One-on-One with Jesús Parrilla

We recently sat down with our CEO and Co-founder, Jesús Parrilla, to reflect on what it truly means to build with intention.

There is a moment in every company’s journey when the conversation shifts. The question of “will this be funded?” gives way to a different responsibility… now it must be delivered.

We find ourselves in that moment. The company is funded. The foundation is in place.

What lies ahead is execution, with no room for ambiguity. Looking back, the process of building and the conversations that shaped it have been as revealing as they are instructive.

1. You chose to build the company with governance, compliance, and institutional rigor from day one. Why take that path so early?

Most people expect structure to come later. To us, it had to come first. If you know where you are going, you don’t build loosely and then correct. You build with intention from the beginning.

Governance, compliance, institutional discipline… these are not constraints. They are what allow you to move with clarity when things become complex.

What was interesting is that this approach surprised many investors. Some saw it as unnecessary at an early stage. Others immediately understood that it was the foundation of something that intends to endure. We were never building for convenience, but rather for permanence.

2. In your discussions with investors, what has stood out the most?

There is a paradox.

Many investors speak about wanting to be part of building great companies. But when faced with what it actually takes to build one properly, the appetite changes. Rigor has a cost, so does discipline. Doing things the right way from the beginning requires patience and capital.

And yet, some want the outcome of a robust business without being willing to fund the process that creates it.

That tension has been one of the most revealing aspects of the journey. It forces painful clarity on both sides.

3. Outdoor hospitality is often romanticized. How do investors misunderstand that part of the business?

The outdoor component is often seen as something poetic. Almost secondary.

In reality, it is the most demanding part of the entire system.

Operating in remote environments is not something you improvise. It is not something you layer in at the end. It is not a concept.

It is knowledge built over time… through exposure, through mentorship, through mistakes, th

rough learning to respect forces much greater than ourselves. Weather, terrain, safety, human limits… these are not variables you negotiate with.

What surprised us is how often this is underestimated and treated as something that can be figured out later.

For us, it was very clear: if we are serious about this space, that expertise has to be present from day one. Not as support but as a core pillar.

4. What has been the most important learning in aligning with investors?

Consistency.

Some investors truly understand early-stage businesses. They know what uncertainty looks like. They know what building requires. And they lean into it.

And then some speak about supporting early-stage ventures, but evaluate them through the lens of something already established.

Those two positions cannot coexist.

What we learned is that alignment is not about capital; it is about mindset.

The right partners don’t just fund the vision. They understand the process behind it… and they respect it.