Condor Technologies: Every drop in the ocean counts

What’s the best part of being an entrepreneur? “I love creating something new; something I’m proud of. I love knowing that I have the ability to impact the world,” explains Alberto Patron, CEO and Co-Founder of Condor Technologies – a global technology and services company focused on telecommunications in Latin America.

Left: Alberto Patron CEO of Condor Technologies, Right: Kaitlyn Ersek and Andrew Bagwell of Entrepreneurial Trek

Alberto teamed up with some friends to form Condor Tech in 2004 after being laid off from Ericsson during the 2001 crisis. Alberto realized that there was a huge opportunity in the Latin American telecommunications industry because established players (from USA and Europe) weren’t always able to meet the needs of their Latin American customers. “They had great products,” Explains Alberto of the traditional vendors, “but they were trying to fit USA and EEU products and commercial schemes to Latin American problems. It wasn’t working.” The problem was that in some cases their entry-level products were still too big for most of the operators in the region. In addition, the sizes of deals made in Latin America usually didn´t allow them to commit to the necessary product customization required to adjust to local regulations or requirements. That’s where Condor Technologies steps in. “We provide the flexibility and service of a small company, but have the ability and expertise of a large multinational.”

While the business has been a success, running Condor Technologies has been a bumpy road for Alberto. In 2006 Alberto lost a friend and partner to the business. “Not only was he a dear friend, but he was a vital member of the Condor team. It wasn’t easy for the company to overcome his loss.”

Then, in 2012, while undergoing a particular critical period in the company, Alberto nearly lost another friend and partner, this time to a rare genetic disease. His friend needed $1 million USD to undergo a bone marrow transplant treatment in Boston, Massachusetts. “The entire company plus a group of friends started a solidarity campaign to help him” says Alberto. “2012 was the darkest and yet the most transcendent year of my life.” The entire country rallied to the cause and in the end they were able to raise the money. “It regained my faith in mankind. People from all over the country gave something even when they themselves had so little. Each contribution, no matter how small, made the world of a difference.” Alberto reflects on a quote from Mother Theresa, which the company uses as a guide,  to describe this:

“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”

Yet, Alberto is eternally grateful for the lesson 2012 provided.  “It really taught me about the power of contributing with whatever you can and how everything makes a difference. When I find myself in a dark place, I always think back on that time as a source of hope.”

Vistage: Pushing Entrepreneurial Development Through Peer Advisory Groups

““Argentines are forced to be creative and continuously innovate to keep up with a constantly changing environment.””

— Alejo Canton, Vistage Argentina

Snug in the north end of a posh Buenos Aires neighborhood lies Vistage Argentina. Vistage is an international organization that brings together groups of successful executives across a broad array of industries, forming peer advisory groups where members can mentor one another to improve their businesses. “When you lead a company,” says Alejo Canton, President of Vistage Argentina,“It’s a fairly isolated position. You have a HUGE responsibility on your shoulders and the decisions you make determine whether or not your company grows.”

Alejo goes onto explain that it’s often difficult to share problems or opportunities with employees whose livelihoods are closely tied to the outcome and it’s also difficult to share those situations with non-executives who may not understand. “So we bring all of the executives – entrepreneurs, CEOs and presidents together into a group. They don’t compete with one another and they can give completely unbiased advice. It’s very powerful and it’s literally helping members grow their businesses.”  

What exactly is a peer advisory group? A common example of a peer advisory group is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA is a peer advisory group where members connect with each other, form a community, and collectively stay sober while sharing experiences. Vistage works in a similar fashion where executives can come together, form a community of like-minded professionals and work towards the common goal of improving their businesses and personal lives.

After purchasing the license to Vistage Argentina 15 years ago, Alejo grew Vistage from 0 to 900 clients. So, when it comes to the power of peer advisory groups like the one offered by Vistage, Alejo is an authority on the subject. He first heard of Vistage while attending UCLA business school for his MBA. Vistage had an on campus student program for wanna-be entrepreneurs. “I knew I wanted to be my own boss and when I found out Vistage didn’t have a presence in my native Argentina, I jumped at the opportunity to create one.”

The aspect of Vistage Alejo loves best is that he’s contributing to making Argentina a better place. Alejo believes that small, medium and large companies contribute more to the economy and employment than any other organization – including the government. By helping executives grow their businesses, Alejo is not just making a difference for the executives but for all stakeholders involved. “At Vistage, we impact many. I’m making our society a better place, while also improving my own personal and professional development.”

However, Vistage doesn’t just improve the local economy through its executives, Vistage Argentina is looking to tackle three key growth initiatives over the next five years that will mean serious pay-offs for the Argentine economy and society. In five years, “our goal is to grow to 2,000 members and be recognized as a very social company,” explains Alejo, who points to B Corps as a model for social excellence. “We want to be a B Corp in spirit if not in name.” In addition to growing its membership, Alejo plans on expanding their NGO (not-for-profit) groups (they currently have one which started in 2015), and by increasing the amount of donations they give from 25% of profits to 50%. “Eventually, I’d like to donate up to 75% of profits to local charities.”

When we asked for a success story demonstrating the power of peer advisory groups, Alejo had many to share. One of our favorites was when a Vistage member and CEO of a mid-size firm past away from cancer. The executive didn’t have a contingency plan in place and none of the current employees understood the company well enough to fulfill the CEO’s shoes. That executive’s peer advisory group came together to tutor his daughter – a mid level manager at the company. Because they understood the company and the roles the past CEO faced, they were able to save the company and guide his daughter into becoming a successful leader.  Success stories like this one clearly demonstrates why Vistage Argentina has outperformed every branch outside of the USA.

Despite Vistage’s success, one of the key things that keeps Alejo up at night is the threat to his business model, which relies on facilitators known as “chairman” being contractors for Vistage; not employees. Alejo points to Uber as a leader in the argument on contractors vs. employees.

Uber considers its driver’s to be independent contractors, ultimately avoiding the sticky situation of providing health care and expenses to contractors, but also allowing the freedom of working when and as long as their drivers prefer. Recently, Uber has been facing threats to its business model and already the California Labor Commissioner has ruled that the drivers are in fact employees. Just like Uber, Vistage Argentina is facing the same threat. If (and it has happened in the past) their independent contractors claim to be direct employees, the Vistage model could be compromised and lead to major financial straits. While this model has flourished for Vistage over the past 15 years, Argentine law is fickle and should it go to court, it’s unclear which way the law would judge.

And yet, Alejo also believes that Argentina’s instability creates an environment for entrepreneurship. In his gut, Alejo believes Argentina to be a very entrepreneurial country in part because of its instability. “In Argentina, it’s very difficult to say that the way things are now will continue to be this way ten years out. This forces Argentines to be creative and continuously innovate to keep up with a constantly changing environment.” Alejo states that mindset along with an attitude of self-reliance, leads to a growing entrepreneurial spirit in the Argentine people. 

In thinking of Argentina’s unstable economy as being a platform for opportunity, perhaps Boston Market CEO and Founder, George Nadafff states it best when he said, “No business, no problems. No problems, no business. Problems are opportunities for solutions.”