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Developing Sustainable Health Care Systems for Those in Need to Bring Lasting Change in the World 

By Erik Mason, Founder & Principal, RYSE Marketing & Communications

What would be the top 3 or 5 words the patients / families visiting the PACH clinic would use to describe Paul?

First, I think Paul is probably one of the humblest people I've ever met, and people will definitely describe him as much. There is no sense of arrogance or pride or anything like that with Paul or with our work. He sincerely cares about others and doesn't really care about getting credit for what he does. He just wants to help people and people sense his humbleness and his openness.  

Another really great adjective for Paul would be his openness. He always has a willingness to learn and see things from a different angle which is just remarkable.  

Of course, his generosity as well. He is so generous and gives to everybody and I think it's not only about money, it's giving himself and his time. I know that we have had, over the last decade, many children who have traveled to the United States in order to receive care at Shriners Hospitals for complex issues like burns and orthopedics. Paul has taken the time out of his day to spend with them and go visit them in Boston and be there and giving of that time and that generosity of himself is amazing. 

But also of course we also have to acknowledge Paul’s entrepreneurial spirit. He recognizes all of the skills and ability that our staff in Ecuador has and helps equip them with what they need to treat patients and sustain. Our doctors and nurses know what to do, they just need the tools to do it.  Our staff are so extremely thankful because he is giving them career paths with the ability to continue the work as professionals and humanitarians locally. 

Another example of this is that we are starting a scholarship program this year, making sure aspiring nurses from the communities that we work with are able to attend nursing school.  The scholarship participants must speak the local language to ensure indigenous community members can receive medical care in their native tongue. The benefit of this program is twofold;  participants can lift their family out of poverty by gaining a profession and our hospital will have more local nurses who speak Quichua. There are so many examples of Paul entrepreneurial, innovation and creativity to sort of help push our work to impact as many people as possible. 

What lessons do you hope others gain from your observations or experiences?

 In working with PACH and Paul, we are always learning. I can share some fantastic stories of how our work not only impacts our patients, but impacts people traveling from the United States as well. 

I remember a student trip where one student from the United States had wandered off and I went looking for her. I finally found her sitting behind one of the community buildings.  I asked her “what's wrong, are you okay?” and I'm thinking did she get stung by a bee, does she had food poisoning, or is she hurt.  She looked up at me and she said, ‘I just realized what I want to do with the rest of my life,’  

It was so touching that the experience volunteering with PACH impacted her so deeply.  All of those things are small seeds that Paul leaves planted in others.  Even though he might not be on these trips directly, his presence is always there because this is something that he's created.  Through his work he  inspires the next generation to be philanthropic, to step out of their comfort zone, and to serve others. 

I can also remember a day where we were working with a local tour guide and translator who was quite upset. He had said that he didn't realize that this type of poverty existed in his own country because he was from one of the bigger cities. He takes tourists to great places, not necessarily the  type of trips that we do, working with some of the most isolated and abandoned communities.  He was forever changed by this experience, and to this day still collaborates with us as much as he can.  

That's really the goal, it's not just helping the patients and empowering the local doctors, it's forming the next generation of philanthropists whether that's in Ecuador or in the United States.   

By exposing volunteers to our work, we are forming the next generation of leaders in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector and giving people a different perspective. Even if folks leave Ecuador with just one small little bit of information about other cultures, or just seeing something from a different perspective, or being more appreciative or more willing to share their gifts and show compassion, it creates change. Those are some of the principles that our organization was created on, and things that they're learning from Paul and from the work that we do.  

It terms of what we want the people that we serve to learn from interactions with us, simply put, it is hope. Hope and that's such a powerful thing. There are some communities that we work in that are primarily elderly people because the younger generations might leave to find better work whether it's immigrating to United States, or a bigger city in Ecuador. These communities are desolate. They really don't have much and not just in the sense of even material things, but not much in the sense of family and community. 

By just being there and sharing a smile, letting them know where you can find us, or committing to following up and helping them get the medical care they need we are leaving them with hope, comfort and friendship.  

No action is too small. Every action is impactful and that's something that my mother has always taught me. I was a waitress for many years during high school and college. My mother would tell me that even though I was serving burgers I have the power to change someone’s day with a smile or a friendly gesture. Everything we do no matter how small or large matters.  I think that of that a lot while working in Ecuador. Every action and the way you treat each person matters. All that we do counts towards making the world a slightly better place.  

Developing Sustainable Health Care Systems for Those in Need to Bring Lasting Change in the World 

By Erik Mason, Founder & Principal, RYSE Marketing & Communications

How did you come to meet Paul Martel, and how did he show himself to be different / unique than others you’ve collaborated with? 

I've always been passionate about Ecuador and after I studied abroad in 2004 or so I continue to connect with people there. I always enjoyed visiting Ecuador and I wanted to do something different to stay connected to the country.  I was looking online and I found a job that was posted for Partners for Andean Community Health at the time. I applied and that same afternoon Paul and I connected.  

I was immediately impressed with Paul. He is just a different type of person. He is so humble, so willing to learn, and so open. Over the years I have seen Paul do these huge tasks in terms of setting up sustainable organizations in a foreign country, learning another language as an adult and making a tangible sustained impact. But on the flip side he also does small things like sitting and reading with the child and holding someone's hands before they go into surgery. He is involved in the full spectrum of sustainability and care for others. It's quite remarkable because there are some people that are good at macro things, but it's rare to find somebody who can see things on the macro and micro level.

What’s really different about what Paul has set up is that we're not just doing medical missions in Ecuador, piloting in and piloting out. We're creating a sustainable health care system in the communities that we work. For example, if somebody has high blood pressure and was identified in a caravan they're going to get referred back to the hospital and get that medication and that care that they need and continued follow up with the doctor. Another example is surgery program. It's not just identifying someone that needs surgery or performing the surgery, it's also following up to make sure that they're okay they didn't have any complications. So, it's really about making the sustainable impact. Our work focuses on high impact, low cost interventions such as glasses, cervical cancer screening and cataract surgery. Our continuum of care is effective and it really works and changes people's lives.  

Working with Paul he's able to see that and he's able to identify that these interventions are meaningful and not only to the patients we serve, but also to the doctors and nurses. He takes the time to make sure the doctors and nurses have continued training. When we do have American groups come down, our staff might be receiving some training, or learning new techniques but likewise it's always interesting because the local doctors have something to teach those who are coming from the United States as well. 

It's that exchange of experience and that openness to collaborate and learn and see things from a different perspective that makes Paul special. He always makes sure that what we do is sustainable and appropriate for the people that we're working with and not proposing solutions that they can't carry out, or that doesn't work for their belief system. It's really nice to incorporate the whole community and the whole person in our work.  

I've heard from many people - and I don't think that's too far off - that Paul is quite magical in so many ways just always coming up a solution and showing up and really being present. I think because he focuses on each individual, whether it's one of our doctors, or a patient or somebody he just met he gives them the feeling of being valued and I think is just so special and why he’s so successful. It's not just bringing money or finding a solution that might work for the United States though not elsewhere, but showing up and being present, learning and listening.

Tell me your most memorable or two most memorable or fondest stories about working with Paul? 

They're so many fun stories and I don't think I'm going to be able to keep it to just one but I’ll share some of the most memorable that really shows his caliber of person and how much he respects the people in the community, and has deep connections with them. When I start first started working with PACH I remember traveling to Ecuador with Paul and all these kids were just showing up at our Hospital just giving him hugs and parents were coming with treats for him too. It showed how much he was a part of the community there and that people really connected with him and valued his presence.  

In terms of other examples about the micro level of things that he does, there’s been many times where we were on a surgical mission and a piece of equipment wasn't working and Paul really showed his  innovation. He would figure it out like MacGyver and suddenly we have paper clips and different conduits, different pieces to make the equipment work for these kids. He always figures it out. He always figures out what we need to make things work. I'm constantly surprised about the technical skills and mechanical skills that he has, whether it's looking for a part in the United States and bringing it down to Ecuador and helping the technician.  He's really in there trying all sorts of various ways to make it work. It just amazes me because you wouldn't think a guy like Paul had that type of skill set, but he certainly does due to his tenacity to get things done. 

I can share one of the most inspirational memories on a personal level as well. There was a story involving a group that was doing a medical mission in Ecuador specific to dentistry. Paul was in the community with this group and they found a young girl who had trouble walking. She was hit by a taxi years ago and she was never treated for her broken bones. Over the years, the bones of her foot fused incorrectly, and some parts were still broken.  She was having a very hard time walking and a challenging life. The lack of surgical care in the community left her parents with no options.  

At the end of the day these parents want exactly the same for their kids that we want for our children and Paul recognized that. Immediately he started thinking “how can we help this girl.” He took up donations for surgical supplies and within that week she got her surgery at our hospital and she fixed her leg. I never met this girl before, but when I went to Ecuador in March we happen to visit her school to do vision screening and she knew who I was, but she never met me and she knew I was connected to Paul. 

She came over and gave me a big hug and asked if I could take a picture of her and send it to Paul right away so he knew that she was okay. It’s that type of action that he takes. It's not just building this beautiful hospital with all this great equipment and staff. It's that one-to-one relationship with the child and making it work and then making sure follow up happens. 

There are also many stories of working with him on vision health trips where we do cataract surgeries, and you see a child or an adult who hasn't seen in a long time and having cataracts removed and be able to see again. Just the logistics that go into that prior to that moment where sight is regained, and someone can see again is a huge undertaking. Behind all of that and there are so many details that he has taught me and how to manage these trips and how to make sure that that our work is effective. In the end all of this is because of what Paul started.  

It’s the many moments like that and it's just phenomenal and our name Partners for Andean Community Health we are really a partnership and we find people everywhere whether it's their own doctors, whether it's somebody we meet and travel and it's a partnership and there's so many people that are involved in our work. From that there are so many stories of Paul meeting someone and then getting them involved and whether it's making a donation or donating a piece of equipment or somebody traveling with us it's just all those the small things that make our work so impactful and falls behind all of it. 

Developing Sustainable Health Care Systems for Those in Need to Bring Lasting Change in the World 

By Erik Mason, Founder & Principal, RYSE Marketing & Communications

Why has philanthropy been such an inherent part of your professional life? 

I truly believe that to whom much is given much is expected. Having been born and raised in the United States with access to education and other resource I believe it's our duty to give back as we can.  

Through giving, we are also receiving. Understanding and experiencing different cultures, being part of a larger community, and making deep connections with others is a joy.   

Why did you choose to focus your humanitarian work in Ecuador? 

I first traveled to Ecuador as a student in a study abroad program many years ago. To be honest I just spun the globe and dropped a finger and off I went to Ecuador. It is such an amazing country with wonderful people, although there are incredible social and economic disparities.  

I was always drawn to the indigenous communities and learning about the natural world and a different way of living. These sometimes-isolated communities have many needs, but so much to give in terms of their ancestral knowledge and unique culture.  

In this candid conversion, learn about the lessons and experiences Paul has gained that help enrich his life far beyond balance sheets and boardrooms.

By Erik Mason, Founder & Principal, RYSE Marketing & Communications

Intro: I'm here today speaking with YHB Investment Advisors’ Founder and President, Mr. Paul Martel, where we’ll be discussing his efforts working with the Ecuadorian community and his philanthropic efforts to help support local communities. Paul pleasure to be with you today.

Are there any investment or tax advantages people should be mindful of when estate planning, or for money management with regards to philanthropic involvement?

 The answer is, yes, there are important considerations. Charitable giving is very important to our clients and to our firm. We started our charitable endowment years ago to support the strong charitable interests of our clients. We are a wealthy people here in the US and charity is a big part of our identity and culture. The question then becomes how to turn that charitable spirit into reality.

There are two ways to do that: You can form a family foundation, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. But that's very complicated, expensive and for most people it's a solution that is unnecessary. For most people, by far the best solution is what's called a Donor Advised Fund. We formed our own charitable entity years ago to offer Donor Advised Funds to our clients and our many funds now total about $25 million. DAF’s allow people to form an enduring charitable fund that will perpetuate their values and interests; a family legacy that will support their charitable interests and grow for the long-term. 

For example, one of our first DAF clients inherited money from his mother. He was wealthy in his own right and didn't need his mother’s funds. Instead, he established a fund in his mother’s name and memory, donated the inherited funds to the fund, and generated a significant tax deduction. That was 10 years ago. Every year since, the family has made donations to charities that meant a lot to his mother here in Connecticut. This has given the family a great sense of satisfaction and perpetuates her memory in a very meaningful way. Lastly, because it is well invested, the principal grows each year increasing the amount available for the gifts.

This is just one example of how a Donor Advised Fund can be used in estate planning. I have another client that puts money into their family’s Donor Advised Fund every year. At the end of the year, they have a family meeting and each of their children gets to decide what charity they want to support. It's very meaningful and educational for that family. I have a number of elderly clients who are not able to participate in activities as they used to. But through their DAF’s, they can remain connected to their communities. They might read that an old friend and fire department member has passed away. They can call me on the phone and say, “Paul I want to make a gift from my charitable fund to the fire department in memory of my old friend.” They enjoy this a great deal. It keeps them connected and involved in a meaningful way. So charitable giving is a very meaningful way to put personal and family values into action and generate estate planning and tax benefits at the same time.

A long time ago, the United States government and some very smart people designed our tax law to encourage charitable giving and it's good for people to take advantage of these incentives. Because of these incentives, our values and institutions endure. We have beautiful libraries and hospitals that are well equipped, services to support the elderly and disadvantaged and outstanding institutions of learning. This tradition of charitable giving does not exist in places like Ecuador. The idea is not in their cultural and historical experience. A charitable spirit is a large and important part of the American experience and why we make it part of our planning here at YHB Investment Advisors.

Can you talk a little bit about the YHB Charitable Endowment?

The YHB Charitable Endowment, which offers Donor Advised Funds is something available to our wealthy clients. The funds are easy to set up and simple to administrate. For example, if you sold a business, or received an inheritance, or you had a particularly important charitable spirit, you could start your own DAF.  You would give it a name, say, the XYZ Family Fund. You deposit money into your fund which is a charitable gift using YHB’s 501C3 and your own Fund. Because you now have your own charity, you take deductions for any monies that you contribute to it. We handle all administration and grants made from your fund and there are no regulations as to required grants each year. Grants can be made to any 501C3 including foreign charities where their existence can be verified. Your fund is economical and your contributions generate the same charitable deductions as any gift to charity.

A $100,000 donation to your fund generates a $100,000 tax deduction, which saves you approximately $30,000 or $40,000 in taxes. As the donor, you retain the authority to give grants from your fund to the charities you wish to support. We act as your back-office so you simply send us an email, or call us to make a grant. Obviously, grants from your fund are not tax deductible because you already received a deduction when you made contributions to your DAF. Our firm manages the funds so that they're well invested and continue to grow for the future. It's all very efficient and low cost and a great solution for many people.

One of the aspects of Donor Advised Funds that I like is that our clients enjoy the pleasure of supporting charities they care about while they are living.  A lot of people wait until they’ve passed away to make their charitable gifts. They put organizations in their wills, or designate charities in their trusts for when they pass away. If they have sufficient resources, I encourage my clients to make their gifts while they are living. Why not enjoy and actively participate in your giving while you are living? For example, wouldn’t it be more rewarding to physically hand a scholarship grant to a young student?  This is one of the benefits of a DAF; to enjoy making your gifts while you are living. I also like that a DAF can endure beyond one’s lifetime in a permanent way. Your charitable legacy survives you, perpetuates your values and creates a lasting legacy. You simply name a Successor Donor and your Fund endures beyond you perpetuating the charities and institutions you care about.

What a powerful way to reimagine the goodness and compassion we are all capable of and to honor your family’s values for improved human experience. There couldn’t be a better way to reimagine how to bestow a lasting legacy. Thank you for all your time, efforts and insights, Paul. It is very greatly appreciated and humbling to observe.

In this candid conversion, learn about the lessons and experiences Paul has gained that help enrich his life far beyond balance sheets and boardrooms.

By Erik Mason, Founder & Principal, RYSE Marketing & Communications

Intro: I'm here today speaking with YHB Investment Advisors’ Founder and President, Mr. Paul Martel, where we’ll be discussing his efforts working with the Ecuadorian community and his philanthropic efforts to help support local communities. Paul pleasure to be with you today.

How did you come to select the regions or organizations you work with for your philanthropic efforts and the creation of Partners for Andean Community Health (PACH)?

The answer to that is in some ways I chose them and, in some ways, they chose me. Previous to my time in Ecuador, I organized many humanitarian trips to Paraguay, Colombia and Guatemala. Then, back in 2000, I had a urologist friend and client who wanted to travel with me.  He said, “Paul I've heard about what you're doing I want to do one of those trips.” At that time, I didn't know a community that needed a urologist.  You can't just make that decision lightly and announce to a country that you are coming. You have to have a hospital in which to work and meet all the requirements to practice medicine there. Most importantly you have to make connections with patients who need the care.  The biggest failure in this type of work is bringing a team to a foreign country, with all the complexity that involves, and finding out that you have no patients. At that time, I was involved with an organization called Healing the Children. I contacted them and asked if they knew a community that needed a urologist and they said, “You need to talk to Zorayda Figueroa in Guayaquil, Ecuador.” This began a long relationship with a person who became an important force in my life.  We worked together in Guayaquil and the Galapagos and I learned a great deal from her. A few years later, that same urologist surgeon said to me, ‘Hey Paul, I'm getting tired of working in the city. I'd like to see some other parts of Ecuador and bring some care to more remote communities.’

I thought about that and, by chance, three weeks later was sitting in the Ecuadorian consulate office in New Jersey and the Consul asked me, “How come you guys never come up into the Andes?” “I don't know,” I said. “Where would you like me to go?” She said, “I want you to come to Riobamba.”  And so, I did. The next time I was down in Guayaquil, I asked my dear friends, Olga and Arturo to take me there. We got in the car and drove up into the Andes. I had the worst headache I'd ever had but a new chapter in my life had opened in a big way.

I know this is a very long answer to your question, but now I can end with the reason I put down roots there.  After many months of planning, when our surgical team worked there for the first time, a four year-old child was presented to us who had been run over by a car on Christmas Eve. She had not received care for 3 months, had massive infection and deformity in one leg and the local plan was to amputate that leg. Well, we saved her leg and, over a period of several years, eventually repaired it. It’s a miraculous story that involves the Shriners Hospitals and a host of remarkable people. That story continues to this day.

Through my experience with this child, I met a lot of people in Riobamba and the more people I met the more I realized what an interesting place it was. In 2006, when the idea of having my own clinic started to percolate in my head, I knew it had to be there.

Riobamba is in the very center of Ecuador and very high up in the Andes at around 10,000 feet.  The population of that province is 70% indigenous (Puruha) with extreme poverty. Not surprisingly, this is where most of your Ecuadorian emigration is coming from. Twenty five percent of Ecuador’s population, almost 5 million people, has fled the country and most of them come from this area. You have a dramatic mix of cultural and religious influences and a history of racism. At the same time, you have the emergence of the indigenous people in Ecuador beginning to demand their rights; beginning to say they’re tired of the mistreatment they’ve endured for hundreds of years. 

My foundation has been at the heart of this for nearly 17 years and our hospital has always been a place where the Puruha know they will be treated with respect and receive quality health care. They will not be ignored and left to die as so many have before them. This reality is not something I ever expected or had in my mind when I started my clinic and foundation, but, nevertheless, is a very important factor in our lives there.  Needless to say, there is a lot happening in Riobamba and I'm grateful to be a part of that community.

What lessons do you hope others gain from your observations while engaging in your philanthropic endeavors?

There are a few. The first point is directed to young people who might look at this and think this is something they would like to do in their lives. How they can participate in this kind of work is a tough question to answer. It is a unique field that normally requires a medical background. But I am not a doctor and I have no formal medical training.  I am living proof that the desire to relieve suffering is a great gift that anyone can offer. If you think that humanitarian work resonates with you; if helping others makes you happy and fulfilled, you have to start somewhere. Take that first step and the future will unfold from there. You have to step outside your comfort zone. You don't have to have a vision of forming your own hospital. I didn’t when I started. That will come in time. Connect yourself in some fashion to a humanitarian organization. Take someone by the hand who needs help. It will all follow from there. Compassion is not theoretical. It is an action. It is something to do. 

You have to determine what gifts you have to give and start giving those gifts. Perhaps it's just assisting a medical team in some way, or perhaps you have a gift as a translator. If you think you really have a calling in medicine, go to medical school and become an anesthesiologist or a pediatrician. Then go to Africa or South America or any of the many places where people are suffering.

I think it's hard for people because they see the complexity of these things and think it’s something they can’t do. When I first started, I couldn't do anything. I was a complete neophyte and embarrassed myself several times in the process. But that's what it takes to get out there in traffic. Once you take that first step, the next steps will unfold. Before you know it, a great chapter has opened in your life.

I said something earlier, which is that you cannot help others unless you have something to give. This is particularly true in running a hospital. More than altruism alone is required to keep the doors open. Operating rooms are expensive to equip and maintain. We require a great deal of expensive diagnostic equipment and we have staff to pay at many levels.  We constantly face all kinds of compliance regulations, inspections and the like. These things are not inexpensive and the resources do not magically appear. We all need to be reminded that we are blessed to live in a country of great prosperity; that prosperity is not an accident and is a profoundly powerful gift. We are a prosperous people and the benefits of that prosperity are all around us.  Sharing that prosperity with others less fortunate is our highest and best use as Americans and as human beings.

We are fortunate to live with the freedom to dream and to prosper.  But remember that you cannot share prosperity that you have never created. My challenge to you is to use your freedom, dreams and talent to create something. I am simply one example of what you can do when you have something to share. It doesn't have to be medical work. There are many ways to help others who suffer. I hope that one of the lessons that people will take from this is that the marriage between prosperity, freedom and the charitable spirit is a strong one.  I'm just one example of that among scores of others out in the world.

In my travels, I’ve learned many lessons about stereotypes, assumptions and misconceptions about foreigners and I've learned a lot about racism. I’ve learned awful truths about poverty, lawlessness, depraved violence, hopelessness and suffering. At the same time, I’ve learned that being poor does not mean that you're not talented or capable or that you love less than others. It doesn’t mean that you don't have something of value or worth. But poverty most often means you don’t have a chance.

In this candid conversion, learn about the lessons and experiences Paul has gained that help enrich his life far beyond balance sheets and boardrooms.

By Erik Mason, Founder & Principal, RYSE Marketing & Communications

Intro: I'm here today speaking with YHB Investment Advisors’ Founder and President, Mr. Paul Martel, where we’ll be discussing his efforts working with the Ecuadorian community and his philanthropic efforts to help support local communities. Paul pleasure to be with you today.

My first main question is why global or international philanthropy has been such an integral part of your professional life?

You're right. Humanitarian work has been a big part of my professional life and it intersects with my professional life in many important ways. I often characterize my work in the context of an accounting practice called “Highest and Best Use.” When accounting for the value of an asset on a balance sheet, it's always assumed that the asset is used at its “highest and best use.” I often think about that same concept in terms of the human experience.

For me at least, I discovered early on that easing the suffering of others was my personal highest and best use. My very first surgical trip was emotionally jarring and impacted me significantly. Helping people who were truly suffering brought me a tremendous of sense of purpose, satisfaction and joy. And I decided to do more.

I kept embedding myself more and more in the planning and activities that go into bringing medical care to a foreign country. It is a very unique skill set that involves culture, language, medical knowledge and involves important protocols and connections. You can't just waltz into a country and say, “Can I please use one of your hospitals for a week?” It involves relationships with key people in the foreign countries; people who know the hospital directors, the medical needs in the region, how to reach the communities and what the hospital’s resources are. This includes knowing precisely the equipment in the hospital, what works and what doesn’t.

This all speaks to what I like to do as a person. I like to organize new ventures and I've started a few in my life. So, these things hit the right chord with me. Additionally, as an advisor I work with a number of physicians and practices as clients of YHB Investment Advisors. Not surprisingly, many of these physicians were also philanthropically inclined and they would tell others about the humanitarian work we did together and the next thing you know, that person was coming to Ecuador with me. In this way, an incredible network of connections developed and those connections have benefited me and my organizations in ways that I never would have imagined.

For example, I received a call just a few weeks ago from a local eye surgery practice that I've worked with for over 20 years and they donated three very sophisticated diagnostic systems to our hospital. I could give you a hundred examples of that. There's this incredible synergy between the relationships here at my investment management company, and the relationships I have with surgeons and physician teams that travel with my foundation.

The other important part of the synergy between my professional and humanitarian life is the simple fact that the success of my company makes my charitable work possible. My success as a business owner, as a capitalist, is the very reason why I can do these things that are so incredibly meaningful, impactful and fulfilling. It is the marriage of economic success, prosperity and the spirit of compassion that is so powerful.

In our roles as business owners, using the profit we generate to help others brings tremendous meaning and purpose to ourselves, our companies and our employees. It has always seemed to me that the more I give, the more good that I try to do in these foreign countries, the more I receive in return in terms of my own economic success. I am very conscious of the relationship between prosperity and charity because it is a fact that without prosperity there is no charity. 

Economic life in Central and South America, or better, the lack of it, has always fascinated me. I've written a book about capitalism and socialism because I’ve bounced back and forth between these two paradigms and learned that they are very distinct and opposite worlds. For years I have struggled to understand why some countries fail miserably and others don't. Without belaboring those disparities I'm very grateful for the freedoms and success that I've had as a business owner and the possibilities they present me to help others.