KE Founders’ Fiesta: From Apparel to Tech with James Coelho

Luvena Rangel (She/Her)Rangel (The Curvy Yogi)

Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE)’s monthly Founders’ Fiesta took an enriching plunge into the entrepreneurial journey with the insightful tete-a-tete with James Coelho (GoBridge at iPlanet) on Saturday, July 13th. The enthusiasm of KE members to show up in the early morning hours with prompt timekeeping is an indication of the value placed in such personal engagements of listening and learning to peer stories.

Since many members had interacted with James extensively over time, his career story was welcomed with rapt attention.Many members were pleasantly surprised to learn that James had studied Biotechnology with keen interest and that it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time that jettisoned his career in an unbelievable way. It was intriguing to learn that a chance advertisement that he had applied for as a sales executive for Madhura Coats had set him on the course of setting his career on a path that led him to big names like ITC, Indigo Planet & Wills and eventually, as a consultant with iPlanet at Apple. It made for a story worth telling and for everyone else, one worth soaking in with rapt attention.

As James shared his story of learning and skill development, he underscored his voracious appetite to learn and encouraged his listeners to adopt a learning mindset. With a keen awareness to learn from ‘Moments of Truth’, came the nudge to do great work, consistently, even in small tasks. The suggestion to network both online and offline, expressed the immense value that was available in collective knowledge across industries – for learning and collaborating alike. James’ snippets of his experience consulting for airlines, working on tenders and some jaw dropping numbers made for some well-placed gasps and inspired applause.

One of the most interesting talk points at this Founders Fiesta was the call to ‘Learn to say, ‘No!’ This one action point drew elicited quite a few questions to clarify; James’ response to every question was sensible and affirming – encouraging creative and solution-oriented thinking. Of course, the flip side was also knowing the right time to say, ‘Yes’ – and capitalize on the yes by delivering in equal measure!

While he cited luck in the case of his career choices, James was also very particular to highlight the importance of hard work in life. It was pleasantly surprising to get a peek into James’ youth as he reminisced about college days and dipping his toes into various areas – sports, college magazines, debates, etc. – accumulating diverse skill sets and competencies.

The Saturday morning was rich with learning from the depth of James’ experiences. Along with the inspiration that was a sure takeaway for most, there was also the ready opportunity for many of us to acknowledge our own steps over the years. While senior, more experienced business owners had an opportunity to look back on their own path and recognize similar ups and downs, fresher entrepreneurs had the moment to take heart and be motivated to persevere with the intention to create impact and aspire for success.

The monthly KE Founders’ Fiesta has proved to be a brilliant opportunity for members to really be inspired through member stories and journeys – both success and challenge alike. Many thanks to James Coelho and his family, for opening their doors to us and taking the time to share deeply and candidly in a spirit of fellowship. Stay tuned for our next Founders’ Fiesta