From San Marcos, Guatemala, comes a story of innovation, inclusion, and transformation: Atel 14Degrees has been nominated for the World Summit Awards (WSA) 2025 in the Inclusion & Empowerment category.
This recognition is not only an achievement but also a validation of a vision: believing that technology can be a powerful driver of social change, and that such change can originate anywhere—even away from large urban areas.
This article explores what the WSA are, why this nomination is a milestone for Atel 14Degrees and Guatemala, how it highlights our work philosophy—focused on youth, women, customer service, AI, and automation—and what it truly means for the future.
What Are the World Summit Awards?
The World Summit Awards are a global platform recognizing digital applications, multimedia content, and technology projects that make a social impact. Their mission is to identify and promote innovative solutions that address real human needs, especially for disadvantaged or marginalized communities.
WSA was created in the context of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), an initiative by the United Nations launched in 2003. Its goal is to close the information gap, foster access to technology, and ensure that digital development benefits everyone.
Today, WSA is a global benchmark for anyone seeking to use technology as a tool to promote social values—inclusion, equality, justice—not just as a technical achievement.
Participants include teams, entrepreneurs, organizations, and developers from more than 180 countries, all committed to impactful innovation. Being nominated means being selected through a rigorous process evaluating originality, technical quality, community impact, sustainability, and scalability.
Why the Inclusion & Empowerment Category?
The Inclusion & Empowerment category highlights digital solutions that break barriers—cultural, geographical, economic, or gender-based. Projects nominated here are expected to:
- Provide access to historically marginalized or underrepresented communities.
- Empower groups such as youth, women, minorities, and people with disabilities.
- Translate technological advances into real opportunities: jobs, participation, confidence, and decision-making power.
- Be sustainable, scalable, and context-aware.
Our nomination demonstrates that 14Degrees is not only building digital tools: we are creating bridges of inclusion, giving youth and women the chance to participate in the digital economy.
What This Means for San Marcos and Guatemala
Local Talent Recognized
San Marcos is not the country’s capital, nor a major tech hub. Yet talent, passion, and creativity thrive here. This nomination proves that innovation is not tied to big cities—it comes from people with vision and commitment to their communities.
Inspiration for Others
When others in San Marcos or nearby communities see their peers recognized globally, it sparks hope: “I can do this too.” Young people considering careers in tech now see a path forward. Women realize that leadership roles in technology are possible and that their voices matter.
Real Economic and Social Impact
Beyond recognition, there are tangible benefits: more tech jobs, local training, better-quality digital services, and increased trust from clients, users, and partners.
This nomination can also open doors for partnerships, funding, mentorship, and international collaborations that bring knowledge and resources to complement what we already have.
Our Technology Philosophy
At Atel, we combine technical expertise with a human-centered approach. Innovation is not just about automation; it’s about serving people with empathy, efficiency, and equity.
Key principles driving our work:
- Customer service powered by AI and automation—but always human-centered
Automation improves response times, data processing, and workflow efficiency. But without a team that listens, interprets emotions, and understands local realities, service loses its humanity. Automation allows us to focus on what really matters: the person on the other side. - Empowering youth and women
Our project is tangible: young professionals are hired, women take leadership roles, and ongoing digital skills training is provided. Jobs are meaningful, and voices are heard. - Global standards with local roots
We follow international best practices, metrics, and technical standards, while adapting to local culture, resources, language, and needs. - Measurable impact
We track how many people are trained, jobs created, customer satisfaction levels, and geographic reach, so that our work can be reported with data—not just words.
Final Reflection
This nomination is not the end—it is a reminder of what we’ve built together and what we can continue to achieve. Recognition from a global forum shows that innovation knows no geographic boundaries, only vision, perseverance, and heart.
Atel will continue to work with dedication, grounded locally but thinking globally, making technology, inclusion, youth, and women inseparable not only in words but in reality. Transforming communities begins with believing that everyone deserves the chance to participate, create, innovate, and thrive.
