I was raised in a country with unparalleled natural beauty; unfortunately, it is also struggling to overcome extreme poverty. After years of ignoring the unprosperous living standards of people in my country, it started to affect me deeply. I have always been fond of finding new avenues to tackle traditional problems, and this led me to work in some of the poorest corners of the world's most underdeveloped countries, including the poor village of El Rama on the eastern coast of Nicaragua and Arbegona, located south of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
What I found in these places was a universal similarity: the individuals who inhabit these areas have all been denied choice and opportunity. Whether it's a lack of food, water, healthcare, education, or financial services, they are left powerless to make changes. This is what fueled my conviction to make a difference.
Coming from a family of immigrants, my family immigrated from Nicaragua to the United States. I witnessed firsthand the challenges of being an immigrant, navigating a complicated healthcare system, building up credit from scratch, and undergoing bureaucracy to become a citizen, all with the hope of a better future and being able to financially sustain their loved ones left behind.
Ever since I was a kid, I have loved spending time on the internet and learning new things, reading interesting articles, discovering useful websites, and reading opinions and habits of successful entrepreneurs. I spent numerous hours with my father-in-law, who was the Chairman of all Banking Regulations for Nicaragua, and he explained the legal impediments to make banking digital and more accessible. This is where my interest in crypto started. I took courses, invested in it, and after 8 months of reading crypto books and networking with individuals of similar interest, my experience with digital assets has been extremely rewarding and productive.
I deeply respect startups working to alleviate these hurdles for immigrants, minorities, and underrepresented communities. Immigrants are responsible for substantial economic growth in the US, contributing $2 trillion to US GDP in 2015. More than half of American startup companies valued at $1 billion or more were founded by first-generation immigrants. 48% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by first-generation immigrants or their children. During the 2015–16 academic year, international students contributed almost $33 billion to the US economy and supported more than 400,000 jobs. 40% of the Nobel Prizes won by Americans in chemistry, medicine, and physics since 2000 were awarded to first-generation immigrants, and 42% of the researchers at the top seven US cancer research centers are foreign-born.
I am looking to partner with early-stage founders who have genuine ambitions to create a better, faster, cheaper, and more open financial system to raise economic prosperity through a frictionless exchange of value in North and Latin America.
I am passionate about using my experience and expertise to make a difference in the world. I believe that we can all make a positive impact, and I hope that my writing inspires you to take action and make a difference in your own way.