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Tapping into Global Talent – Mavity’s Creative Model
Tomás Uribe is an entrepreneur, co-founder, and CEO at Mavity, the collaboration tool that helps businesses create design and marketing assets with AI. Tomás has been featured in INC. Magazine, Forbes, and an invited speaker at several conferences and events including SXSW, Harvard University, among others. Mavity has raised from prominent investors including L'Attitude Ventures, Google, Pharrell Williams, Techstars, among others. Before Mavity, Tomás worked with global brands including Qualcomm, United Nations, and Leica Camera, and as a touring musician and producer. He has been recognized in the Forbes Next 1000 list, included in Crain's New York Business Notable Leaders in Advertising, Marketing & PR, as well as by the Colombian Government Trade Agency - ProColombia.
Wealth Stream News (WSN): Thank you for joining us today, Tomás. We're excited to have you here on Wealth Stream News. Can you please introduce yourself, your role, and your business?
Tomás Uribe (TU): Certainly. I'm Tomás Uribe, the co-founder and CEO at Mavity. Originally from Colombia, I've been in New York for about 11 years now, where we started Mavity. Our company is a technology software company connecting businesses with creative teams through AI platforms. We add value to creative operations, whether it's for design or marketing. It can be your website, collateral design, or anything creative to help your business grow, we help you build at very low cost, but also high quality. We serve small and medium businesses, with a technological solution that can help supercharge creative operations.
WSN: Fascinating. Could you tell us about the origins of Mavity and the motivation behind it?
TU: My background in both engineering and music led me to venture into creative industries. When I moved to New York, I decided to study media and technology at Parsons School Design. I saw a gap in the market for a better way to handle design and marketing assets, which inspired the creation of Mavity. I involved myself into all the tangential areas of creative industries, which is technology, creative technologies, design, and web development. I went for every opportunity, working at the United Nations, a creative agency, and then at a startup. I realized that more businesses needed and were looking creative services. That's how Mavity come to being. That was the ethos of my own personal lived experience of really identifying what's a better way to create, or design and marketing assets with tech and technology.
WSN: Mavity has a global presence with team members in Medellin and Barcelona. What challenges did you face in building a global business?
TU: Building a distributed team and business model posed challenges, but it also allowed us to tap into talent pools worldwide. We have team members in Dublin and in Barcelona and then the rest of our team members are collected throughout the continent, the US, Central America and South America. Our focus has been on identifying regions with growth potential and leveraging technology to connect with them effectively.
WSN: Can you walk us through how clients use Mavity's services?
TU: Clients often come to us after experiencing issues with traditional talent marketplaces or agencies. Through our platform, they can access curated creative teams for various projects, ensuring high-quality results at a lower cost. The process is you register by building an account and your own workspace within the Mavity platform. Mavity tools allow you to kick start the creative process of really understanding what are the steps that you need to follow in order to get to that vision executed by enlisting what we call a creative ops team. These are groups of people that are curated and very well selected by us by our own team but they get assigned very specific requests that you have. So for example, the UX and UI of your website, they get assigned very specific requests that you have. They're part of a 10,000-person pool of creatives across the world that have been vetted and curated by us so they can just jump on board. On the supply side, if I was a, Unix designer, I would register with you as your supplier.
WSN: How did you secure funding for Mavity, and what was the journey like?
TU: Fundraising was challenging, especially coming from a background with limited networks and no real credit history. We initially participated in programs and connected with investors and family members to raise funds. Eventually, we secured backing from Techstars and investors aligned with our mission.
WSN: With your busy schedule, what does a typical day look like for you?
TU: Each day varies but involves a lot of planning, meetings, and checking in with my team and investors. Balancing work with family time, especially with my three-year-old son, is important to me.
WSN: Looking ahead, what are your forecasts for Mavity over the next few years?
TU: We aim to continue growing, focusing on product optimization, customer experience, and expanding our sales and marketing channels to meet investor expectations.
WSN: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
TU: Be obsessed with solving the problem you're passionate about. Entrepreneurship is challenging but rewarding, so focus on embracing the process and staying committed to your vision.
WSN: As a fellow Colombian immigrant, how does your Latino identity influence your entrepreneurship journey?
TU: My Latino identity influences my business by fostering connections with Colombia and supporting its entrepreneurial ecosystem by having operations based there and in Barcelona. Additionally, it shapes our company culture, emphasizing inclusivity and understanding different work styles.
WSN: Lastly, how would you like your legacy to be remembered?
TU: I hope to leave a legacy of generational wealth, both for my family and team members, while making a positive impact on the creative industry and empowering others to pursue their dreams.
WSN: Thank you, Tomás, for sharing your insights and experiences with us. We look forward to following Mavity's journey.
TU: Thank you. It's been a pleasure discussing entrepreneurship with you.
Wealth Stream News (WSN): Thank you for joining us today, Tomás. We're excited to have you here on Wealth Stream News. Can you please introduce yourself, your role, and your business?
Tomás Uribe (TU): Certainly. I'm Tomás Uribe, the co-founder and CEO at Mavity. Originally from Colombia, I've been in New York for about 11 years now, where we started Mavity. Our company is a technology software company connecting businesses with creative teams through AI platforms. We add value to creative operations, whether it's for design or marketing. It can be your website, collateral design, or anything creative to help your business grow, we help you build at very low cost, but also high quality. We serve small and medium businesses, with a technological solution that can help supercharge creative operations.
WSN: Fascinating. Could you tell us about the origins of Mavity and the motivation behind it?
TU: My background in both engineering and music led me to venture into creative industries. When I moved to New York, I decided to study media and technology at Parsons School Design. I saw a gap in the market for a better way to handle design and marketing assets, which inspired the creation of Mavity. I involved myself into all the tangential areas of creative industries, which is technology, creative technologies, design, and web development. I went for every opportunity, working at the United Nations, a creative agency, and then at a startup. I realized that more businesses needed and were looking creative services. That's how Mavity come to being. That was the ethos of my own personal lived experience of really identifying what's a better way to create, or design and marketing assets with tech and technology.
WSN: Mavity has a global presence with team members in Medellin and Barcelona. What challenges did you face in building a global business?
TU: Building a distributed team and business model posed challenges, but it also allowed us to tap into talent pools worldwide. We have team members in Dublin and in Barcelona and then the rest of our team members are collected throughout the continent, the US, Central America and South America. Our focus has been on identifying regions with growth potential and leveraging technology to connect with them effectively.
WSN: Can you walk us through how clients use Mavity's services?
TU: Clients often come to us after experiencing issues with traditional talent marketplaces or agencies. Through our platform, they can access curated creative teams for various projects, ensuring high-quality results at a lower cost. The process is you register by building an account and your own workspace within the Mavity platform. Mavity tools allow you to kick start the creative process of really understanding what are the steps that you need to follow in order to get to that vision executed by enlisting what we call a creative ops team. These are groups of people that are curated and very well selected by us by our own team but they get assigned very specific requests that you have. So for example, the UX and UI of your website, they get assigned very specific requests that you have. They're part of a 10,000-person pool of creatives across the world that have been vetted and curated by us so they can just jump on board. On the supply side, if I was a, Unix designer, I would register with you as your supplier.
WSN: How did you secure funding for Mavity, and what was the journey like?
TU: Fundraising was challenging, especially coming from a background with limited networks and no real credit history. We initially participated in programs and connected with investors and family members to raise funds. Eventually, we secured backing from Techstars and investors aligned with our mission.
WSN: With your busy schedule, what does a typical day look like for you?
TU: Each day varies but involves a lot of planning, meetings, and checking in with my team and investors. Balancing work with family time, especially with my three-year-old son, is important to me.
WSN: Looking ahead, what are your forecasts for Mavity over the next few years?
TU: We aim to continue growing, focusing on product optimization, customer experience, and expanding our sales and marketing channels to meet investor expectations.
WSN: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
TU: Be obsessed with solving the problem you're passionate about. Entrepreneurship is challenging but rewarding, so focus on embracing the process and staying committed to your vision.
WSN: As a fellow Colombian immigrant, how does your Latino identity influence your entrepreneurship journey?
TU: My Latino identity influences my business by fostering connections with Colombia and supporting its entrepreneurial ecosystem by having operations based there and in Barcelona. Additionally, it shapes our company culture, emphasizing inclusivity and understanding different work styles.
WSN: Lastly, how would you like your legacy to be remembered?
TU: I hope to leave a legacy of generational wealth, both for my family and team members, while making a positive impact on the creative industry and empowering others to pursue their dreams.
WSN: Thank you, Tomás, for sharing your insights and experiences with us. We look forward to following Mavity's journey.
TU: Thank you. It's been a pleasure discussing entrepreneurship with you.
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