The Unstoppable Fusion of Entrepreneurship and Endurance
By Bob Gulla
April 2023
If resilience is a defining characteristic of many entrepreneurs — and who would doubt that it is? — then Brian York was quite literally born with it. The Cubbo Founder and CEO was abandoned at birth, left on the streets of his native Bogota, Colombia, then adopted by an American couple when he was just two months old. A rough start, for sure. But for Brian, it proved to be the first of many obstacles he’s deftly managed to surmount.
“The number-one characteristic you need to fight back against negativity is resilience.”
“Most of what you’re confronted with as an entrepreneur — most of the energy — is negative,” he says. “So the number-one characteristic you need to fight back against that negativity is resilience.”
Brian has been overcoming obstacles and fighting the good fight his entire life. He started his first business at 14, which he flipped at 18. Since then, he’s kickstarted a handful of successful companies. With colleagues Josu Gurtubay and Ignasi Vegas, he co-founded Cubbo, a tech-driven fulfillment solution for e-commerce companies that processes, stores, packages and delivers products to consumers. “It’s one of the things I love about startups,” he says. “There’s a lot of stress, a lot of ups and downs. But no matter where things are, it’s a lot of fun because we thrive on stressful situations.”
In addition to thriving in the face of adversity, Brian and Josu also happen to be endurance athletes. “Ultramarathoners and ironman triathletes enjoy the battle,” says Brian. “We enjoy strategizing: How do we get to the finish line and still remain strong?”
“It’s hard to beat a person that never gives up.”
To emphasize the parallel, Josu posted a piece online likening endurance sports to managing startups. “In endurance sports, discipline and perseverance are essential. What makes the most difference is being able to overcome the days when we do not have the courage to execute the plan. It’s hard to beat a person that never gives up.”
Since completing its first order in April 2021, Cubbo has seen 60 percent growth quarter over quarter, and now boasts operations in Mexico and Brazil.
Cubbo has never given up and is now fabulously successful. Since completing its first order in April 2021, the company has seen 60 percent growth quarter over quarter, and now boasts operations in Mexico and Brazil. Cubbo also enables U.S. and European consumer brands to expand into Latin America. “It’s all been a dream come true,” says Brian. “I have been able to reunite with my birth family in Bogota, and at the same time provide opportunities to people wherever we can.”
The way Brian sees it, Cubbo is a win for everyone involved. It is revitalizing urban spaces throughout Latin America by transforming empty buildings into storage and fulfillment centers. And it’s bringing critical, well-paying jobs to areas that desperately need them. “That’s actually what success means to me,” he says. “It’s building a category-winning business, while at the same time providing a lot of jobs across multiple countries. What’s better than that?”