Entrepreneurs Around the Globe: Stories of Success and Adaptation

Belgium: Odoo's Resilience

• Founder: Fabien Pinckaers
• Company: Odoo (Software)
• Valuation: $5.3 billion
• Employees: 6,700+
• Revenue (2025): Nearly $650 million
• Challenges: Competition from SAP and Oracle

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Derubis Yachts and Caravans

• Founders: Denis and Lejla Kraljević
• Business: Recreational Vehicles
• Annual Production: 100 RVs
• Market Reach: Europe, U.S., Middle East
• Starting Price: ~$73,000
• Expansion: Second facility in Saudi Arabia

Brazil: Agricultural Powerhouse

• Top 100 Companies Revenue: $303 billion (16% of GDP)
• Leader: JBS (Meat-processing)
• Revenue: $77 billion
• Listing: New York Stock Exchange

Colombia: Grupo Cibest's Digital Expansion

• Parent Company: Bancolombia
• Digital Wallet: Nequi (Used by 50% of Colombians)
• Market Share: 70% of monetary operations
• Customers: 33 million
• Employees: 34,000 in Latin America

Ecuador: Inducorp's Adaptive Strategy

• Head: John Wiener
• Business: Automobile dealerships, parts distributors
• Annual Revenue: Nearly $300 million
• Philosophy: Adapting to economic turbulence

Israel: Base44's Rapid Success

• Founder: Maor Shlomo (31 years old)
• Startup: Base44 (AI software for non-coders)
• Sale: Sold to Wix for $80 million (5 months after inception)

Mexico: Grupo Modelo's Centennial

• Brands: Modelo, Corona
• Parent Company: Anheuser-Busch InBev
• Investment Plan: $3.6 billion over 2 years
• Focus: Supporting local stores, sponsoring sports events

Poland: WB Electronics' Defense Manufacturing

• Co-founder: Adam Bartosiewicz
• Revenue (2023): $720 million
• Products: Artillery, drones, command systems
• Clients: Over a dozen countries, including Ukraine

Serbia: Declining Balkan Workers in Alaska

• Laborer: Božidar Perović (Nearly a decade of seasonal work)
• Reasons for Decline: Depleted fish stocks, domestic hiring shift
• Wages: Up to $4,000/month (Quadruple Serbian earnings)