Entrepreneurs Around the Globe: Stories of Success and Adaptation

Around the world, entrepreneurs are making their mark in various industries, showing resilience and innovation in the face of challenges. In Belgium, Fabien Pinckaers, the founder of Odoo, a software company valued at $5. 3 billion, is focused on survival amidst competition from giants like SAP and Oracle. Odoo, which employs over 6, 700 people globally, is expected to generate nearly $650 million in revenue by 2025. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis and Lejla Kraljević have built a successful business empire with Derubis Yachts and Derubis Caravans. The pandemic boosted their recreational vehicle business, with customers seeking safe travel options. Their company produces around 100 RVs annually, sold across Europe, the U. S. , and the Middle East, with a starting price of about $73, 000. They are expanding with a second production facility in Saudi Arabia. In Brazil, the agricultural sector is thriving, with the top 100 companies generating $303 billion in revenue, accounting for 16% of the country's GDP. JBS, a São Paulo-based meat-processing company, leads the pack with $77 billion in revenue and has listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange. In Colombia, Grupo Cibest, the parent company of Bancolombia, is expanding its digital presence with Nequi, a digital wallet used by nearly half of Colombians. The company, which handles 70% of monetary operations in Colombia, has 33 million customers and employs 34, 000 people in Latin America. In Ecuador, John Wiener, head of Inducorp, compares managing his business to navigating a boat through changing tides. His company, which includes automobile dealerships and parts distributors, generates nearly $300 million in annual revenue. Wiener emphasizes the importance of adapting to economic turbulence. In Israel, Maor Shlomo, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, founded and self-funded Base44, a startup that allows non-coding users to add custom AI software functions to websites. He sold the venture to Wix for $80 million just five months after its inception. In Mexico, Grupo Modelo, known for its Modelo and Corona beers, is celebrating its centennial. The company, now a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, plans to invest $3. 6 billion over the next two years to support small local stores and sponsor major sporting events. In Poland, Adam Bartosiewicz co-founded WB Electronics, a leading defense manufacturing company. With revenue reaching $720 million last year, the company supplies artillery, drones, and command systems to over a dozen countries, including Ukraine. Bartosiewicz views the company as his life's work. In Serbia, the number of Balkan workers spending summers at Alaska's fisheries has declined significantly. Božidar Perović, a laborer who has worked seasonal rotations for nearly a decade, attributes this to depleted fish stocks and a shift toward domestic hiring. Despite the strenuous work, wages can average $4, 000 per month, quadruple what they could earn in Serbia.