Juan Pablo Jiménez, head of sales for Ecuador’s first unicorn, on Miami’s role in fintech’s growth
By Riley Kaminer
Ecuador’s first unicorn, fintech Kushki, is bullish on South Florida. The team of 750 people is growing, and its sights are set on Miami. The company’s Miami-based Chief Sales Officer, Juan Pablo Jiménez, cut his teeth at Citrix, eventually rising to the ranks as COO of Americas Sales and Services. We sat down with Jiménez to hear about what Kushki is up to in South Florida and beyond—and what we can expect to see going forward.
What problem does Kushki solve?
Kushki’s is a world-class end-to-end payment platform that helps businesses across the region reduce the cost and complexity of online payments, while improving acceptance rates and reducing fraud. As part of our work, we have digitized the process and payment of utilities and essential services across the region, with a high level of payment options that you can find in highly developed countries.
Tell us about the road that led you to Miami.
I left Colombia in 2000 and moved around America – living in Texas, Brazil and Mexico – and finally decided to settle in Miami in 2012 with my family and young children (at the time). Miami is an inspiring city with very good schools and is a melting pot of different cultures. It’s a great hub for doing business throughout the LatAm region, and the tech movement is growing fast. I really like the vibe of this city.
What does your footprint look like in Miami?
We’re just a few people here in Miami, supporting the concept of decentralized headquarters that hire and develop talent across the LatAm region.
What kind of traction has Kushki had over the years?
In 2022 we became a unicorn: the first in history founded by Ecuadorians. This is quite an achievement and inspires young people to dream and think that anything is possible through teamwork, innovation and of course very hard work.
Which countries are you currently active in?
The company currently operates in Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru and the United States.
What are your thoughts on Ecuador’s startup ecosystem, and Kushki’s role in it?
Latin America has become a great ecosystem of startups, and for Ecuador, having a unicorn with a large footprint of talent in the country is something to really feel proud of. In addition, it is an unprecedented milestone that promotes the development of local companies and inspires Ecuadorians to dream big.
What can we expect to see from Kushki in the next few months? What initiatives are you most excited about?
We continue to develop our platform and strengthen our value proposition. This first half of 2023 is full of good news that will show the full potential of our offer to become a real regional infrastructure player for digital payments in LatAm. With this in mind, we want to accelerate digital transformation – drive consumer adoption of digital payments and help build a more dynamic and modern Latin America.
Learn more about Kushki by visiting their website.
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