What's an example of an obstacle that you faced?
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00:00:02.102 --> 00:00:04.704 What steps did you take to address the problem?
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00:00:04.704 --> 00:00:07.774 And when do you decide to take calculated risks as an entrepreneur?
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00:00:08.141 --> 00:00:10.210 Okay, I'm gonna answer both of those questions.
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00:00:10.210 --> 00:00:12.412 The first one. We were on an upward turn.
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00:00:12.412 --> 00:00:17.412 I mean, we were growing as a company from 2012 through 2019,
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00:00:18.018 --> 00:00:21.221 you know, we're upward turned, growing and then Covid hit.
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00:00:21.454 --> 00:00:23.723 I have employees that are looking at me.
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00:00:23.723 --> 00:00:26.626 They have families that are looking at me and saying, hey, what are we going to do?
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00:00:26.626 --> 00:00:29.629 So what we did was we made a decision as a company
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00:00:29.662 --> 00:00:33.700 to make sure that we didn't fire anyone and we didn't let go anyone.
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00:00:33.900 --> 00:00:37.504 And I started going out there as people stayed at home.
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00:00:37.504 --> 00:00:41.007 I was still out there, and actually, construction was deemed essential
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00:00:41.007 --> 00:00:41.641 at the time.
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00:00:41.641 --> 00:00:45.712 Our volume and work actually cut in half, but we made sure I made sure
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00:00:45.712 --> 00:00:49.182 that I looked under every rock, called everybody that I needed to call
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00:00:49.349 --> 00:00:52.519 to make sure that, you know, we stayed viable during that time.
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00:00:52.519 --> 00:00:55.155 Did we make a profit? No, we didn't make a profit.
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00:00:55.155 --> 00:00:58.091 But I wanted to make sure that we worked to keep people employed.
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00:00:58.091 --> 00:00:59.325 As an entrepreneur,
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00:00:59.325 --> 00:01:01.895 these are all the things that I have to do and stay on top of.
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00:01:01.895 --> 00:01:04.030 So by nature I'm a risky type person, right?
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00:01:04.030 --> 00:01:04.964 I take risk, right.
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00:01:04.964 --> 00:01:08.068 So there's many opportunities out here that we come across every day.
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00:01:08.068 --> 00:01:11.771 When do I know to go after a bigger project than I ever done before?
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00:01:12.238 --> 00:01:15.542 That means okay, let me look at who I have in my wheelhouse
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00:01:15.542 --> 00:01:16.576 or who have in my office.
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00:01:16.576 --> 00:01:20.513 And if people have certain, background and experience that they've done work on
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00:01:20.513 --> 00:01:24.017 before that relates to that project, I utilize them.
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00:01:24.117 --> 00:01:26.686 And I make sure that we have a fair chance to win the project.
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00:01:26.686 --> 00:01:30.190 So I like to go after projects that are probably 80% winnable.
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00:01:30.290 --> 00:01:31.024 That's the most part.
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00:01:31.024 --> 00:01:35.361 I mean, sometimes I want to make sure that the owner recognizes that, hey,
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00:01:35.728 --> 00:01:37.297 I'm interested in your work.
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00:01:37.297 --> 00:01:38.731 So that's becomes the calculation
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00:01:38.731 --> 00:01:41.901 in my mind to say, okay, maybe I know I'm not going to win this first one,
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00:01:42.102 --> 00:01:45.238 but I know that this owner is going to see my name and recognize that
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00:01:45.271 --> 00:01:46.539 I want to work for them.
 

Every day, I tackle construction challenges as the founder and CEO of Corenic Construction Group. From building schools and office spaces to renovating major landmarks like the M&T Bank Stadium, my role is all about problem-solving and turning clients’ dreams into reality. I lead projects from start to finish, coordinating design and construction while also giving back to the communities we build in through food banks, school drives, and local nonprofit support.

President & CEO

Risk

Adversity

Overcoming Obstacles As A Business Owner

So what brought you here?
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00:00:01.701 --> 00:00:04.037 My family is actually originally from El Salvador,
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00:00:04.037 --> 00:00:06.539 so I lived in El Salvador until I was eight years old,
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00:00:06.539 --> 00:00:09.342 and El Salvador had a civil war for 12 years.
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00:00:09.342 --> 00:00:11.478 So from 1980 to 1992.
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00:00:11.478 --> 00:00:13.179 So I moved here in 1989
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00:00:13.179 --> 00:00:17.050 to the United States, and we went to Houston, where I grew up.
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00:00:17.150 --> 00:00:19.753 and then moved to Austin to go to the University of Texas.
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00:00:19.753 --> 00:00:22.756 There I studied economics and I ended up going to law school.
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00:00:22.989 --> 00:00:25.692 And right from law school I went into politics.
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00:00:25.692 --> 00:00:29.729 So I spent six years working in politics for a member of Congress
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00:00:29.729 --> 00:00:31.364 and then came back to Texas.
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00:00:31.364 --> 00:00:35.368 And I worked for the speaker of the House for a few years before I got into tech.
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00:00:35.502 --> 00:00:37.837 So my background is law and politics.
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00:00:37.837 --> 00:00:39.773 But I was lucky enough to join Google
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00:00:39.773 --> 00:00:43.610 and help be a part of the first state government relations team that they had.
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00:00:43.610 --> 00:00:47.113 So it was an incredible opportunity to join
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00:00:47.180 --> 00:00:49.916 truly one of the most innovative companies that there is.
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00:00:49.916 --> 00:00:53.386 And I was able to be on the ground floor of building out
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00:00:53.386 --> 00:00:56.356 a government relations team with several of my other colleagues.
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00:00:56.356 --> 00:00:58.291 And then from there I joined Aurora.
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00:00:58.291 --> 00:01:01.828 So that that's kind of the roadmap and the the path
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00:01:01.828 --> 00:01:03.229 that brought us here to Pittsburgh.
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00:01:03.229 --> 00:01:06.599 But at one point I thought I wanted to be an international lawyer, and then I ended
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00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:11.504 up, you know, graduating from law school and never practicing law a day in my life.
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00:01:11.604 --> 00:01:16.604 But what I would tell you is of my biggest regrets is that I didn't take more risk.
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00:01:17.744 --> 00:01:20.747 You're at an age right now and you have an opportunity
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00:01:20.880 --> 00:01:23.616 to truly find what you want to do.
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00:01:23.616 --> 00:01:25.952 And I would tell you this is your chance, right?
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00:01:25.952 --> 00:01:30.590 This is the opportunity for you to go take that risk to try different things
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00:01:30.690 --> 00:01:33.793 because the older that you get, the harder that it is to take risks.
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00:01:33.960 --> 00:01:37.764 So I would tell you, be bold, Go and try those different things.
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00:01:37.764 --> 00:01:41.000 Go and try new things that you've never tried before.
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00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:42.135 And don't be afraid to fail.
 

I spend time working internally with our teams to figure out what blockers they face in deploying our technology. As our product or engineering teams develop our technology, I seek to understand what they need from government in order to get that technology safely on the roads. Then I work with government to explain our technology and mission, understand their mission, goals, and concerns, and make sure we align for the most impact and benefits.

Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs

Why would you leave such a good job with a good manager to try something new?

Education

My Educational Path

I am just wondering if you could go back in time.
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00:00:03.837 --> 00:00:08.837 What would you like to say to yourself or really say to us
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00:00:08.908 --> 00:00:13.079 in this time that we're trying to make this pivotal change?
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00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:17.450 I think you have to be able to ask for help and be open to receiving it.
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00:00:17.450 --> 00:00:21.888 Sometimes you are on such a path that like I couldn't see it any other way,
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00:00:21.888 --> 00:00:25.925 but that I had to earn $1,000,000 or $2 million to start what I wanted to do
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00:00:25.925 --> 00:00:29.796 because I'm a big thinker and I trusted this person.
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00:00:29.796 --> 00:00:32.432 He was the first one that kind of like bonked me on the head,
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00:00:32.432 --> 00:00:34.734 you know, and said, which turn my other direction.
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00:00:34.734 --> 00:00:38.405 But in terms of taking risks and following your dreams,
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00:00:38.505 --> 00:00:42.208 I just had a conversation with someone who sits on my board of advisors.
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00:00:42.208 --> 00:00:45.111 He said, No matter how hard it is for you, he said, Just keep going
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00:00:45.378 --> 00:00:47.180 because he said, something will happen.
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00:00:47.180 --> 00:00:50.316 He said, You lasted five years with no investment.
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00:00:50.316 --> 00:00:52.152 We had no initial investment.
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00:00:52.152 --> 00:00:55.922 And you know, the company sits in 31 states with our curriculum now.
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00:00:56.256 --> 00:00:58.758 You know, we've trained over 10,000 teachers.
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00:00:58.858 --> 00:01:03.763 So in those scariest moments, I believe in myself and the mission.
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00:01:03.763 --> 00:01:04.998 And I had a partner,
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00:01:04.998 --> 00:01:06.032 you know, But
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00:01:06.032 --> 00:01:08.234 if I had to live on someone's couch to build a business,
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00:01:08.234 --> 00:01:11.004 you hear about it all the time with entrepreneur stories, right?
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00:01:11.004 --> 00:01:13.139 What they gave up that they lost this, right?
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00:01:13.139 --> 00:01:15.842 People believe in leaders who are convicted
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00:01:15.842 --> 00:01:17.877 and they make investments in you.
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00:01:18.044 --> 00:01:19.245 Even if they love the company.
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00:01:19.245 --> 00:01:22.315 They make the investment in you because you believe in yourself.
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00:01:22.615 --> 00:01:24.784 So even if you're afraid, who cares?
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00:01:25.151 --> 00:01:26.953 Like, be afraid, live, live in fear.
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00:01:26.953 --> 00:01:29.756 Take the risk. You know, there is no mistake.
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00:01:29.756 --> 00:01:33.126 And if your passion driven, I think you can go very far.
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00:01:33.126 --> 00:01:37.030 But I think it's when you give up your passion that you wind up
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00:01:37.030 --> 00:01:41.134 being kind of sedentary and unhappy and you can do it all.
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00:01:41.134 --> 00:01:42.769 It's just hard. It's just not easy.
 

2023 WCED Roadtrip
advanced-degree
entrepreneur

Following your passion is much more gratifying than doing what you think you are supposed to do according to someone else's plans.

I didn't have much guidance growing up, so I participated in a lot of high risk behaviors from a young age. The experience fueled my desire to dedicate my career to helping kids in similar situations.

Days vary when building an education start up. If at the home office, I'll do Zoom meetings, answer emails, or do a Zoom interactive professional learning workshop for schools or afterschool programs across the nation. If on the road, my days look like six-hour training sessions, building and supports requests for culture improvements in schools or for non-profit organizations, skipping across states on airplanes, and hustling at conferences to inspire future partners to work with kid-grit.

Mindful Founder

You need to follow a predetermined formula for success: go to college, get a job, get married, find success.

Fear

Passion

Follow Your Passion In Spite Of Your Fears

I think it is important that we take risks, and that they be calculated ones. So I don't think it's about, well, just rushing in headlong because somebody says that you need to do that. It is important to have that support network and to really, I think, test the theories with other people, observing what's going on is also really important and saying could you imagine yourself in that position. Once I could get to that point of kind of envisioning, yes, I could do this, and here's maybe what I would need to work on to feel more comfortable and to maybe even just be more confident in how to proceed. Because nobody goes into a new job with everything in place. I think it's just really important to know that there is gonna have to be some stretching out of one's comfort zone. And, again, doing the kind of preparation so that you do feel better about that as you move on. Just trying to be available and saying to people, one of my mantras is must be present to win. And you just be as omnipresent as you can in all kinds of places that it's just a part of the networking. It's a part of showing that you're not limited in your own little silo, that might otherwise just be defining you and stereotyping you in a certain way that would limit what people see in you. 

2023 NOVA
first-in-family
advanced-degree

Look to people who are doing the types of jobs that you're interested in and take the time to speak to them about the job and their journey. This is a great way to get information and advice for your own career journey down a similar path.

My Outlook calendar looks like a subway map because of the varied and overlapping activities and events that guide my work in any given day. In addition to multiple internal meetings that I chair or attend as part of my CEO role, I serve on external boards for regional and national organizations such as the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, NOVAworks, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, University of San Francisco, League for Innovation in the Community College, and Year Up.

Chancellor

You should have never been hired but the president keeps picking skirts.

Take Calculated Risks

There's always a fear in taking a risk, right? And I think for some people they can manage that fear more easily than others. I have gotten to a point again with my education and experience that I'm very comfortable taking risks, knowing that I always have a backup plan [LAUGH] or three or four backup plans if something doesn't work out. So I would strongly encourage plans B, C, D, and all of the above. And then I would say the more you can research what your next move is or what you're interested in doing, and that includes you can look up salary information online, you can look up job growth online. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a place that I and my team regularly go to when we're looking at creating a new program to see what the outlook is for particular jobs. So doing that kind of research, I think provides you with a measure of security but also I think having those backup plans if something doesn't turn out the exact way you would hope it does, then you have a plan B to go to or a C or a D. 

2023 WISC Virtual Interviews
advanced-degree

I recommend trying out a healthcare role first to see if it's right for you. There are so many different jobs within healthcare and not all of them are for everyone. Try an entry-level clinical role like an EKG tech or a certified nursing assistant. The hands-on experience will be great for helping you decide if it's right for you.

Growing up, my family was at the poverty level. Fortunately, my dad was working in healthcare and was trained on the job for sonography, which greatly influenced our economic status. That pushed me to look into imaging as a career as well.

Director of Allied Health Education and Career Pathways

Planning

Be Prepared Before Taking A Risk

I don't think there's ever a right time, and I don't think there's ever a wrong time. [LAUGH] It's definitely a personal decision, but I'm a big believer in making luck, or making coincidence. It is by exploring different avenues, by talking to different people in different groups, exploring your interests. I find at least in my life, things fall your way. You get these opportunities to make decisions because you put yourself in those positions to make decisions. And so a lot of the things that have gone right and been successful in my life, they seem like they're coincidental. I met that person at that event who was interested in that problem, and it was something else that I had been interested in or read about, and I was able to kinda put those two pieces together to build that puzzle. And in that case, it might feel like a coincidence, but you've created that coincidence by being in lots of different places and putting that puzzle together. And then at some point, those pieces just stick. And I've had a few times [LAUGH] when that's worked for me. 

2022 NYED Roadtrip
advanced-degree
entrepreneur

Ask questions. Ask questions of people you don't know and ask questions of people you do know. People are so willing to share information. They want to give their ideas. Ask your professors. Ask people who work at big energy companies. It's also important to know that we need all types of people and interests in renewable energy—not just science and engineering. Whatever your skills are, you can help support this system. We need all hands on deck.

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer

Exploration

There Is No Right Or Wrong Time To Take A Risk In Your Career

What's been your approach finding these opportunities within a really large organization like NightBot as it been just kind of go with the flow or? &gt;&gt; Yeah, I think one thing I learned is you have to seek these opportunities, right? You have to know what's working for you, what's not working for you, and when you need to make a change. I've sought opportunities to learn and grow, and even to change roles. I've changed roles several times during my career. It's risky, right, it's risky when you get comfortable doing something you enjoy, you may not wanna make a change. But I think part of growing is seeking out opportunities being willing to make a change. And when you change roles you build up different skills, like when I started in engineering I was building up my technical skills, my ability to review design, to create technical specifications for equipment. So the skills that I developed in my first role helped me in my second role. And you actually feel like you're contributing more. Every time I've taken on a new role, I feel like I'm giving back something more, that I can contribute more. And that's what really makes it less scary. You don't need to rush yourself. All right, you need to know that everybody goes through that stage, where when you come into a new role that you will be learning. But you'll be bringing something with you that you're gonna share with whatever group you're in, whatever function you're responsible for, you're gonna bring your strengths. You're gonna learn from others. I've done that where I compare myself to others and you're in your head about what people think about you or who's better than you. But I've learned that doesn't help, everybody has things that they're weak in. What you have to do is focus on your strengths and really build on that. And I think that's really what takes you to your full potential. Once you're learning and growing, it's not so scary because you are growing as you go. 

Do some research to see what large organizations are doing in sustainability and get some ideas of where you can work. Every company is confronted by this now, so there will be lots of opportunities—you just have to decide which area you want to go into.

We have multiple facilities spread across a large area that I may be working at. For example, if there's maintenance at one of the units, I'll go speak with the supervisor and team to see how the job is going. I'm also involved in making decisions around investments and assets. I may be on a call with headquarters talking about large project investments, the scope of the project, what the priority is, etc. We're also always working toward improving safety so I may be in conversations about that.

Chief Transformation Officer & Regional Manager of Western New York

Opportunities & Possibilities

Change

Take Risks And Grow As You Go

Did you take a leap of faith where you're trying to figure out what you wanted to really do with your life? &gt;&gt; I would say yes, And I kindA look at it this way. As something I've learned over the years is that there isn't one, I'm coming to a summit, and now I've got a new change in life, and everything's gonna go smooth from there. You might think, hey, I'm in my early 20s, and what I decide today is gonna decide the rest of my life. In some ways, that does set you on a direction, but you've been working for six months. You're gonna say, I've been working for six years and I changed, and I did something totally different. That's gonna decide the rest of my life, and then a few years later, you have some other change in life. So it's always gonna be that way, so, if I think back to different times when made choices, my first job was a very good job at Hewlett-Packard, I learned a lot. I had the opportunity to do a variety of things in the semiconductor industry from take a wafer and test it and figure out what's happening, to write some software to measure some things. To design a new product and hold the product in your hand, or at least be part of the team designing the product, and then I left. So, that's a leap of faith, I was the youngest guy in my team, and the economy was soft, and my manager said we might have to downsize. I just wanna let you know you're the last guy in, so, we wanna be fair and kind. So I said, okay, when head hunters call, I should answer the phone now. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; And a startup called, it wasn't a brand new company but it was very small company. They called and I answered, and I remember talking to one of the technologists in my company at the time, he said, the technology, the software technology the startup has, can't be done. And sort of a leap of faith, I was, I think it can be done, and I joined that company. To make a short story long, after merger and acquisition, that startup is part of synopsis. [LAUGH] I never would have guessed, who knows what direction things are gonna go? So, in essence, that was a leap of faith. 

Risk

Overcoming Obstacles As A Business Owner

Overcoming Obstacles As A Business Owner

Brunson Cooper

196 videos on Risk: