Entrepreneurial Education for Amazon’s Sustainable Development: An Evaluation of the Genesis Program

Objective: this article evaluates the Genesis Program, part of the Amazon Journey, created to awaken local entrepreneurial talents and strengthen the business ecosystem based on the forest’s biodiversity. Theoretical approach: it argues that developing behavioral skills and fostering an active learning community are essential for this goal. Methods: the theoretical analysis is grounded in experiential learning, emphasizing the dimensions of action and reflection, experience and abstraction, and the principles of engagement in discovery activities, courage cultivation, associative thinking, and diversity, which are essential for innovation. The research uses questionnaires (n = 147) and interviews (n = 26) to collect participants’ perceptions and analyze the program’s evolution over time. Results: as a result, the Genesis Program recorded 7,177 enrollments across the nine states of the Legal Amazon, involving more than 160 municipalities and generating 585 new entrepreneurial solution ideas. Conclusion: it was found that there was a need to improve the engagement method, leading to the development and application of new training formats. The 37 local ambassadors were identified as essential for the program’s reach and achieving objectives. The article shares lessons learned and seeks to inspire new research and initiatives for developing talents in entrepreneurship, innovation, and bioeconomy fields.