources they need to succeed.