Get to know our Endeavor Mentor Alex Robbio, Co-Founder & CEO of Prontomás, in this mentor spotlight.
Why did you decide to join the Endeavor Network?
We started the selection process in Argentina in 2012 for multiple reasons: Endeavor has a huge reputation in Argentina, to talk about entrepreneurship is to talk about Endeavor, with great success stories like Mercado Libre, Globant and Patagon. So being part of Endeavor is an aspiration for most entrepreneurs. A close friend joined the network as an entrepreneur and after seeing all its value, he encouraged us to start the selection process. We never regretted following his advice.
After selling my company, I decided to give back to the network as a very active mentor.
Tell us about your background and why you decided to become a mentor.
After joining Endeavor, I had the unique opportunity of being mentored by truly world-class professionals from all over the world, including some of the most senior partners at Accenture, EY, Bain Consulting, and fellow entrepreneurs who had achieved incredible success.
Once I sold my company, I realized that we all have knowledge or connections that could be helpful to founders that are earlier in their entrepreneurial journeys. Inspired by the value Endeavor gave me, I decided to give back by offering my time and experience to mentor others and invest in the next generation of high-impact entrepreneurs.
What are the most important qualities and characteristics that mentors should have?
In my experience receiving mentorships as an entrepreneur, I learned that the worst mentors were those that acted as consultants, giving too many options but not really providing real-life examples. I believe entrepreneurs want honest opinions and feedback, references to real actions that have or have not worked. The ability to provide actionable recommendations is very valuable.
A good mentor should be empathetic and understand the particular juncture the entrepreneur faces at each phase of their entrepreneurial journey.
Any general advice for entrepreneurs?
Join Endeavor! And when you do, make sure you leverage all of its resources and benefits. A very smart Endeavor Entrepreneur told me that Endeavor is like a gym membership; it won’t do much if you don’t show up and put some effort into it, so show up! Participate! Engage! Mentor others! Ask for mentorships!
What are you reading?
“When They Win, You Win: A More Human Approach to Supporting Entrepreneurship” by Vlad Cazacu.
