Building a Community of Startups In Latin America | David Silva Ossa, AWSM (Awesome)

In this episode we sit with David Silva, a Colombian entrepreneur and community builder. David shares his background growing up in Cali, Colombia, surrounded by a vibrant community of artists, politicians, and intellectuals. He discusses his journey from studying software engineering to becoming a software engineer and eventually transitioning into the startup world. David also talks about the importance of community and how he founded Techqueria, a community for Latino individuals interested in tech.
 
The conversation then shifts to David's current venture, AWSM (“Awesome”), a venture studio focused on launching 100 startups in five years. David explains the need for more Latino leaders in the tech industry and the importance of funding and supporting underrepresented founders. He also discusses the challenges faced by Latino entrepreneurs and the need for mentorship and support networks.
 
Throughout the episode, David emphasizes the importance of collaboration, community, and empowering each other. He shares his vision for creating a strong network of Latino leaders and supporting startups in highly regulated industries such as finance and healthcare. David also highlights the potential of Latin American talent and the need for international collaboration in the tech ecosystem.
 
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Founder Bio:
 
David Silva is a multi-faceted professional with a rich history of tech and business community contributions. David's diverse career is marked by innovation and leadership. He currently serves as the founder of Calima which is a dynamic executive community that fosters international business collaboration. Calima provides a unique platform that connects Latin American executives in the US and abroad both online and in physical spaces.  In addition, To his work at Calima.  David holds the position of CTO at AWSM awesome. His role involves deploying complex teams of business owners to efficiently launch innovative ideas with a particular focus on the accelerator community: community engagement, FinTech, and healthcare.  David's commitment to creating inclusive and supportive communities extends to his role as the founder of the tech area.
 
Time Stamps:
 
00:00 Introduction and background of David Silva
03:50 Getting into startups and learning new skills
06:47 Importance of learning management skills for engineers
09:21 Building the TechArea community
11:44 Empowering members to create their own events
13:14 Different key positions in the tech ecosystem
14:33 Disparity in funding opportunities for Latino and Black communities
17:38 Need to create more mentors and support networks
19:56 Working on launching 100 startups in five years
22:24 Different types of startup studios and incubators
25:10 International expansion without geographic restrictions
27:37 Attractiveness of living and working in Latin America
31:10 Introduction of a secret executive community for events and networking
34:14 Introduction of the Calima community with cultural significance
38:00 How to get in contact with the AWSM team

Resources
 
Company website: https://awsm.vc/;  https://caliman.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/awsmvc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/awsmvc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awsmvc/