Gregory Keough > www.RegaloCard.com

Gregory Keough, Founder, RegaloCard.

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
A good idea and a positive can do attitude.


What did inspire you to start your business?
RegaloCard was founded to replace costly money transfer services like western union and moneygram. Money transfers are a huge market but they are 1. Costly, 2. Not instant, 3. Don’t allow the sender to control how is money is used, all key element to the person sending the money. At RegaloCard we looked at the current model and found it flawed, and we developed the RegaloCard system which accomplishes the same thing as the typical money transfer but is free and delivered instantly using mobile technology and also allows the person sending the money transfer to assure their money is spent by choosing the gift card of the retail brand where he wants the recipient to spend the money. The RegaloCard solution answers the clear consumer desire for a more friendly and cheaper, in this case free, way to send their money transfers back home to their home countries.

How did you finance it?
We invested $5 million to develop the technology and infrastructure.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
RegaloCard was founded with the idea to provide Latinos a free and instant money transfer system so our business is all about serving the US Hispanic market well with an innovative solution that both saves them money and improves their control over the money they send back home.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
The fundamental belief that RegaloCard has developed a superior business proposition and model to the current large incumbents like Western Union, Moneygram and others.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Launching new technologies is always a challenge, but at RegaloCard I think we made a very easy to use system that has made a previously cumbersome process much faster, easier, and cheaper.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Nothing yet.

What was your childhood ambition?
Always was interested in business.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire?
Steve Jobbs, best marketer of all time.

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Dinner.

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
With my first company I was all consumed with the business above all else. Now, after founding 4 different companies, I think I have learned to balance much more successfully family and business, family always is top priority.

What is your favorite quote?
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. Oscar Wilde

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
I think it is not necessarily unconventional to see things in a new way. At RegaloCard we looked at the $200B annual business of money transfers which has existed for ages and just looked at it from a different angle. By allowing people to send Gift Cards to specific retailers in their home countries and using the latest mobile payment technology we created a free instant money transfer that we believe will replace the current costly systems.

Biggest mistake made?
Too many to list.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
I would like to consider myself an innovator and think in the case of RegaloCard we have taken the money transfer industry dominated by Western Union and Moneygram that have operated in much the same way for ages with their high fees, having to visit the bank to pick up your money, and no way for the consumer to control how their money is spent. Compare this with RegaloCard where the service is free, instant, and the sender can control how their money is spent and I think it represents the essence of healthy innovation.

About the Company.
RegaloCard, www.RegaloCard.com, is a revolutionary new type of Gift Card that uses a proprietary mobile payment technology to allow immigrant groups to instantly send their relatives back home what they need absolutely free. RegaloCard is a prepaid gift card that you can buy in the United States, but is delivered instantly to the person you choose in your home country, to make purchases at leading local retailers. The RegaloCard service works with any mobile phone and carrier worldwide and is the best way for immigrants to send their families the things they need. While initially focusing on the US Hispanic market, RegaloCard plans to expand the service to other regions that have a high level of immigrants residing in the US. For more information visit www.RegaloCard.com

Diony Elias > www.newcityinvestment.com

Diony Elias, Founder and President, New City Investment Solutions, LLC. And founder of The Epix Group LLC.

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
In order to be an entrepreneur, a person needs an idea and a tenacious devotion to execute that idea. One also needs relentless faith in their vision and the ability to be resilient.

What did inspire you to start your business?
I was inspired by: a) Justin Moore, my real estate business partner, b) Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and c) Hip Hop entrepreneurship, Jay-Z in particular.

How did you finance it?
I financed both my businesses by living under my means. I sacrificed autonomy by living at home for four years. As a result, I was able to build enough capital to buy NCI's first property and finance The Epix Group's first event. Albeit personally financed, I'm always looking for investors to help my businesses grow.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
Yes - being Hispanic does have an influence on both my businesses. I'm always socially conscious of how to make a philanthropic impact in the Hispanic community. For example, EPIX has partnered with non-profit organizations that focus on Hispanic, educational initiatives. NCI invests in low-income, Hispanic communities in hopes of aesthetically improving their neighborhoods' condition. We also work with first-time homebuyers.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
This is a good question - adversity is definitely prevalent. I think about how much I dislike sitting at a corporate desk, with no control of my own time. I value my time above all.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
NCI is not generating properties as fast as I would like due to the overall real estate market. Banks are not as benevolent and investors are "playing it safe" now-a-days, even if NCI does have an impeccable track record on return. EPIX is at the brink of becoming a major player in New York City, but needs to raise marketing dollars in order for our products to receive more exposure.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
I wish we would've hired more summer interns [smile].

What was your childhood ambition?
To become an attorney

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire?
Robert Kiyosaki, a real estate investors that believes in cash flow properties (buy, hold, rent, profit). Jay-Z, a multi-millionaire who became something from nothing. My mother, who taught me the fundamentals and importance of saving money as a child.

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
All three

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
I had to live at home under my mother's rules until the age of 27, before I could buy my personal home and quit my job.

What is your favorite quote?
"9 - 5 is how you survive. I'm not trying to survive, I'm trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot." - Jay-Z

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Not at all, I love being unconventional. No one's at the gym when I work out [smile].

Biggest mistake made?
I once lost 3k trying to sell Madonna tickets. I failed to market a good product properly. I made a good date out of it.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
Absolutely, everyday as an entrepreneur a problem arises and I have to think of creative solutions.

About the Companies.
New City Investment Solutions, LLC (NCI) is a real estate investment company that focuses on residential development. NCI specializes in providing investment opportunities and educational resources to both investors and homeowners. NCI develops, owns and manages residential real estate in the greater Philadelphia area.
www.newcityinvestment.com

The Epix Group, LLC - Founder and Director of Operations
The Epix Group, LLC is a promotional marketing company focused on redefining lifestyle and brand experiences for our clients. Our services include brand marketing, venue consultation, corporate and special events, nightlife promotions and high-end concierge services. EPIX has been successfully operating and accommodating clients in New York, Miami and Las Vegas since 2005.
www.theepixgroup.com

Mariela Dabbah > www.latinosincollege.com

Mariela Dabbah, Owner, LatinosinCollege.com

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
I think you need four key things:
1) You need to have a passion for what you do because that passion is what will drive you forward.
2) You have to be immune to rejection because no matter what you do, you will have to “sell” yourself. Everything is about relationships and this is never truer than for an entrepreneur.
3) You have to be perseverant in the face of challenges, rejection or closed doors.
4) And you have to have the ability to live with uncertainty as you will be creating your own income and sometimes, you won’t know where your next check will be coming from.

What inspired you to start your business?
The desire to make my own decisions and have control over my schedule and over what projects I get involved with.

How did you finance it?
Because I’m a writer, a speaker and a consultant, I didn’t need too much money to start. But in the beginning I asked my parents to help me out until I could get my first few clients.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
Everything I do is to help Latinos improve their lives and navigate the American system successfully, so being Hispanic gives me the understanding of the culture needed to develop books and programs from the perspective of the audience I’m addressing.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
I have a positive outlook on life so when I face adversity I call my friends and colleagues and get advice on how to move forward.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
To launch a nationwide public awareness campaign to help increase the number of Latinos who graduate from college in February 09 when all everyone is talking about is the economy!

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Nothing, I really love what I do and it’s going well!

What was your childhood ambition?
To be a writer.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire?
I’ll just mention one for now: Mariebelle the founder of Mariebelle Fine Chocolates because she took a product like chocolate and turned it into a unique experience by combining excellent quality with some fabulous branding.

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Whatever works for everyone involved. I think being flexible is part of having a winning attitude.

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
For several years I had no life! No vacations, no weekends, no holiday breaks… but it all paid off and I always enjoyed what I did so much that I didn’t notice. (Well, maybe I did notice a little…)

What is your favorite quote?
I don’t really live by quotes but I enjoy the expression of a famous Argentine comedian: “Whenever it has rained, it has stopped.” It helps me get over difficult times as it reminds me that at some point everything comes to an end.

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
I’m not sure. I guess this is part of my personality so for me it comes easy. What is hard is to come up with new ideas that work in the market.

Biggest mistake made?
Not having focused on my work in the media earlier.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
I think I do. I’m constantly coming up with new ideas that I am able to implement quickly. I tend to be ahead of the curve which is at the same time exciting and very challenging because when you do that, you have to educate your market and that takes a huge effort.

About the Company.
As an author, speaker and consultant, the focus of my company is to help Latinos navigate the American system successfully. My areas of expertise are: education, parent involvement in education, job search and career advancement.
www.tuvozentuvida.com

Martha Diaz > www.hiphopassociation.org

Martha Diaz, Founder, Hip Hop Association

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
To be an entrepreneur you must be able to sell a product or service for a profitable return. The product or service doesn’t necessary need to be socially responsible or good for the people. I consider myself a social entrepreneur, someone who sells products and services to solve a problem that affects society.

What did inspire you to start your business?
As a filmmaker and educator, I was frustrated by the lack of opportunities, resources, and platforms available to those who wish to use Hip-Hop culture as a tool to communicate, and empower the community. Instead of getting mad, I created my own platform, resources, and opportunities. I began with an idea of Hip-Hop film festival and then created a Hip-Hop education summit, until it became a full-fledged organization.

How did you finance it?
I used social capital; I started by organizing my community and gathered people who were feeling the same way. I also used my own funds to support my vision.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
Hispanics have certainly been influential in my business; Hip-Hop culture was started in the Bronx by African American, Caribbean, and Hispanic youths. Being Hispanic has allowed me to go beyond the US and reach Hip-Hop members from Latin American, and Spanish speakers in Europe, Canada, and Australia.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
I never let adversity stop me from getting the work done. I usually choose to scale down or find alternative solutions.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Our biggest challenge is acquiring monetary funds. We always have to tap into our social capital whenever we can’t raise funds. Another big challenge is getting the publicity for the work that we do; the celebrities are always outshining us.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
I would have started our distribution initiative sooner because of its earned income potential.

What was your childhood ambition?
I have always wanted to solve the world problems and help those who have been marginalized and disenfranchised. I especially wanted to care for the youth and sick people because they are so vulnerable. I remember wanting to cure cancer because my grandmother died of cancer at a young age.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire
Florence Nightingale – Despite the disapproval of her mother, Nightingale, an affluent upper class woman chose to become a nurse in 1845. Amongst her many accomplishments, this statistician cared for the poor and was a pioneer in the medical and education fields.
Mohammad Yunus - Bangladeshi banker, economist and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Yunus, is the founder of the Grameen Bank. As a professor of economics, he developed the concept of microcredit that provides loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans.
Paulina Maestre – Paulina was my grandmother, who worked at a telecommunications company as an operator, assisted the Governor’s office, and ran a bed and breakfast out of her home to raise 12 children in Valledupar, Colombia.

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Any of these will do, as long as: You are able to make it on time, don’t overeat or get drunk.

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
I have sacrificed my two children to give to many. If it wasn’t for my mother helping me to care for my daughters, I would not be able to do as much as I do. I have also sacrificed my own personal time, funds, and friends in order to keep the business going.

What is your favorite quote?
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Absolutely difficult, especially when people can’t envision the change or break old habits.

Biggest mistake made?
My biggest mistake is that I didn’t begin sooner.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
I consider myself an innovator because I have helped set a new standard and way of participating within Hip-Hop culture that transcends Hip-Hop. I am also the first woman to receive the Kool Herc Award. The highest recognition in Hip-Hop culture given by the Father of Hip-Hop.

About the Company
Formed in 2002, the Hip-Hop Association [H2A] is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community building organization. Now in its 7th year, the H2A is the recipient of the Union Square Arts Award and it’s considered one of the leading international Hip-Hop institutions. The mission of the H2A is to facilitate social justice, education and media reform, cross-cultural understanding, economic sustainability, and civic engagement, while preserving Hip-Hop culture for scholarship and future generations. The H2A empowers the community through programming, youth and leadership development, human rights advocacy, educational resources, and distribution mechanisms. www.hiphopassociation.org

Al Costa > www.1hourflex.com

Al Costa, Owner, Alkol Inc.

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
Basically to be able to work alone. If you can´t be by yourself long periods of the day then don´t even try, because that´s exactly what you´ll be doing in the first stages of your project.
What did inspire you to start your business?Seeing people who made it and they can provide a good standard of living for their families, while others are subject to jobs they cannot control and thus live in fear.

How did you finance it?
Good question. How did I do it? I don´t know, one dollar a time?

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
None: the US is very open to all nationalities. If you show VALUE then you are in!

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
By knowing that´s just part of the game, routine, and that will repeat itself.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Finding capable people to work with.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Its address! If it could be located in Palo Alto then it´d be much cheaper for me to pitch VCs!

What was your childhood ambition?
Being a world-known scientist.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire
Steve Jobs, Vinod Khosla, and ESPECIALLY Richard Branson

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Breakfast: people are much more receptive, there´s a sense of "this is a new day" that helps a lot.

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
Missed lots of parties and merry good fun!

What is your favorite quote?
"No battle was ever won while hiding behind walls" Napoleon Bonaparte

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Very: you get fed up of being called genius today by the very same guy who called you crazy yesterday.

Biggest mistake made?
Bet 6 years in the music industry: they still think the internet does not exist.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
I remember when I was in college I was called "gadget man" because I had gizmos that nobody even knew existed, and for me they were the most common thing in the world.

About the Company
Alkol Inc is the maker of the "1HourFlex" conversion device that allows any car to run on any amount of gasoline or ethyl alcohol using BRAZILIAN technology. Brazil has been running 1/2 of its fleet on 100% ethanol for the past 30 years, and therefore has unmatched experience. Alkol Inc brings that experience into a range of products that allow everyone to save on the gas pump and polluting less.

Doctora Aliza > VidaySalud.com

Doctora Aliza, Owner, VidaySalud.com

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
If you look at some definitions of entrepreneur you’ll find they say that you need to be willing to put EVERYTHING ON THE LINE FOR THE PASSION AND LOVE of seeing your enterprise grow... and sometimes live with several failures. I believe you need to be passionate about what you believe in and work hard to get it.

What did inspire you to start your business?
The VidaySalud.com website was born of the need to provide accurate, scientifically-based information for a community that didn’t have it. There are many excellent websites in English where people can get health information when they need it. VidaySalud.com is not only in Spanish but it provides the information in a culturally sensitive way to a community that often doesn’t have access to health services. Or that, because of language barriers, has difficulty communicating with its healthcare providers. This website will not replace their physicians but will help answer some of their questions or help them know what questions to ask when they go to see their doctors next time.

How did you finance it?
This is a venture that my husband and I believe in and we’ve capitalized it ourselves.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
Of course! This is a business by Hispanics for Hispanics.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
I’ve always been an optimist. When I chose to go to medical school in Mexico City, where I was born, women didn’t go to medical school. Everyone, including my parents, discouraged me from going, because they wanted me to have a career and they thought I wouldn’t finish. And, even if I finished, that it would be very hard to be able to combine a family life with a professional life. Needless to say they were very supportive once I decided to start and very proud when I finished. You can see the glass half full or half empty. You can fight for what you believe in or give up. If you have a passion and love what you do and work hard for it, I believe the rest will follow. Especially with something like this that I believe will help so many people.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
It is brand new, we just announced it. The biggest challenge so far has been that when we originally planned our project and started structuring it and building the website the economy was not in as bad shape as it is today and we are the sole investors. This is the biggest challenge. But it has been received with lots of enthusiasm by potential sponsors so we’re very excited and hopeful.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Maybe starting a year earlier.

What was your childhood ambition?
Doing something creative that would help people and would change the world. I’m happy to say that medicine has allowed me to do that.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet . They have not only been successful entrepreneurs but they’ve given back to society.

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Lunch

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
I’ve been working very long hours in my profession. This has made me spend less time with my family, my friends and have less personal time. At least the good news about the website is that it is a venture with my husband.

What is your favorite quote?
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Sometimes. But if I were different I wouldn’t be me.

Biggest mistake made?
There are things I might have done differently, but I’m not sure that I would necessarily call them a mistake. They may have turned out better…or worse.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
Yes. I believe that I’ve been an innovator in the way I’ve been bringing public health information to the Latino community through my media career and the culmination of this innovation is in my website.

About the Company
VidaySalud.com™, which launched on June 1, 2009, is published by Cultural Asset Management Inc. of Santa Monica, California. Its mission is to be the most widely recognized and trusted provider of Spanish-language health information, across all media.

VidaySalud.com™ is edited by Univision, People en Español, Ser Padres and impreMedia health expert Aliza Lifshitz, M.D., better known to the Latino community as la Doctora Aliza.

“No one is more trusted on health by the Latino community than la Doctora Aliza,” according to Carl Kravetz, the site’s publisher and a 25-year veteran of Hispanic advertising and Past Chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies. “With her as Editor in Chief and with science-based content delivered in the warm, caring style she is known for, VidaySalud.com™ is unmatched in credibility.”

The VidaySalud.com™ hub is the largest permanent source of health information and wellness tools in Spanish on the web. It includes “Health A to Z,” the Harvard Medical School’s searchable database of symptoms, diseases and treatments, as well as original health content, updated daily and created especially with the U.S. Hispanic community in mind. Eleven bi-weekly email newsletters on a variety of health topics are available through free registration. Interactive health tools will be added as they are developed with sponsor support.

VidaySalud.com™ is a tangible expression of Dr. Lifshitz’s commitment to public health. Its content is designed to enhance the relationships between Latino patients and their physicians by giving Hispanics the information, tools and skills they need to better communicate with their doctors, to ensure better compliance with physician instructions and to deliver better health outcomes.

VidaySalud.com™ is working closely with the Doctora Aliza Foundation, whose mission is to increase the number of Hispanic health professionals being educated in the United States through medical and nursing school scholarships and outreach to High School guidance counselors.

Juan Silvera > www.hispanicsmb.com

Juan Silvera, Owner, HispanicSMB.com

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
Two things primarily: total conviction that your business concept is a winner and the tenacity to pursue your dream business through thick and thin.

What did inspire you to start your business?
I always wanted to do something that could have a positive impact on the many Latinos and Latinas that dream of owning their own business here in the United States.

How did you finance it?
Self financed. I wanted to make a point that with the technology available to us today we can reach thousands of people without making a significant investment from the get go.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
Yes. Networking and community building are things that are instinctive to many Hispanics and it just so happens that they are critical to succeeding in business.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
I always remind myself that nothing that is worth building is ever easy. I am convinced that what I am doing is important and can have a meaningful, positive impact on others and that keeps me going.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
It is very difficult to achieve critical mass without significant marketing and PR investment. Many small businesses grow nicely at an organic rate but taking it to the next level is never easy.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
We would love to partner with a larger media organization that could help us expose our product to the hundreds of thousands of potential Hispanic small businesses that are not yet taking advantage of the free resources our site
provides.

What was your childhood ambition?
Simply to be happy. To this day it is still my primary goal in life.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire
1. David Segura, CEO of VisionIT. David has single handedly built the most successful Hispanic-owned business IT shop in the United States. I’ve met David and his success is humbling.
2. The Google Guys. They basically re-defined a medium and created an entire industry category while making a few billions along the way.
3. My dad, Manuel Silvera. He ran his own travel agency (back in the days before the Internet) and built a niche market by catering to the cash-only Hispanic market. It worked.

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Dinner.

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
I can think of many futbol games I missed on Fox Sports because I was working on the site.

What is your favorite quote?
“Good things come to those who wait, but not to those who wait too late.”

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
No. It is more difficult to be “conventional.”

Biggest mistake made?
Not starting a business right out of college.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
I think so. Innovation is not just about thinking out of the box. Innovation is also identifying underserved niches in the market and I think with HispanicSMB.com we have done just that.

About the Company
Juan Silvera is editor and publisher of HispanicSMB.com, the online community for the 1.6 million Hispanic-owned small and medium sized businesses in the United States. The site provides depth of resources, content and community for the fast growing Latino business community. HispanicSMB.com the ideal platform for marketers wishing to reach Hispanic business owners, entrepreneurs and managers -- an affluent and highly desirable but elusive segment of the market.