Crossing Borders with Nathan Lustig

I sat down with James to talk about his experience as an entrepreneur and an investor and starting and working with some of today’s leading internet companies. James gives great advice on starting a company, choosing a co-founder, and approaching a meeting with a VC. We also touch on NFX’s selection criteria for founders and how they tripled the rate at which they were investing when COVID-19 hit.

In this episode, I sat down with Álvaro to talk about how Wheel the World changes the user experience for people with disabilities that want to explore the world. We also discuss their fundraising process and participation in different accelerator programs, as well as how they’ve responded to the COVID-19 pandemic which has put traveling on hold for most people.

I sat down with Javier to talk about his transition from consulting to working at FEMSA and getting involved with Latin America’s venture capital ecosystem. We discuss innovation in corporations and Javier shares tips on how to collaborate with startups and large corporations.

I sat down with Manuel to talk about his first experience as an entrepreneur when LatAm’s VC industry was just getting started and how he combined his love of tech and his experience in the movie industry to found Cinepapaya. We also talk about how Keynua is providing a solution to fix Latin America’s broken notary services industry.

This is the second time I sit down with Amir to talk about the future of work. In this episode, Amir talks about how he experiences remote work in a post-COVID world and provides tips to those who have only recently transitioned into this modality. We also discuss the power of asynchronous work and how to build culture in a remote-first company.

I sat down with Andrea to talk about how she combined her passion for fitness and her background in finance to start Fitco in Peru’s budding startup ecosystem. We also discuss their experience at Techstars’ Boulder Accelerator as the first LatAm startup to be accepted into the program and how Fitco has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I sat down with Mariana to talk about why an internship at ALLVP played a key role in her decision to become an entrepreneur, the lessons she learned from working at Mexico’s Central Bank, and the insights she’s gained about the direct-to-consumer category in Latam; from building a brand to fundraising. And lastly, Mariana shares advice on how to remove biases in the ecosystem to empower female fo...

I sat down with Dan to talk about how his trip to Latin America during his 20s inspired him to focus on building a bridge between Silicon Valley and the region, supporting top-level entrepreneurs like the current founders of Cornershop. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different corporate structures for entrepreneurs starting their own business.

I sit down with Mandeep to talk about how a short trip to Latin America served as inspiration for her international best-selling book. We also discuss the impact of value-driven businesses and how startup founders and investors can see eye to eye in terms of the values that they look for in the other.

I sat down with Santiago to talk about his early entrepreneurial beginnings, followed by his experience founding a stock simulator with his brother, to eventually joining Mensajeros Urbanos. We also discuss the opportunity that the last-mile logistics industry represents in Latam and Santiago identifies Mensajeros Urbanos’ inflection points.

I sat down with Matías to talk about his experience in the investment banking world, starting a vegan food startup in 2012 and, ultimately, his decision to leave the company. We also discuss his transformative experience in the US where he connected with his current co-founders, then getting accepted into IndieBio, and eventually raising money from Kaszek Ventures and Jeff Bezos. Matías also talks...

I sat down with Gustavo to talk about his experience starting a company in Brazil’s tech bubble, then merging with Buscapé, and getting acquired by Naspers. We also discuss his decision to continue starting companies after his first exit, and why he chose to launch Alloy Card in the US first.

I sat down with Christine to talk about how she ended up in Latin America and how her perception of venture capital completely changed when she started working at IGNIA. We also discuss how the industry in Latin America has changed since she arrived in 2006, and the benefits of being a woman in the venture capital and tech industries. 

In this episode, Deepak shares stories about growing up in Ecuador as an Indian immigrant, his experience in investment banking in the US and Latin America, and the reason for pivoting into Nuvocargo after going through YCombinator. We also delve deep into the complexity of carrying out international trade and how Nuvocargo’s solution helps to streamline those processes

In this episode, I sat down with Martin to talk about his multicultural background, his experience financing his second company, and eventually founding the leading fintech in Colombia for consumer and SMB lending, Zinobe. We also discuss his latest endeavor, Centeo, a startup in Mexico that specializes in vendor finance, and his passion for helping other entrepreneurs get started on their journey...

I sat down with Florence to talk about her upbringing in El Salvador and learning about entrepreneurship over the dinner table with her family, and how her first failure as a startup turned into a valuable life lesson. We also discuss why customer engagement is a huge opportunity in Latin America and Florence gives advice to entrepreneurs raising money as a seed-stage startup.

I sat down with Gonzalo to talk about his transition from a more traditional business background to working in a disruptive industry like venture capital. He also gives advice to younger entrepreneurs on how to approach investment opportunities with corporations, and shares lessons he’s learned from working with startups. We also discuss Cemex Ventures’ vision and what Gonzalo thinks the future ho...

I sat down with Pedro to talk about what it was like growing up in Salvador and then starting a business during his college years in São Carlos. We also discuss his experience bootstrapping his company the first four years, his experience at YCombinator, and ultimately his decision to move the business to the US. Also, in light of COVID-19, we talk about how InEvent has adjusted to the new circums...

In this episode, I sit down with Antonia to talk about her journey as an entrepreneur-turned-investor and her views on the future of Latin America’s tech ecosystem. We also talk about her experience going through Start-Up Chile and her current work and investment process at ALLVP.

In this episode, I sat down with Albert to talk about why low-code platforms are the future of software development and how he got started on his entrepreneurial journey. He explains what it was like to start a business in times of economic uncertainty and how becoming an entrepreneur changed him as a person. We also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace and what he thinks the future of...

I sit down with Ángel to talk about why Albo is a game-changer in Mexico’s banking industry, how he became obsessed with fintech from a young age, and what his first steps in finance looked like. Ángel also explains how he approaches fundraising and gives advice to other entrepreneurs looking to raise money locally and globally as he did with Albo.

I sit down with Laura to talk about why she decided to tackle human health and how she became an entrepreneur while completing several Masters along the way. We also discuss the work Unima was doing before COVID-19 and what it’s like to raise money as a biotech company in Latin America.

In this episode, I sit down with Maya to talk about why HR is a huge opportunity in Latin America, and how employee benefits in Mexico differ from the US. We also discuss her decision to focus on HR and how she transitioned from the corporate world into entrepreneurship.

I sat down with Vitor to talk about how he became a lieutenant in the Brazilian army and then started working as a business analyst for Nick Faldo’s Golf & Resort Management company. We also discuss how Curitiba’s ecosystem has evolved over the years and how he started Contabilizei –now the largest SME accounting firm in Brazil– when no one believed in his product.

In this episode, I sit down with Geoff to talk about the value dataPlor brings to large enterprises as well as the challenges of collecting data in Latin America compared to the US. We also discuss some of the lessons he’s learned from shutting down his first startup, and also some of his reflections on the future of data.