I hope you enjoyed our interview with Jamplify last week. This week we are excited to share our chat with Mario Avila, CEO, co-founder of Contigo Financial.
As a child, Mario moved to Chicago when his father shut down their bakery in Mexico, after deciding that he wanted to give his children the opportunity to pursue their own dreams. Now the product of his parent’s dedication and sacrifice, Mario has spent the greater part of his life setting goals and achieving them. So it comes as no surprise that after attending Dartmouth and recently completing a Vanderbilt MBA, Mario is in full pursuit of his next goal, launching Contigo Financial.
Describe Contigo Financial in three words or less:
Responsible lending institution.
What were you like growing up as a kid?
I constantly challenged the status quo. In fact, many times my dad would tell me and my brothers to do something. They would go right to doing it but I always stopped to ask why. I guess I was just curious if there was a better way of doing things. It drove my dad crazy.
What was college like?
Dartmouth proved to be a great personal learning experience; balancing football and academics really taught time management.
Who has influenced your entrepreneurial spirit the most?
My mother’s compassion and resiliency towards life has inspired me to take on the challenges of entrepreneurship.
What have you learned from JSF thus far? Would you recommend the program? Why?
After Contigo Financial won the Jim Sohr grant, I wasn’t sure if Jumpstart Foundry was appropriate. I couldn’t have been more wrong. JSF has helped me take a very introspective approach to how we present Contigo Financial, Before the JSF experience; I made the incorrect assumption that everyone would intuitively understand the Contigo Financial product offering. I now have crafted a clear, concise pitch not only to investors but also to prospective clients. For that and a lot more, I would definitely recommend Jumpstart Foundry.
As the CEO of Contigo Financial, what keeps you up at night?
Not knowing what I don’t know keeps me up at night.
Posted on July 27, 2012
Categories: Blog
Tags: Contigo Financial, interview, Mario Avila