Working Lives Mexico: IT entrepreneur
- Published
Hugo Stevens is part of a new generation of innovators in Mexico. Young and well educated, he is choosing to develop his career in Mexico City rather than take his expertise abroad.
For many years people in similar circumstances would simply have left Mexico for Europe or the United States, part of the 'brain drain' which has affected Latin America for generations.
Mr Stevens has lived and studied abroad in the past, but decided to launch Start Up Factory - an internet based venture capital business - from his native Mexico.
"There's an energy about this city at the moment," he says, referring to the kinds of young people with strong innovative ideas who share his office space, a working environment they call 'The Hacker Room'.
The internet has made such ventures possible, reducing overheads and allowing good ideas to flourish, with a little nurturing from the expertise he and his team provides.
Mr Stevens feels the need for young people to leave Mexico is no longer so acute. He says Mexican internet companies are in same stage some of the big Silicon Valley companies were a decade ago.