Cat George

A Global Immersion In Entrepreneurship.

This post is the debut of a series diving into the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Puerto Rico. Follow the journey via @kittengeorge on Twitter & Instagram.

I fell in love with startup communities. It was my destiny and it was written (shoutout to you, Slumdog Millionaire). I’ve been working alongside entrepreneurs over the last 3 years working at Unreasonable, moving onto my next chapter was inspired by one major thing — exploring new entrepreneurial communities, ecosystems, and hubs around the world. Working alongside game-changing entrepreneurs is something I love most — they are energy-giving creatives, self-starters, debunkers of the status quo, get shit done masters and innovative problem solvers. I’m an entrepreneur at heart with my vision for my company to help other entrepreneurs realize their full potential and put a positive dent on history.

I’m an entrepreneur at heart & my vision is to be integral for fellow entrepreneurs to realize their full potential and put a positive dent on history.

My goal has led me to create a new movement I’ve launched called Coalition X — this venture somewhat mirroring its amorphous name is something I’m building as I go and exists somewhere at the nexus of freelancing, fellowships, communities, global travel, ecosystems, entrepreneurs, Peace Corps, and employment. The pioneering premise is to work in 5 new entrepreneurial ecosystems (from accelerators to coworking spaces to startups to local communities) on 5 continents over the next 5 years. That’s my bucket list before I’m 30 goals. I want to share my experience along the way with the public and see if I can inspire others to take a break from their 9-to-5 grind, boring business as usual and refresh their perspective by taking the path less taken for a globe-trotting work adventure. I believe experiencing novelty, empathy, and anything out of your comfort zone is the best education you can ever get. The best way to evolve as a human, professionally and personally. And the best way to reinvigorate your life and wake up from the things you are taking for granted, settling for, or blind to being energy-zapping parts of your routine. I’m hoping I’m not alone in wanting to find the win-win-win of a scenario in life in which my work-community-passions-people-eagerness to travel all fuse together to form one convergence of optimal livelihood.

I believe experiencing novelty, empathy & anything out of your comfort zone is the best education you can ever get & the best way to evolve as a human, professionally and personally.

So often I find my peers believe work is a necessary evil that isn’t supposed to bring them joy. I’m over this notion and am off to debunk it. So often I have found the only opportunities to explore the world are strings attached with high costs to merely a volunteer, study abroad, or vacation. So often I’ve discovered how stagnant I can become when I fail to reach outside my comfort zone for novel opportunities, experiences, people, and inspirations. So often I’ve found that the most poignant and transformational experiences have come from traveling.

[tweetthis]Be too complex to be categorized.[/tweetthis] 

So I’m fusing these things together — debunking some status quos of work, employment, travel, experience, and entrepreneurship. I’m trailblazing a new path that diverges from 99.99% of career trajectories and I’m hoping I’m leading the way for a next generation to follow. A next generation defined by globalization, in need of engaged workforce of employees, in celebration of professionals who are too complex to be categorized, too versatile to be siloed, too interested to be shut down and too eager to be stopped. Those hell-bent on seizing this one wild and precious life, make the world better and have a damn good time while doing it. The forces of nature. The pirate wildcards. The game-changers, innovators, explorers, changemakers, and creatives. If this you, join the revolution. You’ve found your home.

Coalition X is for those who are too complex to be categorized.

My first stop of this globe-trotting experiment is the bridge between Northern America and Latin America: Puerto Rico. The fusion of a country with the infrastructure, stability, and resources of the United States with the culture, vibrancy, and color of Latin America make Puerto Rico a unique destination off the beaten path. It’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is on the rise as the government is investing in this space to fuel economic growth after a devastating economic crisis. As a Fellow and Freelancer part of Parallel 18 accelerator — a government-backed 5-month accelerator and co-working space for entrepreneurs that are on a high-growth trajectory and committed to having an impact on Puerto Rico.

My first stop of this globetrotting experiment is the bridge between Northern America and Latin America: Puerto Rico.

This series has a mission to unlock learnings from the ground here in Puerto Rico, at Parallel 18, and on my journey launching the Coalition X movement, freelancing, fellowship, traveling, and diving into things that interest me. Behind-the-scenes of my journey following the things that fire me up and fuel my soul. In this series, you’ll encounter deep dives into startup companies, explorations of the entrepreneurial landscape, an excavation of Puerto Rico’s ecosystem, personal learnings and insights, unlocked mentor genius, and other random infusions along the way.

Join me. Let’s do this.