When Carlos & Luis Romero made the leap from veterans to entrepreneurs, they started LiVi, a live stream by request mobile app. While both brothers knew that their military service (including the Marine Corps and Army Reserve) and work experience in law enforcement gave them tenacity and leadership skills to be great founders, they were looking for a program that could help them take the right steps to build their company.
Are you a veteran with a world-changing idea? Start your entrepreneurship journey by applying for the 100Vets Fellowship, and take the Predictive Admissions Test today.
Their initial idea was based on their life experiences. The two found themselves moving around a lot due to their careers and realized that there was a lack of transparency and ability to preview places or things before visiting them. For example, individuals were not able to request live streaming of a potential place of residency but rather, they would have to take the time to visit a residence before making final decisions.
Realizing there was a need for a previewing resource, Carlos and Luis set out to create something that would help people who encountered the same problems, so they applied to the Miami Founder Institute through the 100Vets Fellowship which enabled them to take the startup launch program for free.
The Founder Institute provided a structured approach towards launching their tech company while connecting them to resources in the local and international startup ecosystem. The Directors and Mentors of the Founder Institute provided Carlos & Luis with the insight they needed to refine their business, not just during the program, but after graduation as well. Several of the Founder Institute mentors are active advisors for Livi today which has helped them get into Vet-Tech, the leading accelerator for military veterans.
The Founder Institute helped us save money and spend money the right way.
- Carlos Romero
Unlike the overpopulated and highly competitive Silicon Valley entrepreneurial ecosystem, South Florida provided Carlos & Luis with a well-informed and tight-knit community. Entrepreneurs tend to be collaborative, sharing insights and resources to help each other build their companies. As Veterans, Carlos and Luis had to transition the skills learned in the military into entrepreneurial skills that could help them build a thriving business.
Becoming an entrepreneur was challenging because when you come from a background of being told what to do and then having to make all the calls yourself, especially in business, is a big change. - Carlos Romero
In addition to growing their company, Carlos & Luis are dedicated to giving back to the veteran community by helping expand the 100Vets program nationally, allowing more veterans to join the Founder Institute for free. Though there is a large veteran presence in South Florida, the network is not necessarily aimed towards building startup companies. However, Carlos wants veterans to know that entrepreneurship requires the skills they already possess; hard work, heart, and perseverance.
Even if you aren’t tech-savvy the Founder Institute can help you get through each step of growing your company. Don’t be afraid to jump in with a good idea! As a veteran you might want to know what’s coming, but the unknown is okay and the Founder Institute can help you. - Carlos Romero
So what’s next for LiVi?
Since graduating the Founder Institute, Carlos & Luis have continued to build partnerships with local establishments and businesses in South Florida as well as larger, national partnerships through Vet-Tech. Their app is gaining traction with both car dealerships and nightlife entertainment establishments who use the app to attract more customers in a unique, innovative way.
As the company continues to grow, we at the Founder Institute look forward to seeing what Livi has in store for the future!
Learn about more graduates of the Miami Founder Institute
The Miami Founder Institute is currently recruiting for its 2016 Fall Semester!
