Co-founder & CEO

• Feb 2022 - Present

Nuestra misión en VECI es hacer que los emprendedores y PYMES de LatAm incrementen sus ventas y tengan el crédito que necesitan para hacer crecer su negocio 🚀 Nuestra misión en VECI es hacer que los emprendedores y PYMES de LatAm incrementen sus ventas y tengan el crédito que necesitan para hacer crecer su negocio 🚀

Integral Coach

• Sep 2023 - Present

Head of Product - QR Bancolombia

• Jul 2019 - Feb 2022

• Lead four product teams: 1) The Bancolombia QR Code a payment method for SMBs, 2) a product to digitalize cash in traditional retail channels, 3) decentralized payments based on blockchain (DeFi), and 4) a Banking as a Service project. • Establish a new business unit from zero and P&L management, reporting to a vice president. • Launched Bancolombia QR Code a new payment solution for SMEs, reaching more than 700 thousand merchants nationwide and USD >500 million dollars in gross transfer volume. Show less

Business Transformation Manager - Payments

• Nov 2018 - Jul 2019

• Establish a new business unit from zero and P&L management, reporting directly to a vice president. • Lead a cross-functional team of more than thirty people including developers, business, product, and marketing analysts. • Launched a new payment solution for SMEs reaching more than 200 thousand enterprises nationwide and USD 30 million in transfer volume in the first six months.• Managed digital transformation, new products, and non-financial revenue projects. • Executed new product research. • Directed go to market strategies Show less

Launch and Growth Lead

• May 2018 - Nov 2018

Successfully launched the company in Santiago (Chile) and Lima (Perú) also trained the launch team for Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.

Growth

• May 2016 - Nov 2018

Grew 9% week over week business unit by improving conversion funnel, doing customer research, optimizing operations, and prioritizing product improvements.

Operations CPG

• Jan 2017 - May 2018

IT Recruiter

• Jan 2017 - Mar 2017

Recruited eleven developers and helped to implement the developer hiring process.

Growth

• Oct 2016 - Dec 2016

Established the courier life-cycle process.

Mentor

• May 2016 - May 2017

Freelance Marketing Manager

• Feb 2016 - Dec 2016

• Mentored startups to grow and be profitable in Latin American, especially in Colombia and Brazil. • Coached an online education company from Brazil to get 3X qualified-leads and improve conversion rate from 8,3% up to 11,7%. • Designed a content marketing strategy for a financial company in Colombia improving their conversion rate from 5% to 7%. • Specialties: Conversion Rate Optimization, Inbound marketing, SEO/SEM, and Growth Hacking. So, what is your biggest marketing struggle? I will work with you and help you to get the best performance in your marketing campaigns. Your business will grow and I will make you earn lots of money. Email me at diegoarielrios@gmail.com and let's talk about your online marketing strategy. I can help you with SEM/SEO, Facebook Ads, Content Marketing, Social Media, Customer Success, Customer Service and CRO. Show less

Business Mentor

• Oct 2014 - Dec 2016

Startup Weekend (SW) is a 54-hour weekend event, during which groups of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more pitch ideas for new startup companies, form teams around those ideas, and work to develop a working prototype, demo, or presentation by Sunday evening. Startup Weekend has grown into an organization with a global presence and is run by Techstars. Has reached 150 countries, involving over 210,000 entrepreneurs. I have been a mentor in: SW EduBusiness in Bogota (Colombia) SW Caxias do Sul (Brazil) SW Santa Maria (Brazil) SW Woman Porto Alegre (Brazil) SW Lajeado (Brazil) SW Ciudad y Paz Bogotá (Colombia) SW Unisinos in São Leopoldo (Brazil) If you want to organize an SW, I will love to help you, just email me at diegoarielrios@gmail.com! Show less

Cofundador

• May 2014 - Feb 2016

Tarefa is a fast-growing startup that gives you the best answer to any math question. Backed by Startup Chile and Wow (Brazil) has a sustainable growth in all Latin America. As founder team member, I was in charge of getting early customers and scale from Brazil to all Latin America. Some of the outstanding achievements were a 25% month over month growth rate both in revenue and users, conversion rate optimization up to 7% and implementing paid and organic acquisition strategies with a very competitive CAC. Specialties: SEM/SEO, Content Marketing, Facebook Ads, Blogging, inbound marketing and CRO. Show less

Entrepreneurship Advocate

• Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

• SENA is the largest technical education institution in Colombia and plays an important role in technology and entrepreneurship. • Mentored more than10 teams, from idea to validation, prototyping, launching and fundraising. • Contributed to build and growth local startup community up to 500 active members. • SENA is the largest technical education institution in Colombia and plays an important role in technology and entrepreneurship. • Mentored more than10 teams, from idea to validation, prototyping, launching and fundraising. • Contributed to build and growth local startup community up to 500 active members.

Facilitator at Diplomado Construyendo Acciones para la Democracia

• Aug 2014 - Dec 2014

UNAD is the largest online university in Colombia with more than seventy-thousand students across the country. In alliance with the Department of State of Colombia and two important organizations ran the “Diplomado Construyendo Acciones para la Democracia”. A huge education initiative to develop local leaders in order to strengthen the democracy nationwide. I developed 60 new local leaders empowered on their rights and internet. Some of them are now majors in theirs town. UNAD is the largest online university in Colombia with more than seventy-thousand students across the country. In alliance with the Department of State of Colombia and two important organizations ran the “Diplomado Construyendo Acciones para la Democracia”. A huge education initiative to develop local leaders in order to strengthen the democracy nationwide. I developed 60 new local leaders empowered on their rights and internet. Some of them are now majors in theirs town.

Business Development

• May 2013 - Dec 2013

• UNAD is the largest online university in Colombia with more than seventy-thousand students across the country.• Accomplished new partnerships and closed new contracts by US $10.000 in just 8 months. • Project management and Local PR.

Tutor

• Jul 2013 - Nov 2013

UNAD is the largest online university in Colombia with more than seventy-thousand students across the country. As tutor I am so proud to had helped 60 students at National Air Force to finish their high school using internet! Some of them are currently at colleague and are such a great leaders. I tutored them in Math, Science, English and Spanish.

Associate Professor

• Jul 2013 - Nov 2013

The Universidad Minuto de Dios is a university with a strong social committed and strong local presence in Colombia. As professor I helped students to start their startup journey, launching their products and get into the most important national startups programs. The Universidad Minuto de Dios is a university with a strong social committed and strong local presence in Colombia. As professor I helped students to start their startup journey, launching their products and get into the most important national startups programs.

Manager

• Apr 2011 - Apr 2013

When I was working at McDonald's my first challenge was a small ice cream store that was about to be closed. After 3 months working on it, this store became in the most successful store of Colombia; then I was promoted to be in charge of the second biggest restaurant of the country (with 80 employees, 10 managers and 8 new manager trainees). • Managed the second top sales restaurant in Colombia with 80 employees, 11 shift managers and 8 training managers. • Accomplished 20% quarter-to-quarter sales growth. • Specialties: marketing, recruiting, training and developing teams. Show less

Junior Consultant

• Apr 2010 - Jun 2011

As junior consultant at Scala, I support researches processes and helped many companies to improve their performance using Balanced Scorecard and Value Innovation Strategies. As junior consultant at Scala, I support researches processes and helped many companies to improve their performance using Balanced Scorecard and Value Innovation Strategies.

Customer Service Advocate

• Oct 2009 - Mar 2011

Cafam is the second important social services company in Colombia and has the largest hotel complex in the country. As Customer Service Advocate I helped hundreds of customer to lived the best vacation ever. I had lots of fun and learned so much! Not just to give a “great” service, but go an extra mile solving complexing problems and understanding customers needs. Cafam is the second important social services company in Colombia and has the largest hotel complex in the country. As Customer Service Advocate I helped hundreds of customer to lived the best vacation ever. I had lots of fun and learned so much! Not just to give a “great” service, but go an extra mile solving complexing problems and understanding customers needs.