Ian Sanchez is the founder of grow Purpose Network, a consulting firm driven by the mission of fostering environmental preservation and people's education, training and entrepreneurship.
by ACR Latin America
Every night, before going to sleep, Ian Sánchez plans his day of work, a discipline that arises from his entrepreneurial spirit that has always accompanied him. Meetings, clients, projects. That's Ian's job, which usually starts at about 7:15 in the morning, after taking his daughter to school. The objective is clear: to achieve alliances with institutions, organizations or entrepreneurs who not only seek profit but also contribute to the well-being of human and natural resources.
Some of the projects Ian has worked on include: clean fuels coalition, developing energy efficiency programs, and green rooftop systems, sanitary septic tanks and solar panels for customers in Central America and the Caribbean.
"When we are on a project, my task and that of my colleagues is to identify the right people and resources to deal with a certain issue on which we are working, and thus we establish meetings with clients to exchange ideas," explains the founder of Grow Purpose Network, a firm through which these initiatives are carried out.
Grow Purpose Network is a system of approach for all entrepreneurial businesses that not only seek profit, but also contribute to the well-being of human and natural resources.
"The goal is to make families and friends throughout South America and the Caribbean who provide a range of products and services, see this system as an approach to promote the development of clean energy, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric; sanitation material, sustainable construction and more," explains businessman Sánchez.
According to the vision of this entrepreneur, air conditioning manufacturers and installers can partner with energy efficiency companies and NGOs to reach more customers and offer better services, at affordable prices to expand their coverage range.
Latin Heritage
Ian was born in Southern California, the son of caribbean emigrants, his father is a native of Trinidad and his mother is from Barbados. While his grandparents were from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Since childhood, the family instilled in Ian Sánchez a strong work ethic, which he has applied in the different organizations in which he worked, always, according to him, developing a love for entrepreneurship.
"In 1999 I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and did several businesses, both for-profit and non-profit, my experience has been bringing together people from different backgrounds and finding resources to support meaningful ventures for the environment and the same people."
At 18 years of age he worked for a large corporation and his entrepreneurial spirit quickly placed him as a warehouse manager, seven years later, in a forklift accident, Ian lost several toes. It was the first time he took a break from work.
Soon after he started a real estate business, where he learned the dedication it takes to run an organization.
After four years of solid growth, Ian sold the portion of his business to his partner, in search of something more meaningful. It was at that time that he took over a non-profit environmental organization under the figure of executive director. "I worked hard for only a fraction of the payout, over the next five years we managed to grow by 500%."
"This experience helped me learn from the limitations that a non-profit organization can have. It occurred to me that my best talent was in building relationships. I also realized that most people want to do good, but they don't have the time or energy to look beyond their own daily needs."
According to the philosophy of this entrepreneur, people's collaborations could be leveraged much more if only people could find the time to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships.
"It was when I joined forces with a colleague to form the Grow Purpose Network in order to facilitate collaborative projects that are good and profitable for people and the environment."
Look at Latin America
According to Ian Sánchez's perspective, there are enormous opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean in the development of strategic alliances that help companies offer products and services in favor of the environment and that are affordable for all people.
Collaborations help companies offer a variety of services to customers and focus on their core business. This can help you reach your goals more quickly. Ian notes that "the main goal is to deliver the most value to customers, while the world is a cleaner and more livable place."
Companies that want to be more environmentally friendly should look for ways to partner with others who are already doing so and find ways to work together. They can also look for funding opportunities from NGOs and government organizations that are also trying to do the same.
With the inclusion of people and planet in the bottom line, employees can find more pride and meaning in their work.
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