Mauricio Duran > www.Sieena.com

Mauricio Duran, Founder, Sieena


What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
You need to have a dream, something that will keep you going every day and helps you understand and manage the risks of running a business. You also need to be passionate about your work, and be willing to go the extra mile to achieve your goals.


What did inspire you to start your business?
We wanted to build a different type of company. We were inspired by the work done by companies like Microsoft and we wanted to build innovative software using talented resources from the Hispanic community. Our vision was to create a company where talented software engineers could enjoy challenging projects and a great work environment. We take particular pride when our solutions get released to the market and they are used by thousands of people around the world.


How did you finance it?
We spent roughly $2,000 to create the company, bought a couple of laptops and a domain. One of our best clients, and a good friend of us, hired us to build a new web application and he gave us a payment in advance. We used the money to get a small office and pay the first salaries.


Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
Yes, people enjoy working with our team. The Hispanic culture has a lot of similarities with the US culture. This gives us the opportunity to team up with our clients and work side by side on projects that require frequent, open and direct communication.


In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
We are lucky to have a great team, including our employees, clients and vendors. Our loyal clients have kept us busy even during the worst economic crisis in the US history. It is easy to wake up in the morning when you know that there are people in the office that are always willing to help, and work hard to meet our client needs.


What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Our biggest challenge was to find a niche market where we could specialize. This helped us get a better place in the value chain and offer clear benefits to our clients.


If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
There are a few things we are trying to change; we are learning from previous experiences and developing new service offerings, improving our processes and becoming more disciplined about running our business. We started as a young group of software developers and have evolved into managers and directors with different and new responsibilities.


What was your childhood ambition?
I wanted to be a successful architect, but this changed as soon as my parents got me an Atari XE and I started programming.


Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire
Without any doubt, the entrepreneur that I admire the most is Bill Gates. I had the opportunity to meet him in the summer of 97. He responded candidly to all our questions and he gave us more than one hour of his time to talk about Microsoft and his vision about business and technology. Another person I really admire is Miguel de Icaza, one of the most talented software developers in the world, and also a successful entrepreneur.


For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
All of the above. We spend a lot of time with our clients and we like to invite them out to meet in a relaxed environment.


What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
I travel frequently and that takes some time away from my family. I am lucky to have wife that understands this and provides the support needed to continue growing the business. It would be hard to focus on business activities without having the right balance between personal, family and work time.


What is your favorite quote?
Your network is your net worth. I read this quote a few years ago and it made me realize how important it has been to maintain a close relationship with the people we work with.


Is it difficult to be unconventional?
We don’t think about ourselves as unconventional. We are hardworking people, and there is no magic sauce for success. We had to learn a lot of things about running a business, including topics like sales and marketing. These were new areas for us, since we all have a background in engineering.


Biggest mistake made?
Our biggest mistake was to focus too much on a single aspect of the business, and not paying attention to other functional areas. We used to work a lot with companies in the real estate industry and we got hit by the financial crisis probably before the rest of our competitors. In a way, this was a good thing because it made us realize that we needed to pay attention to all the areas involved in running a business. Now we have formal sales and marketing organizations, a strong financial and accounting department and well defined HR policies and procedures.


Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
Yes, we help our clients build innovative solutions and Sieena has received innovation awards for the work we have done in the past few years. Our work is to find innovative ways to use technology to satisfy our client’s business needs.


About the Company:
Sieena is a Nearshore software development firm specializing in market research, entertainment and startup companies. We help our clients use technology to get ahead of their competitors. We achieve this by using our vertical expertise and the experience obtained by delivering successful engagement for more than 6 years.
Sieena is a certified Microsoft Gold Partner with competencies in Business Intelligence, Collaboration Portals, Software Development, Web Development and Data Management. More than 90% of our staff is certified and we have won multiple awards for innovation and design. We leverage our development center in Monterrey Mexico to provide competitive pricing to our clients.
For more information visit http://www.sieena.com/

Nate Suppaiah > www.AlternativeLatinInvestor.com

Nate Suppaiah, Founder, Alternative Latin Investor.


What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
Find something you love to do, and you'll never work a day in your life.
Jobs I've had in the past were just that, jobs, which were a necessary part of my life in order to survive. As an entrepreneur, work is part of my live and vice-versa, where I live, who I work with, what I do, learn, how I act, are all an integral part of my work and life which are one. I find this the most fulfilling way to live and a lifestyle that is not offered by working for other people.


What did inspire you to start your business?
Moving from Beijing to Buenos Aires I found a lack of 'real jobs' with adequate compensation. In addition for the past 12 years I have been traveling the world collecting a seemingly random set of skills, stock broker in Chicago, paramedic in Montana, propaganda writer for the Chinese Ministry of Culture, management consultant, the list goes on. Starting my own business gave me an opportunity to apply ALL of my skills, not only the ones a company would deem necessary.


How did you finance it?
In the beginning I used savings from the China days, then freelance journalism, financing might become an issue as we continue to grow and have a larger internal infrastructure to support.


In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
The fear of letting down my team keeps the candle lit at both ends.


What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Starting from scratch with no solid background in internet media. We've had to learn from zero how to do most things, i.e. deal with programmers, attract media coverage, search engine optimization, etc. In the long run this will make us a much stronger, self-reliant company, but in the short run it takes a great deal of time, patience and faith.


If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Without sounding overconfident, we have learned from every mistake we have made, making us grow and learn at an exponential rate, rather than a linear one free of mistakes. Taking this into consideration, there is nothing we have done which I would change. I couldn't be more proud of what our team has accomplished in 12 months.


What was your childhood ambition?
To be a pilot, see the world, have no ties. Just need to learn how to fly and I'm there.


Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire?
Howard Hughes, Richard Branson, Hugh Heffner: The saw a need, they filled it, but NEVER conformed. Hipocracy should be a deadly sin, these fellows acted in success prior to it. That is to say, if success means changing who you are, I don’t want it.


For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Lunch. Middle of the day, people have had time to get themselves together, but aren't too tired or ready to go home. After a lunch meeting both parties can still go back to the office confer with colleagues, and get back to you in the same day. Unlike breakfast its acceptable to have wine. This is for a mutually beneficial meeting, for a client, dinner is best, to wine and dine. Breakfast works well at conferences or if person is just visiting your city, brunch works quite well.


What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
Since the age of 17 I have never lived in the same city for more than 3 years. In addition it is difficult to give personal relationships the work and attention they require when your work is never done.


What is your favorite quote?
Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far one can go.
TS Elliott


Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Have never been conventional, couldn't say


Biggest mistake made?
Spending a year in pre-med pretending to want to be a doctor.


Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
The commercial application of an invention is innovation. We have the product, we have the team, we have the look, but are just starting to monetize these factors. Until that time we have yet to innovate.


About the Company:
Alternative Latin Investor is the first bimonthly digital magazine providing information on alternative assets classes in Latin America
For free access to the full contents of the magazine and special reports visit http://www.alternativelatininvestor.com/

Alicia Santistevan > www.AliciaSantistevan.com

Alicia Santistevan, Creator, Alicia Santistevan.


What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
Courage, tenacity, and enough money for at least six-month’s bills.


What did inspire you to start your business?
The freedom I experienced in freelancing while I still had a full-time job.


How did you finance it?
Savings, a business loan, and the continuous support of my boyfriend.


Being Hispanic-Does it have any influence on your business?
Absolutely! As a photographer, I am always consciously or unconsciously adding my voice, experience and opinion to every image.


In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
I decided from the beginning that failure was not an option. I keep problem solving and asking myself what I can do to make it better and keep growing.


What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
I think the obvious answer is money, but really it’s adapting to a changing economy and photographic industry. Learning to optimize my contacts and continuing to network was key in overcoming this.


If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Cash flow and my accounting workflow...but I’m working on it!


What was your childhood ambition?
To be someone to be remembered-someone above average. Someone who makes a difference through what I do and who I am. Someone who does something GREAT. Come to think of it, I STILL have that ambition.


Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire?
Maya Angelou-she is by far one of the most awe-inspiring, trailblazing women I can imagine. Her work for African-Americans, the arts and her creative thought all render me humble and speechless. Can read her books over and over and still learn something new every time.


My mentor, Anne Lazarus. Her ruthless sense of business and her ability to be, (in her words), matter-of-fact are incredible.


George Lopez. He is the epitome of taking what you’re good at and running with it!


For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
I like to be flexible to what works best for my client. Some people are morning people and some are not. I find it makes people more at ease to meet with if it is at a time when they are not rushed to run off to another obligation.


What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
Well, my whole “quality of life” had to shift. No more getting my hair and nails done every month, no personal trainer or impulse shopping. These small things add up to a big difference when most of my income needs to back into my business. I am much more mindful of expenses and need vs. want.


What is your favorite quote?
There are SO many. If I MUST pick just one, though, it would be one my Dad used to often say: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” My Dad was so smart.


Is it difficult to be unconventional?
There is always a risk in putting yourself out there and being different. A risk that people won’t like you or will criticize. The fact is that some people will. You can’t be all things to all people and you have to be ok with that. The only way to really do something great is to step off the beaten path and be DIFFERENT.


Biggest mistake made?
Not having a solid time-management and accounting workflow UP FRONT!


About Her:
I am a professional editorial and advertising photographer. I specialize in narrative photography that accelerates marketing goals and engages readers. I have been in the photography business for 12 years and have strong connections with people and food. I enjoy helping other businesses grow with the power of visual narrative.
http://www.aliciasantistevan.com/

Dora Cardenas > www.Toletta.com

Dora Cardenas, Co-Founder, Toletta.

What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
You need patience, optimism, energy, and most of all - money.

What did inspire you to start your business?
My husband and I both wanted to own a business for a long time. Our dream has always been to be our own boss.

How did you finance it?
We financed it with our own money. We both still have full time jobs.

Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
To be honest, it has not made any difference. I think the idea of being less or even more successful because of ones ethnicity is a bit disturbing to me. I would hope that our success will come from hard work, persistence, great quality of the product and excellent customer service.

In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
I read somewhere that 99% of businesses fail within the first five years. I don’t want to be a negative statistic. I keep thinking of that and it is what keeps me going.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
By far the biggest challenge has been money, the lack of it.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
For us, change came in the beginning. The only thing I would change, but can’t, is the success of our product. That is up to the customer.

What was your childhood ambition?
I remember that I never really wanted to work and most of my family thought I was just lazy. I realized when I grew up that it wasn’t that I did not want to work, I just did not want to work for someone else. So my ambition was to work for myself.

Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire?
Janet and Greta, the Authors of Looney Spoons cookbook, Steve Houle from Parkit360.com and Chris Simpson from CCRkanata.com

For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Breakfast- Most people think better in the mornings. Breakfast is also my favorite meal of the day.

What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
Because my husband and I still have full time jobs while trying to make our business a success, we have no time to take long vacations.

What is your favorite quote?
”Good things don’t come to those who wait. They come to those who initiate.” Susan RoAne (author of How to Work a Room)

Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Sometimes it is because people are more comfortable being in status quo, but in order to stand out you must be unconventional.

Biggest mistake made?
Not pricing our product correctly.

Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
I consider my husband more of the innovator and I go a long with his ideas because I think he is a genius.

About the Company:
TOLETTA is the world's first premium brand of purse sized travel packs of paper toilet seat covers. Tissues are flushable and made from large sheets of 3ply toilet paper. Each seat cover is 20% larger and 42% thicker than other brands. A percentage of the proceeds is donated to social causes (pink for breast cancer and blue for child poverty). TOLETTA was created for the purpose of helping women feel pretty even in a not so glamorous situation like a public bathroom. Since its inception, TOLETTA has sold over 30,000 packs and is available in 10 countries.
For more information visit: http://www.toletta.com/

Dahlma Llanos Figueroa > www.llanosfigueroa.com

Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, Author, Daughters of the Stone


What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
I believe you need absolute faith in your product, a hard-core tenacity and a willingness to sacrifice your comfort zone to adopt new and different ways of thinking.


What did inspire you to start your business?
I’m a writer and I felt that the people in charge of promoting and marketing my work didn’t have enough faith in it. Since my novel, Daughters of the Stone, has gotten excellent critical reviews and equally enthusiastic responses from readers, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I refuse to let my book die out of lack of enthusiasm or forward thinking in some quarters. I knew that there were other ways, better ways of marketing in some communities than the established norms. Therefore, I decided to promote the book for myself.


How did you finance it?
Unfortunately, I have very limited funds. I have used my personal resources, income, savings and credit. After all, if I don’t believe in myself, who will? But I need to find alternative funding sources that will be less stressful on my personal finances.


Being Hispanic…Does it have any influence on your business?
It absolutely does because the Hispanic experience, specifically the Afro-Hispanic experience, is the core of my literary work. It has been underrepresented, if not ignored in the American literary landscape. Our stories need to be acknowledged, shared, celebrated and passed on.


In the face of adversity, how do you decide to keep going?
Failure is not an option. When I exhaust all possibilities in one avenue, I seek another. I look for allied alternatives, research and talk to others who have had experience in the same field. I step into the unknown--if not domestic marketing, then overseas, if not traditional, then the more unconventional. One way or the other, I will attain the recognition my work deserves.


What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
On a practical level, limited funding is always a challenge and a constant concern. But there have been others. I had a difficult time accepting that I had to change my way of thinking. Instead of functioning in a creative/literary mode, I had to begin thinking like a businessperson, something I knew nothing about.


If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
I wish I would have known more about the promotion end of publishing earlier in the game. I lost valuable time that could have given me much more exposure. Right now, I seek to connect with people who can help give my work more exposure. I’m looking to establish mutually beneficial relationships with corporations who are seeking to expand into the Latino marketplace. I need exposure and sales. They need an entrée into our culture. My novel is about the lives of ordinary Latinas who have never been recognized. My Latina readers appreciate being, not only recognized, but also celebrated, by seeing their own stories in print. I think that’s a perfect match.


What was your childhood ambition?
I’ve wanted to write since I was very young. It took me a while to find my voice and a direction. It took living. But I’m here now and I’m ready.


Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire
Jennifer Barlcaly (Blue Fish Clothing), Lisa Price (Carol’s Daughter), the late Anita Roddick (The Body Shop) and Tabra (Tabra Jewelry). I truly admire women entrepreneurs who were moved by a creative passion that later became a lucrative business. But their focus was their creative passion. Then out of necessity or social consciousness, they marketed their product. But, in each case, passion came first. Profit came later.


For business meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
I’m a morning person and prefer early meetings—breakfast or lunch. But if necessary, I make exceptions.


What sacrifices on your personal life did you have to make in order to become a business success?
I’ve postponed taking care of some health issues in order to maximize my promotional plans. In publishing, timing is all. Certain times of the year are best. Striking while the iron’s hot is crucial. On the whole, however, I don’t recommend compromising your health for anything. Luckily for me, my situation is not a critical one.


What is your favorite quote?
I think it was Woody Allen who said that the key to success is showing up on time and prepared. I take that to heart.


Is it difficult to be unconventional?
It’s very difficult. Often, people don’t want to hear a message that challenges their view of reality. But if you keep going and help them see that the unconventional or unknown aren’t as foreign as they might seem, you can often make headway. The important thing is that you never give up if you believe you are right. Generally, people are more alike than they are different.

Biggest mistake made?
My biggest mistake was waiting too long to take matters into my own hands. I left decisions in the hands of “experts” in the field. If you feel that you are not being well served and you think you can do a better job—go for it.


Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
I’m not an innovator. Many other artists have had to go against the grain and fight for their work. Some musicians have had to leave the country to do so and have only been accepted here after they proven successful elsewhere. Some writers have had to sell their books out of their car trunks. There are designers have had to work in their mothers’ basement or cosmetic artists have had to transform their tiny kitchens into production labs after the kids are asleep. We do what we need to do.


About the Company
My company consists of intangibles--my mind, my imagination, my writing skills, my need to tell stories that haven’t been told. My products are books. My market is anyone who shares in my humanity but especially Latina women who are so underrepresented in our literature. My need is to get my product to the people who need them.
http://www.llanosfigueroa.com/