Silvana Pimentel Receives the «Mente del Futuro» Recognition from the Latin American Franchise Institute
In short: on October 21 and 22, 2026, I took part in the X Congreso Latinoamericano de la Franquicia (10th Latin American Franchise Congress), organized by the Instituto Latinoamericano de la Franquicia (ILAF, the Latin American Franchise Institute) at Expo Reforma in Mexico City. I received the «Mente del Futuro» (Mind of the Future) Recognition from ILAF's Academic Committee at the congress awards dinner, gave the talk "AI for a business with more freedom" at Women in Franchising Day, and led the hands-on workshop "Create your digital clone with AI".
What is the «Mente del Futuro» Recognition?
It is a distinction granted by the Academic Committee of the Latin American Franchise Institute. The certificate, signed by Dr. Jorge Valencia López, president of ILAF, recognizes "her pioneering vision at the head of AI Your Superpower, making artificial intelligence the great ally of companies and entrepreneurs, and showing that innovation is today the true superpower of business" (translated from the Spanish original).
The moment I received it
ILAF presented the recognition at the congress awards dinner on October 22. That night I felt that the work of bringing AI to Hispanic businesses is being seen.
I receive it with a full heart. For me, artificial intelligence is a superpower, and my mission is to make it yours: to help you save time, optimize your business and scale your company.
Women in Franchising Day: AI for a business with more freedom
On Wednesday, October 21, I spoke at Women in Franchising Day, the congress's forum for women business owners. The core idea was simple: when you are the system, your business only grows as far as you can reach. Everything waits for your approval, quality lives only in your head, and growth feels like more work.
The way out is not to delegate a fuzzy problem. It is to start with what you repeat most. I gave the room a three-question exercise:
- Which task? The one you do every week that eats your hours.
- Which criteria? How you decide when you do it well.
- Which result? Less waiting, better follow-up, more consistency.
What the women in the room repeat most
Two tasks came up more than any other: client follow-up and answering WhatsApp messages. Both are strong first candidates for AI. They happen every day, they follow criteria the owner already knows, and they take hours that should go to growing the business. Once those criteria stop living only in your head, AI can help you apply them consistently.
Hands-on workshop: Create your digital clone with AI
On Thursday, October 22, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in Auditorium 2, I led the workshop "Crea tu clon digital con IA". One principle guided the session: your knowledge directs the message, and your clone helps you deliver it.
We worked in HeyGen in four steps:
- Create your account.
- Create your digital twin with your own image and voice.
- Give your consent, because your clone should only exist with your authorization.
- Generate your first video and review it yourself before you publish it.
What happened when they saw their clone
It was transformational. Participants created their digital twins during the session, and several shared their first videos on social media. The real shift came when people realized how much time it could save them.
What is the most common mistake owners make when they start with AI?
Starting with the tool instead of the task. My recommendation: start with what you repeat most. Pick one recurring task, write down how you judge it done well, and then choose the tool that supports it.
Should a franchisor use a digital clone to train franchise units?
This is what I tell franchisors who are unsure: your clone doesn't replace you. It repeats your judgment, in your voice and with your permission, and you review everything before it goes out.
A franchise works when what one unit does well can be repeated in the next. That depends on clear processes and consistent training. AI helps with both: it documents the judgment that today lives only with the founder, and it helps deliver that judgment to more people without the founder recording every message. Responsibility stays human: you define the message, you review it, and you decide what gets published.
Thank you
Thank you to the Latin American Franchise Institute and its Academic Committee, to Gaby Zavala and Jorge Valencia, and to every business owner and entrepreneur who shared these days with me in Mexico City. You can learn more about the congress at congresofranquicia.com.
Want to put AI to work in your business?
If you want to find the one task in your business that AI should support first, book a conversation with me.
Silvana Pimentel is a Fractional Chief AI Officer, TEDx speaker, bestselling author and founder of AI Your Superpower, based in San Antonio, Texas.
