Building Venezuela’s next chapter
I’ve spent more than three decades building businesses, communities and opportunities in Venezuela. Now I’m focused on what comes next: bringing travelers, founders and capital back to the country.
Founder of Startup Venezuela Summit, co-founder of Rainforest Capital and president of Grupo Maso. Ashoka Fellow and Harvard MBA. Based in Caracas.
Everything I work on comes from one conviction: as Venezuela reconnects with the world, it can become one of the most exciting places to visit, build and invest in.
Founder and director, since 2023
My main focus today. A platform that connects Venezuelan founders with investors, operators and the diaspora, with editions in Caracas and Miami. We started in 2023 with 10 international guests, about four of them investors. This year we had 25 funds in the room.
More on the summitCo-founder and managing partner, since 2020
We connect investors with exceptional venture opportunities and back founders building companies with long-term impact.
More on RainforestPromoter and shareholder, opened in 2013
A luxury boutique hotel we opened as a long-term bet on Venezuela. After years of perseverance, it’s getting ready for the moment it was built for: welcoming travelers, investors and founders back to Caracas.
President and partner, since 1994
Venezuela’s leading travel group, with Turismo Maso at its core. It was founded in the 1950s and grew from four people to 400+ by the early 2000s, with corporate travel through BCD Travel and luxury travel through Virtuoso. I’ve led it for 32 years, through crises, shocks and recoveries.
Founder and president, since 2010
Eposak means “achievement” in a local Indigenous language of southern Venezuela. It started with my bond with Kamarata, a Pemón community near Auyantepui, and uses tourism, financing and training to help rural communities build their own businesses. It’s the work that made me an Ashoka Fellow in 2014.
Three days in Caracas to connect Venezuelan founders with capital, talent and international networks. I founded it, I direct it, and I moderate many of the main conversations myself.
At Startup Venezuela Summit, in front of our sponsor wall.
Richard Branson opened, followed by Capital & Venture Day: private meetings between investors and founders, matched by stage, sector and fund thesis.
Innovation, AI, fintech and investment, plus the regional Startup World Cup. The winner represents Venezuela at the final in San Francisco, where a US$1M investment prize is on the line.
Builders Lab on rebuilding key sectors of the economy, plus university pitches.
How to build startup ecosystems that scale, with Endeavor México, TheVentureCity and Plug and Play. Cashea as a catalyst for Venezuelan entrepreneurship. The founder stories of Víctor Cárdenas (Slash) and Manuel Godoy (Félix Pago). And Adriana Cisneros on investing in Venezuela for the long term.
Platanus Hack 26 with Yummy and an Ideation Pitch Day for university teams. I run the summit with Annie Chocron (chief of staff) and Isabella Torbar, with an advisory board of Roger Laughlin, Gabriela Pulido, Isadora Zubillaga, Anabel Pérez, Alberto Sadde and Orlando Osorio.
Visit startupvenezuelasummit.comConviction capital for Latin American founders building what matters, with global reach. We bridge founders and investors across Latin America, the US and Europe.
Rainforest was born during the 2020 shutdown. I was closing my first SPV to fund a round for Viajanet in Brazil when travel came to a standstill. I was sure travel would recover, as it did after 9/11, so over the next 12 months I looked at more than 20 travel companies. None had the fundamentals or the teams I was looking for. At the same time, I kept meeting strong founders in healthtech, edtech, ecommerce and fintech who were changing people’s lives.
My partner Jorge, who has invested in startups since 1998 and lived the late-90s Bay Area up close, saw the same moment from the US side. We started Rainforest together, and friends and family joined us to make some bets.
We invest where grit meets purpose. If you’re a founder with global ambition, I’d love to hear what you’re building.
“To help unlock human potential, build bridges between Venezuela and the world, and create lasting economic and social impact.”
The mission behind everything I build
Economic crises, political uncertainty, industry disruptions and global shocks taught me to adapt, think long term, manage risk and find opportunity where others see complexity. Those years shaped who I am, but my focus now is firmly on the future.
I believe Venezuela is entering a new chapter. As the country reconnects with the world, it can do more than recover: it can become one of the most exciting destinations for tourism, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment. My work is about helping make that real.
The most exciting part of the journey is what comes next.
From brand manager at P&G to building a home for Venezuela’s founders.
Studied economics at UCAB, finished in the top 5% of my class and competed on the Venezuelan National Water Ski Team.
Joined P&G Venezuela. As brand manager I created “Computers for the Schools”, a joint promotion between eleven P&G brands, IBM and the Venezuelan government. It became P&G’s biggest promotion ever in the country and expanded to other Latin American subsidiaries.
MBA at Harvard Business School. Spent the summer of 1993 at Disney in Orlando, writing the plan to launch Disney Vacation Club sales in Latin America.
Became president of Grupo Maso and grew Turismo Maso into the leader of the Venezuelan travel market.
Taught entrepreneurship in IESA’s MBA program through 1999.
Co-founded Volando.com, one of the region’s early online travel startups. I was also a founder of Viajanet, which became one of Latin America’s leading online travel agencies and was later acquired by Despegar.
Started a foundation to develop sustainable tourism in rural Venezuelan communities, the seed of what became Eposak.
Took on officer roles at YPO Venezuela, up to chapter chair. Our chapter won global YPO awards for its events.
Eposak took shape with the Pemón community of Kamarata and was picked as one of seven winners of a geotourism challenge backed by National Geographic and the IDB.
Opened Hotel Cayena Caracas. Same year, joined THNK School of Leadership’s program on creativity and social impact.
Named an Ashoka Fellow for Eposak’s model of community tourism.
Became YPO Latin America Regional Learning Officer, running training workshops in 10+ chapters and global sessions in Panama, Miami and San Diego.
Co-founded Rainforest Capital. That year YPO also recognized me regionally for leadership during the pandemic.
Joined IESA’s international faculty.
Launched Startup Venezuela Summit. What began as an event became a movement for Venezuelan founders at home and abroad.
Sixth edition in Caracas, opened by Richard Branson, with ~100 speakers and 25 funds. The real signal isn’t a capital number: investors are coming back.
I’m always interested in connecting with founders, investors, hospitality leaders and builders who share a long-term vision for Venezuela and Latin America.