Tag: startups

Greatest Hits Episode: Mariana Castillo, Ben & Frank: Direct-to-Consumer Eyewear for the Mexican Market, Ep 159

Mariana_Castillo_Ben_Frank

You can now find the full show notes of the Crossing Borders podcast on LatamList.com’s new podcast section. I’ll still post the audio of the podcast on my blog and I’m planning to start writing more again on my blog, like I used to.

Subscribe to the LatamList Weekly newsletter to get updated on the week’s top tech news and stories from the region.

Thanks for listening to Crossing Borders all these years! If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to reach out here, or contact me on social media.

Outline of this episode:

  • [1:37] – About Ben & Frank
  • [2:06] – Traditional retail experience for eyewear in Mexico
  • [3:23] – Mexican roots, nomadic upbringing
  • [5:05] – Entrepreneurial journey
  • [6:00] – Internship at ALLVP
  • [6:55] – Lessons learned at the Central Bank and ALLVP
  • [7:55] – Why tackle this specific problem?
  • [9:04] – Ben & Frank’s inflection point
  • [11:48] – Building a brand in Mexico
  • [13:15] – Insights into Latam’s direct-to-consumer category
  • [14:20] – Competing with traditional retailers
  • [17:25] – Expanding Mexican direct-to-consumer brands
  • [18:15] – Advice to Mariana’s younger self
  • [18:41] – Fundraising for a direct-to-consumer startup
  • [23:18] – Being a female founder in Latam
  • [26:35] – Avoiding biases in the VC ecosystem 
  • [29:07] – What’s next for Mariana and Ben & Frank?

Show notes on Latamlist.com.

Gustavo Guida, Alloy Card: Starting Companies in Brazil since 2000, Ep 118

You can now find the full show notes of the Crossing Borders podcast on LatamList.com’s new podcast section. I’ll still post the audio of the podcast on my blog and I’m planning to start writing more again on my blog, like I used to.

Subscribe to the LatamList Weekly newsletter to get updated on the week’s top tech news and stories from the region.

Thanks for listening to Crossing Borders all these years! If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to reach out here, or contact me on social media.

Outline of this episode:

  • [1:55] – About Alloy Card
  • [2:49] – Becoming an entrepreneur
  • [3:57] – Brazil’s tech bubble
  • [6:20] – Why price comparison?
  • [7:28] – Crashing and bouncing back
  • [10:17] – Merging with Buscapé
  • [15:21] – After first exit
  • [19:24] – Inspiration for Alloy and first steps
  • [23:44] – Books, blogs, & podcast recommendations
  • [25:25] – Advice to Gustavo’s younger self
  • [27:11] – What’s next for Alloy?

Show notes on Latamlist.com.

Gonzalo Galindo, Cemex Ventures: Bringing Innovation and Strategic Investments to the Construction Industry, Ep 113

You can now find the full show notes of the Crossing Borders podcast on LatamList.com’s new podcast section. I’ll still post the audio of the podcast on my blog and I’m planning to start writing more again on my blog, like I used to.

Subscribe to the LatamList Weekly newsletter to get updated on the week’s top tech news and stories from the region.

Thanks for listening to Crossing Borders all these years! If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to reach out here, or contact me on social media.

Outline of this episode:

  • [1:32] – About Cemex Ventures
  • [3:30] – Gonzalo’s tech trajectory
  • [5:10] – From tradition to disruption
  • [7:00] – Advice for working with corporations
  • [9:45] – Lessons learned from working with startups
  • [11:26] – Cemex Ventures vision
  • [16:05] – The importance of investing
  • [17:31] – Cemex Ventures investments
  • [19:48] – On stages and check sizes
  • [21:01] – Next trends in construction
  • [23:11] – Advice to Gonzalo’s younger self
  • [24:40] – What’s next for Cemex Ventures?

Show notes on Latamlist.com.

Antonia Rojas, ALLVP: Investing in Human Development & Smart Cities in Latin America, Ep 111

You can now find the full show notes of the Crossing Borders podcast on LatamList.com’s new podcast section. I’ll still post the audio of the podcast on my blog and I’m planning to start writing more again on my blog, like I used to.

Subscribe to the LatamList Weekly newsletter to get updated on the week’s top tech news and stories from the region.

Thanks for listening to Crossing Borders all these years! If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to reach out here, or contact me on social media.

Outline of the episode:

  • [1:20] – About ALLVP
  • [2:40] – Getting into tech
  • [5:20] – From entrepreneur to investor
  • [8:00] – Experience at Start-Up Chile
  • [9:17] – Convincing others into tech 
  • [10:40] – Joining ALLVP
  • [14:27] – Advice to angel investors
  • [14:49] – ALLVP’s verticals & investment process
  • [17:44] – The future of Latam’s tech ecosystem
  • [21:05] – Books, blogs, & podcast recommendations
  • [22:30] – Advice to Antonia’s younger self

Show notes on Latamlist.com.