What an individual award really is

In 2018 I received the Entrepreneur of the Year trophy from CACISM, the century-old chamber of commerce in my region. I was honored — and, at the same time, a little uncomfortable, because individual awards hide a simple truth: no one builds anything alone.

I went up to receive it knowing that trophy was, in practice, a portrait of quiet, collective work over many years. I used the speech to say what I actually think, and I repeat it here.

I owe to Shana, my partner since we were 16, the foundation that lets me take risks on everything else. To Gustavo Stock, my first business partner, who bet on my potential when I'd barely proven anything. To my father, who pushed me out of my comfort zone early and taught me to persist and to build from scratch. And to the partners and colleagues who trusted me and shared with me a piece of their own dreams.

An award with one person's name on it is, deep down, a spotlight pointed for an instant at the work of many people. I accept the recognition without confusing the spotlight with the work. The work is collective, it's daily, and it continues after the light goes out.

That's what I felt on that stage, and what I carry: gratitude for the right people nearby — and the will to keep going with my sleeves rolled up.