• Who: Joel Gandara, Entrepreneur, Coach, Consultant, Public Speaker.
• What: Coping with and Conquering Covid19 disruptions for Entrepreneurs.
• Where: Virtual (link will be emailed)
• When: April 29th, from 6:30-7:30pm

We’re told to prepare for the new normal, characterized by periods of economic contraction alternating with economic expansion as waves of infections rise and wane. How does an entrepreneur deal with chaos, disruption and uncertainty? What strategies can be employed to not only cope with but confront and conquer these upcoming challenges?

Who is Joel Gandara?
If anyone can provide insight into conquering adversity and challenges it is Joel Gandara. Joel never had it easy. He was born in Cuba and arrived to the United States in 1980 with his family on an overcrowded boat.

His family lived below the poverty line which led him, mostly out of necessity, to become an entrepreneur early on. His parents could not afford to give him pocket money so he had to learn to make it himself. He started earning money at 10, buying and reselling products in the schoolyard. After High School, he worked up to 100 hours some weeks. With no more than four hours to eat and sleep each day, he still managed to go to garage sales and turn items around for a profit at a nearby flea market.

One day, Joel noticed someone selling hundreds of clothing samples at a garage sale which he bought for $1 each, despite the risk to his meager funds, and managed to reap a $3,000 profit at the flea market he frequented.

That was a turning point in his entrepreneurial journey as he went from flea markets to eBay then started a wholesale business with an apparel brand he imported from Mexico, giving him the opportunity to travel to trunk shows in places like Vegas and Paris and offer it to brick-and-mortar stores worldwide.

He then went from selling other companies’ products to creating his own brand and in only 13 months, his brand reached $1 million in sales.

He is now CEO and founder of Morro Capital, a privately-owned e-commerce apparel company with a portfolio of over 20 brands. Based on his unique approach to running a business, he has been able to invest in and acquire a wide variety of companies that are now far more efficient and profitable.

Joel understands how to use his business savvy to stay lean, capture opportunities and scale regardless of business climate.

Joel has also been keen on giving back, mentoring startups as a veteran mentor with the Venture Mentoring Team and launching his own business and life coaching consultancy: Joel Gandara.

What can we learn from Joel?
Startup Grind Fort Lauderdale is extremely proud to host Entrepreneur, Coach, Consultant, Public Speaker Joel Gandara as part of Startup Grind Mentorship month, for an absolutely crucial fireside chat during this time of crisis.

You will learn:

• How to look beyond current challenges to reach your full potential
• How to evaluate your strategic options
• Strategies you can use to quickly adapt to changing business climates
• How to remain laser focused on your vision
• How to identify opportunities in adversity
• How to thrive in lean times

AWS + Startup Grind Mentorship Program:
As a Startup Grind Fort Lauderdale community member, you also are invited to apply for our exclusive AWS + Startup Grind Mentorship Program as part of Mentorship Month.

Selected applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a one-on-one mentor session to get guidance on how to grow and develop your business and allow you to get first-hand advice from experts in your field. We offer 5 distinct mentoring tracks that you can choose from, including Fundraising, Product, Marketing, Sales, or Strategy & Ops, and you will get paired with an AWS expert in the field of your choice. All sessions are held remotely, and the program is completely free for all participants.

Apply Today