Orlando Bravo

Yes, now at every turn, I tell you this, how exactly I got here, I've never created anything new, but I always had my mom, who was a Cuban immigrant, and for her, just me staying there, it didn't feel right to her.

She was always, you know, she would put me in positions where I would always have to be traveling to San Juan to play tennis, the sport of tennis, individual.

Then if I did well, I remember I played my first tournament when I was 10 years old in Caracas, Venezuela, and I saw wealth back then.

Caracas, Venezuela in 1982.

It was quite a place, and you played in this fancy club.

And then you go, if I do really well, I get to play in Florida.

So she was always, always kind of giving me a roadmap for that.

I was lucky that I wasn't that good to go pro, so that I went into business.

But then the same thing at work.

I had the two best mentors, and the only thing I give myself credit for is at a young age, I really listened.

I had discipline, and I would kind of take it all in.

Yeah, you know, in 1997, there was not much private equity.

And the venture business, you didn't hire a lot of people.

It was also small.

Now, I want to add this to the story.

I got one interview with one of the largest private equity firms at the time.

And the head of the firm spent time with me.

Very, very nice guy.

But you know what he said?

And this is 1997.