High-Impact Entrepreneurship

Cartagena, Colombia, May 14, 2012 – Endeavor invited 15 High-Impact Entrepreneurs from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico at its 43rd annual International Selection Panel. Endeavor now supports 691 High-Impact Entrepreneurs from 431 companies in 13 emerging market countries. The entrepreneurs were chosen at a Panel held from May 8 – 10 in Cartagena.

“I’m incredibly impressed with the quality of the companies we are seeing at our panels this year,” said Endeavor co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg. “In particular, we’re seeing a whole new generation of fast-growing technology oriented companies emerging in growth markets that are equal to what we see coming out of US tech hubs.”

Endeavor Entrepreneurs have had a significant track record of creating thousands of jobs and building sustainable growth models in their home countries. The International Selection Panel is the culmination of a rigorous multi-step Search & Selection process where top local and international business leaders interview and then offer guidance to entrepreneur candidates. Post-selection, Endeavor provides entrepreneurs with customized services provided by local business mentors and volunteers from Fortune 500 companies, consulting firms and top U.S. business schools. Additionally, Endeavor’s Catalyst program co-invests in Endeavor Entrepreneurs’ professional funding rounds.

Endeavor will host three more International Selection Panels this year in London (June); Istanbul (October) and Miami (December).

Entrepreneur(s)/Companies selected:

Argentina

Entrepreneurs: Pablo Orlando, Daniel Jejcic
Company: Good People
Description: Founded in 2008, Good People is building a global community for action sports fans both online via its social e-commerce site, and offline through its 12 brick-and-mortar stores and partnerships with industry leaders including Disney’s X-Games.

Brazil

Entrepreneurs: Wagner Furtado, Marcio Furtado
Company: Cash Monitor
Description: Wagner Furtado and Marcio Furtado, both from the financial services sector, founded Cash Monitor to help companies manage accounts payable and receivable, which often arrive from different parties at different times in different formats/currencies. Cash Monitor’s two solutions—conciliator credit cards for retailers/service providers and consolidated financial statements for large companies—reduce costs, improve security, and empower CFOs. Cash Monitor targets clients in industries with tight margins (e.g. retail, aviation, and diagnostic laboratories).

Entrepreneurs: Rogério Gabriel
Company: Prepara Cursos
Description: Prepara Cursos offers young, middle class Brazilians more than 70 computer-based vocational and language courses at affordable prices, providing them with the knowledge and skills required to secure their first job. The company serves more than 200,000 students in 350 branches throughout Brazil.

Chile

Entrepreneurs: Paolo Escobar, Eduardo Donoso
Company: Bionativa
Description: Bionativa develops, produces and sells natural pesticides to fruit growers in Chile. Founded in 2002, Bionativa is now riding the wave of demand for organic produce and growing quickly. The company has a six-person R&D team. Currently selling to Chile’s fruit exporters, the entrepreneurs have plans for regional expansion.

Entrepreneurs: Victor Devia
Company: OpenDat
Description: OpenDat develops and sells software that enables mining companies to on-board and manage employees more efficiently and cheaply than they currently do. HR management is a major pain point in the mining industry due to the highly regulated workflow of miners. The company sells its product to the major copper mines in Chile and it plans to move into the Peruvian and Colombian markets this year.

Entrepreneurs: Alfredo Gomez, Patricio Rojas
Company: Scrum
Description: Based in Chile’s mining centre of Antofagasta, Scrum provides copper and gold mining companies with software that allows them to monitor the quality and track the production process of their products from start of production to client delivery.

Colombia

Entrepreneurs: Andres Alban, Mauricio Hoyos
Company: Conexred
Description: Conexred brings financial services and products to Colombia’s lower class population. The company has a network of terminals that facilitate the third-party sale of products such as pre-paid cell phone minutes and financial transfers. Conexred places terminals in neighborhood cafes, drugstores, and convenience shops, giving Colombian microentrepreneurs the opportunity to supplement their income.

Mexico

Entrepreneurs: Jesús Saro Boardman
Company: FAGRO
Description: Fagro develops, produces and sells organic fertilizers to Mexican farmers. Fagro’s products allow farmers to export from Mexico to markets with stringent organic certification requirements and environmental regulations.

Entrepreneurs: Luis Pernia, Luis Martinez
Company: Proa
Description: Proa builds personalized safety and security solutions for new construction projects undertaken by contractors and architecture firms. The company both consults with clients on their structures’ specific needs in the context of international safety standards and partners with vendors to supply installations such as doors and alarm systems.

Beleza Natural Co-founder and CEO Leila Velez has a new approach to an old industry. Julie Ruvolo’s new article for Forbes.com, Bye Bye Brazilian Blowouts: The Next Big Brazilian Hair Trend is Beleza Natural (see original post here), offers insight into how Leila keyed in on overlooked aspects of hairdressing, and focused on underserved communities with her patented approach.  Leila’s idea was simple–less chemicals, and more natural approaches toward hair with women of color in mind.

In the Forbes interview, she describes how applying supply-chain techniques learned while working as a young woman at McDonald’s (a fact that she is rather proud of) to the hairdressing industry has driven her success.  Here she mastered the “art” and “science” approaches of the beauty salon–a place it is not often found.  Her approach is described as a “veritable conveyor belt of services” that begins with a private consultation, which designs a specific, unique plan for each individual, and ends in the actual hair design.  Her approach is so specific that her hair consultants (not hairdressers) analyze follicle density per quadrant of the scalp (they divide it into 16 quadrants), and takes into consideration the geometric shape of a client’s head in order to find the perfect cut that complements each woman.

This operation, which began in 1993, was entirely self-financed, largely due to her husband, Jair, selling his VW Beatle, has earned her the Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2006 and recognition as one of Brazil’s Most Influential Women in 2007.

This idea of bringing more efficiency and attentive care to hair-salons has grown into twelve salons in as many years, and employs over 1,400 people, mostly women.  Leila has also just recently expanded into manufacturing her own proprietary line of hair-care products, 45 in all, that include creams, shampoos and follicle treatments.

Her company donates generously and offers free hair care to women in poor communities.  In fact, 70% of her workforce are former clients, and women from these underserved communities.  And employees remain happy as Beleza Natural offers good working conditions, generous health-care and tuition-reimbursement.  Keeping an eye toward the future, Leila is constantly brainstorming and utilizing social media for ideas on new products and concepts.

As the article points out, a recent initiative, The Beleza Natural Institute, has also devised a model salon blueprint that is scheduled to be scaled internationally. Her first location is already slated for Harlem in New York City.

The following press release can also be viewed here: http://prn.to/xpQVEQ

For the first time in its history, the global NGO – through the Endeavor Catalyst Program – invests $2MM in one of their selected High-Impact Entrepreneurs

New York, New York, February 1, 2012 - Endeavor, the word-wide leader in selecting, mentoring and accelerating high-impact entrepreneurs, announced that it has closed an investment round with Globant, a leading producer of innovative software products that appeal to global audiences, as the first investment of Endeavor Catalyst.

Endeavor Catalyst is a revolutionary and high-impact initiative that uses donated capital to allow the organization to co-invest in Endeavor Entrepreneurs in a neutral, unbiased way. The main goal of this program is to use the returns of the investment both to support Endeavor’s operations and to be reinvested into Catalyst to provide funding for other Endeavor Entrepreneurs.

The pioneering supporters of Endeavor Catalyst have each pledged $1MM to the investment vehicle, citing it as an innovative new model of philanthropy. The founding members of this Entrepreneurs’ Circle include Michael Ahearn, Chairman of True North Venture Partners; Edgar Bronfman, Jr, Former Chairman of Warner Music Group; Michael Cline, Managing Partner of Accretive LLC; Reid Hoffman, Partner of Greylock Partners and Co-Founder of LinkedIn; Arif Naqvi, Founder and Group CEO of Abraaj Capital; Pierre Omidyar, Founding Partner of Omidyar Network, Founder and Chairman of eBay.

“We are thrilled to be part of Globant´s story once again. The moment Globant’s founders were selected as High-Impact Entrepreneurs in 2005 we were struck by their passion and vision. We knew that they were going to change their society and country. Today, Globant’s reach and impact spans the globe, creating more than 2,500 high-quality jobs and working with the world’s greatest technology players. I am proud to announce that Globant has received the first investment from Endeavor Catalyst, a passive investment vehicle that uses donors’ funds to support Endeavor Entrepreneurs’ capital-raising rounds,” explained Linda Rottenberg, Endeavor Co-Founder and CEO.

Endeavor is leading the global high-impact movement to catalyze long-term economic growth around the world. With operations in 15 countries throughout Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Endeavor has screened more than 29,000 entrepreneurs and selected 656 individuals leading 413 high-impact companies.  These Entrepreneurs have created over 156,000 jobs, generated over $4.5 billion in revenues in 2010 and inspire future generations to innovate and take risks.

“For us, this round means much more than just the $2 million. It is a symbolic act that shows the reinforced trust that Endeavor puts in Globant; trust that was first shown in 2005 when they selected us as Endeavor Entrepreneurs. That was a key milestone in our history, since they enabled us to learn from some of the most talented and experienced professionals in the world”, said Martín Migoya, Globant´s CEO and Co-Founder. “By renewing its commitment to Globant through the Endeavor Catalyst Program, Endeavor reinforces a great partnership that will help us to take our company to the next level, creating more jobs for talent across the world, more opportunities for our Globers and delivering the best software products for our customers”.

Globant is a company comprised by more than 2,500 IT professionals, based in 15 delivery centers across Latin America and US and working for customers like Google, EA, JWT and LinkedIn.The Company closed late last year the acquisition of SanFrancisco-based Nextive, a company specialized in the development of mobile software solutions. This operation allowed them to improve its organization around 8 studios, which in turn is contributing to position the Argentinean Company as leader in their industry.

About Globant (www.globant.com)

Globant is the Latin American leader in the creation of innovative software products that appeal to global audiences. For us, that means we are the place where the best engineers team up with art design studios and innovation labs to deliver a superb user experience.

In only 9 years, Globant:

- Has more than 2,500 professionals working for companies like LinkedIn, JWT, Zynga, and Google, among several others.
- Was selected as Endeavor Entrepreneur (2005)
- Was named among the top 10 software development company and top 10 product engineering vendor (2011) by Global Services
- Was included in the 2010 Cool Vendor in Business Process Services Report by Gartner
- Was featured as case study of Harvard, MIT, Stanford and others

About Endeavor (www.endeavor.org)

Hailed by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman as “the best anti-poverty program of all,” Endeavor is leading the global movement to catalyze long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. To date, Endeavor has screened more than 29,000 entrepreneurs and selected 656 individuals leading 413 high-impact companies.
With support from Endeavor’s worldwide mentor network, these high-impact entrepreneurs:

- Have created over 156,000 jobs
- Generated over $4.5 billion in revenues in 2010
- Inspire future generations to innovate and take risks

Headquartered in New York City, Endeavor currently operates in 15 countries throughout Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. As the high-impact movement expands globally, Endeavor will continue to show that anyone with a big idea can succeed, from Silicon Valley to Latin America, the Middle East, and beyond.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Endeavor selected 20 High-Impact Entrepreneurs from Egypt, Turkey, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico at its 42nd International Selection Panel. Endeavor now supports 676 High-Impact Entrepreneurs from 422 companies in 12 emerging market countries. The entrepreneurs were chosen at a Panel held from March 27 – 29 in Dubai.

“This panel was one of the most international events we have ever held, both from the point of view of entrepreneurs represented and panelists,” said Endeavor co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg, who noted the attraction of Dubai’s strategic location. “Our panelists came from as close as Saudi Arabia and as far as Silicon Valley and were incredibly impressed by the global spirit of entrepreneurship represented by the candidates, including the first nominated company from our newest affiliate in Indonesia.”

Endeavor Entrepreneurs have had a significant track record of creating thousands of jobs and building sustainable growth models in their home countries. The International Selection Panel is the culmination of a rigorous multi-step Search & Selection process where top local and international business leaders interview and then offer guidance to entrepreneur candidates. Post-selection, Endeavor provides entrepreneurs with customized services provided by local business mentors and volunteers from Fortune 500 companies, consulting firms and top U.S. business schools. Additionally, Endeavor’s Catalyst program co-invests in Endeavor Entrepreneurs’ professional funding rounds.

The Dubai International Selection Panel was also an excellent opportunity to showcase Endeavor’s close ties with Abraaj Capital, which Rottenberg noted has been an indispensable partner for Endeavor in the region. Abraaj has supported Endeavor’s expansion to new countries in MENASA and senior Abraaj managers have served as professional mentors for Endeavor Entrepreneur companies. Arif Naqvi, Founder and Group Chief Executive of Abraaj Capital and a member of Endeavor’s Global’s Board of Directors, served as one of the 18 judges on the Panel and personally hosted the delegates at the opening night reception. “I can’t thank Arif and his team enough for the warm welcome they provided our global organization in Dubai,” said Rottenberg.

Endeavor will host four more International Selection Panels this year in Cartagena, Colombia (May); London (June); Istanbul (October) and Miami (December).

Entrepreneur(s)/Companies selected:

From MENA

Egypt

Entrepreneurs: Dr. Amina Hassab and Mohamed Azab
Company: Hassab Labs
Description: Hassab Labs provides accredited, fast and accurate medical test results to individuals, health professionals and medical institutes in Egypt.

Entrepreneur: Dr. Ahmed Farouk
Company: Imtenan Health Shop
Description: Founded in 2005, Imtenan Health Shop imports, manufactures and sells more than 200 natural health products. With 13 retail locations in Cairo, Alexandria, and Assiut looks to become Egypt’s leading provider of health food and all-natural supplements.

Turkey

Entrepreneur: Levent Yılmaz and Feridun Tuncer
Company: Baydöner
Description: Founded in 2006, Baydöner is a fast-food chain serving traditional Turkish “doner” at 48 locations throughout the Middle East, employing 749 people. Former veterinarians and pharmacists, Levent and his partner Feridun are bringing new standards for quality and efficiency to the industry.

From LATIN AMERICA

Brazil

Entrepreneurs: Marcelo Castanha, Guilherme Kümmel, Edson Bastos, Helcio Maciel and Frederico Rocha de Araujo
Company: Novaprolink
Description: Founded in 1993, Novaprolink is the leading ERP provider to the Brazilian legal industry, helping law firms access millions of legal documents, streamline internal operations, and manage client relationships.

Entrepreneurs: Marcelo Amado and Marcelo Di Giorgio
Company: Touch Watches
Description: Founded in 2009, Touch Watches is a watch and accessories retailer based in Rio de Janeiro. Rolling out more than 700 new designs every year to its 88 franchises, Marcelo Amado and Marcelo Di Giorgio are bringing the fast-fashion concept to Brazil.

Chile

Entrepreneurs: Tomas Pollak and Carlos Yaconi
Company: Prey Project
Description: Prey Project is a Santiago, Chile-based anti-theft software company that helps individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations find and recover stolen computers and mobile phones.

Mexico

Entrepreneurs: Rene Freudenberg & Roberto Iberri
Company: Interlub
Description: Founded in 1983 by Rene’s father, Interlub provides specialized lubricants to large manufacturing companies in the glass, steel, and automotive sectors in 20 countries.

Entrepreneurs: Jorge & Juan Carlos González Olvera
Company: 4e
Description: Founded in 2006, 4e is a Mexican manufacturer of liquid soaps and gels. The third company founded by the Olvera brothers, 4e has won 57% share (by volume) of a market historically dominated by multinationals.

Entrepreneurs: Andrés Rodriguez and Juan Carlos Vera
Company: BlueMessaging
Description: Founded in 2007, BlueMessaging allows businesses to improve the quality, efficiency, and scalability of their interaction with customers by providing user-friendly mobile and web communication platforms.

About Endeavor

Hailed by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman as “the best anti-poverty program of all,” Endeavor is leading the global movement to catalyze long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. To date, Endeavor has screened more than 30,000 entrepreneurs and selected 672 individuals leading 422 high-impact companies.

With support from Endeavor’s worldwide mentor network, these high-impact entrepreneurs:

-Have created over 156,000 jobs
-Generated over $4.5 billion in revenues in 2010
-Inspire future generations to innovate and take risks

Headquartered in New York City, Endeavor currently operates in 15 countries throughout Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. As the high-impact movement expands globally, Endeavor will continue to prove that anyone with a big idea can succeed, from Silicon Valley to Latin America, the Middle East, and beyond.

The following press release can also be accessed on BusinessWire.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Endeavor, the leader in catalyzing high impact entrepreneurship worldwide, will be taking center stage at this year’s annual Milken Institute Global Conference today. Five Endeavor Entrepreneurs from Brazil, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa will be featured on a panel entitled “Game-Changing Global Entrepreneurs” that will explore the important role that entrepreneurs play in generating the jobs and wealth needed to transform emerging markets into growth economies.

“Investors need to realize that the next great company could come out of Rio, Cairo or Jakarta just as easily as Silicon Valley.”
“Whether in Latin America, the Middle East, South Africa or Indonesia, entrepreneurs face unique challenges and obstacles,” says Endeavor co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg who will moderate the panel. “In addition to having few role models and a lack of support networks, they struggle with finding access to smart capital. We’re hoping to address the latter issue by exposing the audience at Milken to some amazing stories of innovation and success coming out of countries that may not yet have caught their attention.”

Entrepreneurs speaking on the panel are:

Nevzat Aydin, Co-Founder and CEO, Yemeksepeti.com, Turkey’s answer to seamless web has pioneered online ordering and home delivery of food in Turkey, Russia and the UAE.

Mario Chady, CEO and Co-Founder, Grupo Trigo, Brazil’s leading casual dining chain manager with over 250 branches.

Vinny Lingham, CEO of Gyft.com, a South African entrepreneur whose previous company Yola has its website building software featured on all new HP computers. Vinny now resides in Silicon Valley.

Amr Shady, Founder and CEO, T.A. Telecom, an Egyptian leader in mobile platforms whose signature Buzz! technology powers content sharing via SMS.

Leila Velez, Co-Founder and CEO, Beleza Natural, a $70 million chain of beauty salons catering to the Afro-Brazilian market.

In addition to moderating the “Game-Changing Global Entrepreneurs” panel on Monday afternoon, Rottenberg will be a panelist during a Monday morning session on “Investing in Emerging Markets.” She will be speaking about Endeavor Catalyst, a recently launched donor fund that is a passive co-investor in professional funding rounds of Endeavor Entrepreneurs. Initial supporters of Endeavor Catalyst, which has raised over $13 million so far and made two investments, include Endeavor Board Chairman Edgar Bronfman, Jr., LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner Reid Hoffman (also an Endeavor board member), eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and Pershing Square Capital Management founder and CEO Bill Ackman.

“I’m gratified that the investment community is finally recognizing that entrepreneurs are creating huge opportunity and value all over the world,” says Rottenberg. “Investors need to realize that the next great company could come out of Rio, Cairo or Jakarta just as easily as Silicon Valley.”