Fund/Build/Scale

From Scarcity to Scale: Building Startups in Latin America’s Earliest Stages


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Odille Sánchez leads the Tech and Scientific-Based Entrepreneurship Center of Excellence at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where she works with hundreds of early-stage founders across Latin America.

In this episode, she explains how mindset, methodology, and community are reshaping what it means to launch a startup in a region where early capital is scarce and institutional support is fragmented.

We also talk about:

  • Why resource orchestration — not acceleration — is what most founders need
  • How cultural attitudes toward risk impact founder behavior
  • What Latin American investors and institutions can learn from each other
  • Why commercialization is often the missing piece
  • How to help first-time founders develop a global mindset from day one
  • Whether you're supporting under-networked founders or trying to build in an emerging market, Odille offers a clear-eyed look at what it really takes to go from scarcity to scale.

     
    RUNTIME 37:46
     
    EPISODE BREAKDOWN

    [2:10]  Mission-Driven Work at Tecnológico de Monterrey

    [5:20]  Resource Orchestration, Not Acceleration

    [6:45] " We work with a lot of profiles."

    [8:47]  Bridging The Cultural Gap Around Risk-Taking

    [11:37] A Founder Success Story: Ricardo Baez + Safe Fruit

    [14:06] What to Do When You Don’t Have a Network

    [17:06] The Disconnect Between Capital and Opportunity

    [20:42] How Latin American Founders Can Engage Global Angel Investors

    [23:02] The Missing Skillset: Commercialization

    [30:08] What Silicon Valley Advice Doesn’t Translate

    [34:43] Odille’s Parting Advice for Outsiders

    LINKS
    • Odille Sánchez 
    • Centro de Prensa dl Tecnológico de Monterrey
    • Shaping Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecoystems: An Outcome-based Model
    • From reflection to intention: Rethinking how we build startups and innovation ecosystems
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      Thanks for listening!

       – Walter.

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      Fund/Build/ScaleBy Walter Thompson

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