How This UCLA Grad Plans to Become The President of Bolivia

*****This is a shortened version of today's post on Inc. Magazine. To read the full post click here.*****

One of the things I love the most about writing for Inc. is that I get to meet and talk to some very inspirational leaders in the business world. Recently, I caught up with a serial entrepreneur who left Bolivia to come to the US to study Computer Science at UCLA.

Then in 2015, Alejandro Rioja founded Flux Ventures, a conglomerate of companies that include a portable charger rated #1 by Yahoo Tech and Digital Trends; a digital marketing agency that specializes in SEO and PR; and a media company that was launched from his Snapchat influencer account @youngslacker.

He is also an investor in Everipedia and Snapwire.

John White: Many people will tell you these days that a college degree is a waste of time for a true entrepreneur. What made you decide to leave Bolivia to study at UCLA and how has your time on campus helped you become a successful entrepreneur?

Alejandro Rioja: I always had a dream to start my own company. Being able to impact many people with my products and services was something I dreamed about every night since I was 15.

I think a big part of what made me make the jump into entrepreneurship was the idols and mentors that I had. I remember reading the bios of Steve Jobs, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk (and about 50 others) and becoming fascinated with the idea of following their footsteps.

That dream chased me for many years until I decided to take action and come to the US to further enhance my education and uncover new opportunities. During my 4 years of undergrad at UCLA, I tried to consume as much information as possible about business, psychology, marketing, and computer science.

When I came to the US in 2013, I knew a total of one person. So, during my first year as a freshman, I challenged myself to have a meal with a new person every single day. Every time I met someone, I acted as a sponge and tried to learn as much as I could from them (while also providing value in return). This opened up my eyes to many new ideas and also helped me meet my future co-founder.

Then, the first time I went to Silicon Valley and got to tour the many startups and companies there, I instantly got the chills. It was one of those moments where you become so immersed in the moment that your senses are heightened and everything seems to be moving in slow motion. Seeing the offices, the products, the people all come together in one vision was an extraordinary experience for me, so I thought why not dream big and just go do it?

Without leaving Bolivia to study at UCLA, none of what I am doing today would be possible.

John White: Flux Chargers has been sold in 91 countries and rated #1 by sites like Yahoo Tech, Digital Trends, and Mashable. I must say, those results are quite impressive. How did this company get started? 

Alejandro Rioja: The idea for Flux Chargers came about when me and my co-founder, Miles Anthony, were at a social gathering and one of our phones was about to die. As we quickly tried to find an outlet, a friend of mine handed me a portable charger. Although this portable charger did the job and charged my phone, it was rather bulky and needed an extra cable. It was also hard to carry or put in my pocket.

In short, it was far from being truly portable. At that moment we realized that we hadn't seen any portable chargers that were slim or sleek, and after some more serious market research, we were confident that the Flux Charger could fill that need.