Launching into LATAM with Damaris Valero
By: Amber Mclennan
Tags: Mesh Networking, Latin America, Latam, Blockchain, Mesh Networks

Amber: Can you tell me about your background?

Damaris: I was born in Venezuela and left a long time ago to come to the United States for college. I attended St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia where I did a double major in Management and Marketing.

I lived in NY and now call Miami home where I reside with my husband. I’ve been a media entrepreneur for the past 16 years and was constantly on the road. At any given time, I would spend three to four weeks travelling between Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Los Angeles, and New York. It was both difficult and exhilarating. Some people may recognize the latest production I executive produced “CATFISH” for MTV.

Amber: You were part of the team that originally brought Nickelodeon and MTV to Latin America. What were some of the challenges that you faced entering the market there?

Damaris: It was difficult because there was no script on how to do it — we were writing it as we went. And it was a bit of a race. There was pressure to get into the market first to get the best deal… it was very competitive.

Establishing initial connections was also a challenge. Business in Latin America is relationship-driven and it is difficult to create connections.

Once we established partnerships though, they were very strong and all about growing together. For example, a lot of the businesses I started doing work with 15 years ago are now passed down to the next generation. So, for the last few years, I’ve been working with the sons and daughters of those I initially worked with, and the relationships we built are still valued.

Overall, Latin America was a very different market to enter.

Amber: In addition to passing down businesses through generations, what are some of the major differences that you saw between the North American and Latin American business styles?

Damaris: The North American business style is very matter of fact: give me the numbers, show me the money, etc, etc. It’s very direct.

In contrast, when you head down to South America, it’s all about relationship building and personalization. They have to meet you; they have to get to know you; they have to trust you; and they’ll make you feel like you’re part of their lives. Business there is all about creating long-term relationships.

It’s a common mistake for business development teams from the States to approach meetings with the same matter of fact manner as in North America . Even if they have a good proposal, typically these encounters end at the initial presentation stage. They don’t understand the need to establish a relationship, and that is the biggest difference in business styles.

Amber: Well, we’re very excited to have you join the team and the experience you bring to the table. It’s really wonderful that you’re bringing those connections to help support RightMesh.

Damaris: I want to make RightMesh’s entrance into LATAM as seamless as possible by leveraging my connections and experience. I truly believe in the company’s mission to connect the next billion. The platform has the potential to help a lot of people, and I think it will excite both end users and enterprises in the region.

Amber: You’re a blockchain enthusiast. What originally excited you about the space?

Damaris: Although I was aware of Bitcoin, it wasn’t until a little over a year ago that I came across an interesting article on the use cases of blockchain technology, that I became excited about the space. Up until that point, I had only thought of it as a currency.

I started watching every TED Talk I could find and studying the underlying technology. It was while reading the case study of Kodak, and how they wanted to reinvent their company with blockchain, that a light bulb went off. It was then that I realized blockchain could completely reinvent the way we transact and how we operate businesses. I realized in that moment that blockchain was not limited to digital currency, but that it could transform every business that we know of today.

It was during this time that I got a mentor who encouraged me to attend events on the west coast. This led me to the meetup where I met Brianna from RightMesh.

Amber: What made you decide to switch career paths?

Damaris: To be honest, I hadn’t felt a passion for the last two or three years. I didn’t have the same fire I had before, and the role had become very mechanical. I knew there was something more I wanted to do, I just didn’t know what it was. I started asking myself, what would I do if I could clear my canvas and start from scratch?

When I learned about the potential of blockchain technology, I knew there was something there for me. I didn’t know what it was, but I followed it, and followed and all decisions led me to RightMesh.

Amber: It is kind of like the stars aligned!

Damaris: That is exactly right! RightMesh was the bridge I was looking for. I’ve always been a business person and wasn’t aware of companies like RightMesh that were both able to be profitable and act as a force for good. To say I was fascinated and intrigued is an understatement.

Amber: What excites you the most about your role?

Damaris: What excites me most is helping people understand how the technology works and its value. A lot of the decision makers we’ll be forming partnerships with won’t have technical backgrounds. It’s my job to create a new conversation to help them understand the benefits of the platform. Whether they’re in government or private enterprise, technical or non-technical, I enjoy figuring out what drives them and creating tailored content.

Amber: With all of your travels, did you ever experience connectivity issues?

Damaris: Yes, I experienced it many times. It’s easy to take for granted how accessible the internet is for us when you come from the west.

When I first heard the figure: “3.9 billion people aren’t connected”, I found it hard to believe — and then India jumped to mind.

I’ve spent a lot of time there, faced a lot of connectivity problems, depending on the area I was in. The idea of being connected, and the way people saw the internet, differed greatly by region. I spent a lot of time in remote regions where they would call the internet “God”, because it knew how to solve everything right away!

With over 1.3 billion people living in India, and nearly half of the population remaining unconnected due to a lack of infrastructure and cost, it’s easy to see how the number of those being left behind adds up quickly.

Amber: People tend to be pretty shocked when they hear how many people are unconnected. And it’s a global problem. Although the issues are more prominent in emerging markets, it affects many in developing countries too.

Damaris: That’s why I’m really excited about the work that we’re doing at RightMesh. It has the potential to impact so many lives for good.

The speed of innovation in the tech sector that happens each day is incredible. We’re having a major break through every few years — something that has never been done at this speed before. In another hundred years, imagine all the things that will have changed because of the technology we’re developing right now! We have the opportunity to make a difference and watch change occur.

We’re going to tell a story that’s really going to shift the world.