I was born in Miami, FL to 2 immigrants (Colombian / Dominican). I’m a VC fund manager + publisher and will be spending the summer in Seattle. Our firm invests in preseed enterprise software and GovTech. We also host several events such as startup bootcamps, tech/innovation summits and the Startup Launch Competition in partnership with the University of Florida.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablo-casilimas-1707a9113

Outside of work, I love training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, dancing Salsa / Bachata, powerlifting, running, and any outdoor activities like hiking, paddle boarding / kayaking, etc. I also really enjoy watching UFC fights and NBA playoffs. Big fan of beer and ice cream!

In general, I love connecting with new people and hearing their stories. Always down for witty banter and love to learn from others. Endlessly curious about almost everything but particularly culture, science, health, mindfulness / spirituality, launching a startup, economics, psychology, and nature.

I’m COVID-vaccinated.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To connect with interesting people and learn from them, as well as share a bit about what I’ve learned on my journey.

Interests

• dancing
• salsa dancing
• bachata
• beer
• running
• powerlifting
• hiking
• sailing
• basketball
• jiu jitsu
• entrepreneurship
• nature
• craft beer
• mma
• salsa
• finance
• startups
• brazilian jiu jitsu
• ufc
• dancing salsa
• bachata dancing
• venture capital

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
The Surrender Experiment, The Untethered Soul, Life Untethered, The Science of Trust, Good to Great, Outliers, Think and Grow Rich, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, How to Win Friends and Influence People, The E-Myth, Zero to One, Principles, Permission to Screw Up, 12 Rules for Life,

Biographies: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Phil Knight, Howard Schultz, Sam Walton.

Movies:
Not too big on movies, but a fan of most of the Marvel superhero movies.

Music:
Salsa/Bachata (Marc Anthony, Prince Royce, Romeo Santos and classic salsa hits)
Ed Sheeran
The Weeknd
Daft Punk
Pharrell
Bad Bunny
Jack Johnson
The Chainsmokers
The Killers
90s / early 2000s hip-hop

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Deadlifted 3x my bodyweight

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach salsa and bachata dancing, powerlifting, Brazilian jiu jitsu, speaking Spanish, creating a pitch deck / delivering an effective pitch, strategies for raising capital, and networking.

I’d love to learn more about Seattle’s history and a lot of the companies that have been started there; how to cook more things (easy & healthy recipes); how to speak portuguese; stories of any successful companies (old or new); and any differences among other cultures.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I’d love to be a resource for anyone looking to launch a startup and raise capital. I can also be a resource for anyone looking to launch their own VC firm or land a job in the tech world. Lastly, I’m happy to open up my network in FL’s tech / venture ecosystem if it would be of value.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, Netherlands

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States