The Myth Is Real: Perspectives from Cuba's Private Sector Leaders

Join us for a in-person, private, off-the-record breakfast with leading Cuban entrepreneurs, as part of AS/COA's Cuba Working Group. 

In the past two years, over 10,000 businesses have been created in Cuba. Now, one-third of Cubans are employed in the non-state sector. Despite this development, skepticism persists in the U.S. Congress and within the diaspora, with the belief that all private sector activity is backed by the Cuban Government. As the Cuban economy continues to deteriorate, the private sector stands out as a unique area of growth, but the government is taking steps to further tax and control it.

Speakers: 

• Aldo Alvarez, CEO and Founder, Mercatoria 
• Marta Deus, CEO and Co-founder, Mandao 
• Alain Garofalo, CEO, GSI General Software Inc. 
• Nora Gamez Torres, Journalist, Miami Herald & El Nuevo Herald (moderator)
• John McIntire, Chairman, Cuba Emprende Foundation & Chair, COA Cuba Working Group (co-chair)

Mandao is a Cuban delivery service launched in 2019. A digital and logistics marketplace that connects—through three mobile applications—users inside and outside Cuba with different stores. Mandao delivers restaurant meals, market products and parcels to families in Cuba quickly and safely. 

Mercatoria is a retail and wholesale distribution company. The company offers a variety of food, beverages, confectioneries, gastronomy supplies, and cleaning and hygiene products. Mercatoria’s catalog features internationally recognized brands, as well as a selection of their own productions under the label La Distinta, specifically for the Cuban market.

GSI General Software Inc. is a software engineering company founded in 2011 that delivers digital solutions for small businesses, entrepreneurs, large enterprises, and clients who need to move from an idea to building a successful digital product. GSI holds expertise in multiple industries and has offices in 8 countries worldwide to help provide clients with the resources they need in their same time zone. 

• Registration: Andres Riebman at (rsvpmiami@as-coa.org)
• Program Information: Luciana Sabillon (lsabillon@as-coa.org)
• Sponsorship Opportunities: Cyndi Balladares (cballadares@as-coa.org)