>>> STARTING A BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND CAPITAL THIS INITIATIVE FROM GOOGLE IS HELPING LATINO ENTREPRENEURS.

FIVE CHICAGOANS WERE AWARDED $550,000 FOR THEIR STARTUPS.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESSES AND WHAT THEY WOULD DO WITH CASH ARE THREE OF THE RECIPIENTS.

RUBEN GARCIA, COFOUNDER OF AN ONLINE EXAM DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM.

CEO AND FOUNDER OF A SPEECH COACH POWERED BY AI TECHNOLOGY.

AND JOHN DILLON, CEO AND FOUNDER OF A VIRTUAL DATABASE THAT ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO ASK HEALTH RELATED QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PETS TO VETERINARY PROFESSIONALS.

CONGRATULATIONS.

I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

TELL ME ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO WIN THE GOOGLE GRANT?

>> WE HAVE A SPEECH COACH, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OUR APP AND RECORD YOUR VOICE AND GET FEEDBACK ON YOUR WORDS OR YOUR PAUSING PATTERS, OR THE TONE YOU ARE USING WITH YOUR VOICE.

WINNING THIS GRANT FROM GOOGLE IS A GAME CHANGER BECAUSE GOOGLE IS AN EXPERT AT USING AI FOR GOOD.

>> JOHN, WHEN YOU GOT THE PHONE CALL YOU GOT THE GRANT, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

>> IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

WE FOUND OUT WE WON AT THE EVENT WITH THE MAYOR AND IT WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED AND ELATION.

>> YOUR COMPANY OPERATES IN 24 STATES WITH VETERINARY HOSPITALS .

WHAT HAS THE JOURNEY BEEN LIKE FOR YOU DEVELOPING IT?

>> A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS.

IT IS A ROLLER COASTER.

EXTREMELY REWARDING JOURNEY.

I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT.

>> Reporter: RUBEN, YOU WERE IN MEXICO WHEN YOU GOT THE PHONE CALL.

>> WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL.

WE DEVELOPED CERTIFICATION EXAMS FOR CLIENTS, MAJOR CORPORATIONS, ENTERPRISE ORGANIZATIONS, TO LAUNCH CERTIFICATION EXAMS WHICH ARE THE FUTURE.

A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS TAKE THEM SO THEY CAN LEARN AND SHOW THEY HAVE IMPROVED THEIR SKILLS.

WINNING THE GOOGLE GRANT WAS GAME CHANGING FOR US.

A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE WON LOTS OF AWARDS, BUT THOSE WERE NOT PACKED WITH CAPITAL.

IT WILL ACCELERATE OUR DEVELOPMENT AND HOW WE CAN HIGHER EMPLOYEES EARLIER THAN PLANNED.

>> Reporter: HOW DID THE IDEA COME ABOUT?

>> THE FIRST STARTUP WAS INNOVATED EXAMS, I GOT A PATENT FOR IT, WE SOLD THE COMPANY IN 2013 AND THE SUSSMAN INDUSTRY IS OUTDATED WITHOUT A LOT OF COMPETITION.

I WANTED TO CREATE COMPETITION ON THE EXAM SIDE.

I HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY CERTIFICATION EXAMS WHEN DEALING WITH THE UNIVERSITY.

I HAD A PASSION FOR CHANGING THE INDUSTRY.

>> LATINO BUSINESSES HAVE INCREASED OVER THE YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE SMALL BUSINESS AND NUTRITION, ONE IN FOUR NEW BUSINESSES IS HISPANIC OWNED, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC THE NUMBER OF VOTERS INCREASED BY 34%.

JOHN, WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE IN HAVING LATINO ENTREPRENEURS?

>> IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

THE AWARD FROM GOOGLE IS SOMETHING WE APPRECIATE.

>> WHAT WERE THE OBSTACLES YOU HAD TO OVERCOME?

YOUR SECOND COMPANY, I IMAGINE THERE WERE PLENTY.

>> HAVING A STARTUP IS A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS, LIKE YOU MENTIONED.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR LATINOS IS TO ACCESS CAPITAL.

I RAISED MONEY TO START THIS BUSINESS.

IT IS MY SECOND BUSINESS, EVEN THEN, IT IS CHALLENGING TO GET INVESTORS.

FOR A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY, WE HAVE TO BUILD A PRODUCT QUICKLY.

>> DID YOU ALSO SEE SOME VARIOUS ALONG THE WAY?

>> OVERCOMING ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS AN ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDWEST.

WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING TO GO ON OUR OWN, AND THAT MAKES US SO MUCH MORE VALUABLE.

IN ADDITION TO THE CASH, WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THE COLLABORATION WITH OTHER FOUNDERS, WITH EXPERTS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE.

THAT CAN ACCELERATE WHAT YOU ALREADY ARE DOING.

THAT IS ALMOST AS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT.

>> HAVE ANY OF YOU FELT LIKE YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE THAT?

>> IT IS AN INTERESTING JOURNEY BEING FROM HISPANIC HERITAGE AND LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AND EXCEPTING BOTH CULTURES AND CELEBRATING BOTH OF THEM.

IT IS A FUN AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE TO GO BACK AND SEE MY FAMILY.

I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING PROVIDED HERE.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT BRINGS US TOGETHER.

>> HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE OVERCOME IMPOSTER SYNDROME?

>> I GO THROUGH IT EVERY DAY.

I HAVE SIGNED THIS YEAR, MULTIBILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES, THE USE AS, A LOT OF THEM PUBLICLY TRADED.

I CANNOT STILL BELIEVE IT.

>> DOES THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?

>> MY JOURNEY IS WILD.

A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I WAS SO AFRAID OF PUBLIC SPEAKING, YOU CANNOT FIND ME AT A PODIUM.

NOW I AM RUNNING THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR AND POWERFUL SPEECH COACHING TOOL.

MY CONFESSION IS, I AM STILL SO NERVOUS PUBLIC SPEAKING.

OVERCOMING THAT IS AN EVERYDAY CHALLENGE.

PUTTING MYSELF OUT THERE.

WE ARE BUILT FOR REGULAR PEOPLE, LIKE MYSELF, TO HELP THEM OVERCOME THEIR FEAR AND BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE.

>> Reporter: IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

I WANT TO ASK, WITH ALL OF THE BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS YOU PUT IN, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE ELSE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT WANTS TO START A STARTUP?

>> I WOULD SAY TO JUST TO DO IT.

DO NOT FOCUS ON THE MEDIA, BUT JUST FOCUS ON TAKING CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS, PUTTING ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER, FOCUS ON DELIVERING VALUE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS AND GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN IF YOU ARE CONSISTENT ABOUT EXECUTION, AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS.

>> ONE WORD OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO SOMEONE?

>> GO FOR IT.

NEVER BEEN AN EASIER TIME TO START A STARTUP.

>> GO FOR IT AND BE READY TO MAKE MISTAKES.

THE THING ABOUT STARTUPS, THEY