A l u m n i N e w s l e t t e r
F I F T H E D I T I O N
October - December 2024
Dear TES Alumni,
I hope you are all safe and well
Welcome back to the fifth version of "Once TES, Always TES"
As we gather in the festive spirit of the final weeks of 2024, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the values that unite us: respect, trust and integrity, and our vision of being agents of change in Colombia and the world
In this edition, we focus on entrepreneurship, a testament to how education, determination and innovation can drive transformation in a rapidly changing world.
Our alumni continue to inspire with entrepreneurial ideas designed to provide
environmental and economic support and development to our local, national and global communities These stories showcase the entrepreneurial spirit cultivated at The English School a spirit rooted in curiosity, leadership and a comprehensive culture of excellence
As you celebrate the holidays, may these stories inspire you to embrace new opportunities and continue reaching for your dreams in 2025. Your journey is a reflection of our school’s enduring legacy
We look forward to hearing more about your stories of how you have transformed through respect in the year ahead, to share and celebrate with you in your successes and to inspire future generations of students.
We wish you a Merry Christmas, a joyful holiday season, and a prosperous New Year!
Adam Bennett Head of School and Rector
DAVID ROMERO ÁVILA
Class of 2003 – Founder of Finca La Arboleda
The Cabin Creator: Turning Passion into Profit
By Andrea Suárez
Pursuing dreams is gratifying for human beings
Therefore, being able to start a business was very important for David Romero Ávila, TES alumni, who was able to build a cabin in Útica, Cundinamarca, and make it his entrepreneurship
David shares a unique bond with the TES community Together with his family, which includes Samuel Romero (a current Primary student) and myself, Andrea Suárez (an alumni and now a Secondary teacher), we have truly become a TES family.
David left TES in 2000 because he got a sports scholarship to play golf in the United States. Since he was a little kid, his family encouraged him to practice sports, so he focused on golf as his main sport He participated in different tournaments around the country until he got the scholarship to study in Nebraska It was a big step for him because he was playing his favourite sport and, at the same time, studying business.
As a business student, his dream was to have his own business. However, it was not easy, as there were many barriers, such as money, finding the right partners, deciding what is good and profitable in the market and who the target customers could be Creating a company means a lot of work, as it requires studying the market and, at the same time, taking the risk of investing huge amounts of money without knowing if it will ever work
La Arboleda, a combination of glamping and a normal cabin, offers a nice place to stay for families, couples, small groups of people or even alone
“ ”
Finca La Arboleda is David’s entrepreneurship: a beautiful cabin hidden in the woods in a very warm place close to Bogotá. The cabin, built in wood, is located close to the main road that goes to Útica, a small town in Cundinamarca, known for extreme sports in the river. Tourists go to this town to relax, get out of the routine, get away from the cold for a few days, breathe fresh air and enjoy nature One can carry out different activities such as canoeing, canopy, rafting, and rappel, among others.
La Arboleda, a combination of glamping and a normal cabin, offers a nice place to stay for families, couples, small groups of people or even for some quality time alone The cabin has one big room with a comfortable king-size bed, a small living room, a small kitchen and a bathroom Outside, there is a big deck where guests can sit and enjoy the view, play board games, eat, read a book, or just have fun. It is a great place to also enjoy the beautiful landscape and sunsets A few meters away from the cabin, there is a small but refreshing pool, as well as a BBQ for amazing meals
This cabin is the result of dedication, perseverance and creativity David inherited the land from his grandparents and had the vision of using the land to create his own business. Nowadays, aside from La Arboleda cabin, David is also growing Tahiti lemon crops
You are all invited to visit Finca La Arboleda, enjoy nature and have a great time with friends and family
+57 3202140166
https://www airbnb com/l/z1Tc3eAo
DANIEL OSPINA ESPINOSA
Class of 2017 – Co-founder of Pygma
Pygma is Startup Accelerator Empowering Latino Founders Building the Future of Fintech and B2B SaaS in both LatAm and the US.
What
motivated you to start this entrepreneurship?
Endeavor, I realised what a great opportunity there is in supporting early stage entrepreneurs Wanting to maximise the impact that Latinos make by supporting them in their early stages is a great way to transform the region, create wealth and create social mobility through technology
What do you think is the main feature of your startup that differentiates you from others?
We have many competitors, but at Pygma, we focus on specific verticals to accelerate (Fintech and SaaS) We take a very low percentage of the company and give immense value By having offices in Bogotá and New York, we can create great connections for Latin American entrepreneurs who join our acceleration cohorts
What challenges have
you faced
while developing this entrepreneurship?
Raising capital, finding partners, hiring, and learning to unlearn beliefs to seek continuous improvement I would say that every day I have challenges, which are getting bigger and bigger, but we have a better and better team to face them. Above all, the world of venture capital, in LatAm and at the stage in which we are investing (very early), is a complex asset-class, not very liquid and not very attractive, but with returns that can make it all worthwhile
What do you consider to be the foundations that the school gave you in your education to help you reach this point in your professional life?
An incredible English knowledge, a good grounding in mathematics and, in my case, in Business and Economy, which helped me to enter CESA and realise what I liked and wanted to do for the rest of my life I also believe that by being part of an IB school there is an international mindset and growth without limits that allows you to think beyond your geographical borders, which, in my case, working with startups on a daily basis is incredibly useful.
What is your favourite memory of TES?
There are many, but if I had to choose one, it would be the last first day It had an incredible aura between the happiness of finishing the first stage of this career in life and the nostalgia of knowing that it was the beginning of the end. Grade 11 was a great year full of challenges, but, above all, it was where I defined a lot of my path for who I am today It all started on that last first day
Do you consider the connections you made at TES to be important to achieve your goals?
Of course I do Several of the friends I made at school are investors in my company today Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today, and I recommend that you don't close yourself off to meeting as many people as possible; each person has something to teach you If I hadn't been open to meeting new people, having friendships in different groups and always wanting to learn from others, I don't think I would be where I am today
What recommendations would you give to TES students who are interested in entrepreneurship?
Take the mystery out of it and start now The United States is years ahead of us in creating a work culture from a young age. Get away from the crowd as early as possible by leveraging new technologies to launch MVPs quickly to market, iterate and grow Find a very big problem that a small group of people have, manually solve that problem until you give 10x value to the other market alternatives and only then create something Avoid at all costs creating technology solutions before you have a proven niche and a manual solution that works.
“Don't close yourself off to meeting as many people as you can; each person has something to teach you.
What's next for your entrepreneurship and how do you envision it?
To be the most important accelerator and community for Latin Americans worldwide, with multiple verticals covered and an accompanying fund to ‘doubledown’ on the best companies in our portfolio
How can our community contact you?
daniel@pygma.co
www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-ospina-e
DANIEL LOZANO SANZ
I believe that when you fail, sometimes it helps you build a character even better than if you are always winning.
@TejoLaEmbajada
https://tejolaembajada.com/ Avenida 24 #76-20 in Bogotá
Experience the joy of this typical Colombian sport!
JUAN FELIPE LOZANO SANZ
@caffacolombia www.caffacolombia.com
Calle 93b # 16-66
Carrera 7 # 113 -43 local 103
Carrera 49 # 91-15
VALERIA, CAROLINA AND MELISSA ORTEGA MURIEL
Class of 2002, 2004 and 2007 Founders of Casa CientoOcho
What is your entrepreneurship about?
Casa CientoOcho is a multi-brand shop that brings together diverse Colombian businesses to offer highquality products Our main categories include clothing for women, men, girls, boys and babies; accessories such as jewellery, handbags, backpacks and suitcases; as well as decorative home items, including plants. Our approach is to work collaboratively to boost local talent and foster a more supportive economy
What motivated you to start this entrepreneurship?
The main motivation was to create a space for Colombian entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products. We wanted to show the country's creative wealth and, at the same time, demonstrate that by working together we can achieve more, both in scope and impact
What challenges have you faced in the development of this entrepreneurship?
One of the biggest challenges has been to maintain a close and personalised relationship with all our customers and our entrepreneurs as the operation has grown and become more complex Also, managing to remain one of our customers' favourite places to shop, with increasing local and digital competition, as well as finding sustainable ways to operate in a changing economic environment We have also worked hard to build a strong team and empower them to deliver exceptional customer service
Casa CientoOcho is a multibrand shop that brings together diverse Colombian businesses to offer highquality products.
We are not just a shop; we are a community that works together to position our products, share learning and achieve common
What do you think is the main characteristic of your entrepreneurship and what differentiates it from others?
The main characteristic of Casa CientoOcho is its collaborative approach. We are not just a shop; we are a community that works together to position our products, share learning and achieve common goals This differentiates us from other traditional businesses.
What's next for your entrepreneurship and how do you envision it?
We envision Casa CientoOcho as a national and international benchmark for Colombian products, with a more robust digital platform and new offices in other cities around the country In addition, we want to continue strengthening our network of entrepreneurs to expand our collective impact.
What do you consider to be the foundations that the school gave you in your education to help you reach this point in your professional life?
The school instilled in us values such as teamwork, discipline and the importance of empathy It also fostered our creativity and critical thinking, which are essential skills for entrepreneurship
Carrera 16 # 108-22 in Bogotá
We look forward to welcoming you all with open arms, knowing that in our shop you will find the best gift this Christmas season.
JUAN PAB
Class of 1992 - Co-founder of Rotisería La Gaucha
My name is Juan Pablo Lizarazo. I live in Bogotá and I am an architect from Universidad de los Andes I attended The English School and I belong to the Class of 1992
Our venture is called Rotisería La Gaucha Rotisería derives from the French word "rotisserie" This word is used in Argentina to describe establishments or kitchens where takeaways are prepared Nowadays, we have in Bogotá the same concept: neighbourhood cuisine specialised in Argentine takeaway or to reheat at home, including empanadas, Milanese, medialunas, alfajores, all the typical food of Argentine cuisine
Our motivation? It stemmed from the fact that we were chubby, and my wife Catalina, a former TES student who was raised from a very young age in Argentina, couldn't find her favourite treats in Bogotá Neither could her friends and expatriate companions Being a specialist in cooking and the director of gastronomy institutes in Bogotá at the time, Catalina started making and preparing typical Argentine dishes for our children and us Gradually, our friends began requesting her empanadas, and that's how the business idea slowly emerged There was a notable demand for Argentine food in Bogotá, especially within the city's significant Argentine and European communities as well as among diplomats and company presidents. The famous Argentine empanadas are highly desired, valued and renowned worldwide
In 2017, Argentine empanadas were not easily found in Bogotá The public in the capital was unfamiliar with what an Argentine empanada was, as they associated empanadas with the Colombian version, which are typically eaten as a snack rather than a main course In Colombia, it is uncommon to have an empanada for lunch or breakfast, and Colombian empanadas are usually eaten with ají to complement their fried and inexpensive ingredients In contrast, the concept of the Argentine empanada is a roast within a deliciously baked dough, not fried, making it a healthy and nutritious option that highlights the high quality of its ingredients and preparation
There was a notable demand for Argentine food in Bogotá “ ”
When selling online, you have a detailed view of the customer, including where they live, work and any allergies they might have. This differs from a restaurant setting where the customer buys and leaves Online, we build human relationships that last for years It's satisfying to know everything about your customers, allowing you to become an invaluable and reliable service to them
The most discerning customers expect the best from the best, and that is what you must offer and guarantee them In 2018, we started with a small space on 84th Street with 11th Avenue, but shortly after opening, the pandemic forced us to close it What made the difference was that my wife was managing the place, so when the pandemic shut everything down, customers began calling her personal phone to have empanadas delivered. When we emerged from the pandemic, we felt very comfortable online Consequently, we set up a kitchen in the El Polo neighbourhood and dispatched orders 24/7, but without serving the general public, only offering home delivery This service is known as a "hidden kitchen" restaurant
In 2024, we reopened a location where you receive service directly at the factory point With the opportunity to move our kitchen from the Polo neighbourhood to a location where we can manufacture, sell, and distribute food all in one place, we have reduced the costs of maintaining two separate locations. This strategic move enables us to attract more customers passing by, as online clients often rely heavily on personal recommendations It is challenging for online food services to attract and be tested by new customers
I hope you are encouraged to have a venture and not be afraid of failure
“ ”
We want this new place to be something special and allow us to prepare the highest quality food for the benefit of the whole community.
The English School provided me with all the tools necessary to start or enter the university of my choice In addition, I still cherish the wonderful friendships and memories from school Moreover, English culture plays a significant role in character development, and I owe much to the school for the positive influence this rich culture has had on me and its contributions to the world
I hope you feel encouraged to pursue a venture and not be afraid of failure It is a valid way to earn a living and to achieve freedom and fulfillment However, it also requires a lot of responsibility, dedication, and an investment of resources and time.
We transitioned from our home to a small 2 x 2meter sales point in a parking lot on Carrera 11 with 84th Street Initially, we were mocked for asking 5,000 pesos for an empanada, which in 2018 was about two dollars, compared to the typical 1,000 pesos a pedestrian usually pays on the street for a giant Colombian empanada. However, for us, it wasn't about the price but the quality of the product The main feature of our business is the quality of the product, the ingredients, and the excellent preparation that maintains its nutritional qualities in a suitable and hygienic manufacturing environment, along with personalised service. The Argentine empanada is a completely different concept; it competes with pizza and burgers It's a great meal for families, and kids love it at any time because it's very healthy
What can I suggest to future TES graduate students entrepreneurs?
I believe that some people are born to start businesses rather than be employed; it's not that one is better than the other; they are simply different personality types If you want the freedom to be your own boss, then start something. Find something you do very well or are passionate about, and pursue it However, entrepreneurship requires study, preparation, knowledge, patience, and perseverance, as keeping an idea alive is very challenging despite all the difficulties A company is like raising a child you have to invest time and money, but it is incredibly satisfying to accomplish something well Every venture is unique, but the key is to learn from mistakes to continuously modify and improve, allowing you to overcome challenges and uture by making informed decisions and other crucial aspect is surrounding good people and aligning with those e same principles and values Both the hareholders of the venture should share
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iation, for example, is that we have a es not feature a coloured logo or a pearance. It simply has a black and mp Our customers know that it is better high-quality meal than a nice coloured timately discarded We prefer to invest of the ingredients rather than the look ging, so when they try our products, they omers for life As an online business, our through online messaging
www.rotiserialagaucha.com
+573054140578
Carrera 18 #85-14 in Bogotá
