Profile: Edwin Sosa, Embark Safety
Setting goals and meeting them
The future was good for Edwin. Embark Safety’s motor vehicle records monitoring technology was well positioned for where the industry was going. With ideal timing, an emphasis on hiring the right people, and of course, a lot of hard work, they were able to ride the wave and do extremely well.
It was a win for Edwin, but more rewarding was seeing his team celebrate. A meaningful win for him? Making the Gator 100, a list of the fastest growing companies led by University of Florida alumni, seven times.
Edwin came to UF as an international student who didn’t speak English. The transition was difficult, but he overcame it. Now, coming back to campus as the leader of one of the most honored companies is a huge personal win for him.
How did Edwin climb the mountain? With plenty of support, something he recommends for all entrepreneurs.
Embark Safety was part of an incubator for startups at UCF. As his company grew, Edwin joined a CEO Nexus roundtable group, which helped him deal with the fact that being a leader can at times be surprisingly lonely.
After each roundtable, Edwin would think about the takeaway. The value, he said, was in learning from other CEOs about the mistakes they made. All CEOs make mistakes, but it’s about thinking about what mistakes you can afford to make and minimizing the rest.
“It’s kind of like the space where you can have these conversations that you couldn’t have with anybody else,” he said. “So to me, it was really helpful, because it’s a place where you can vent and complain, and then everybody’s going to be nodding because everybody understands what you’re going through.”
Just like with his accolades, the destination isn’t the reward for Edwin. It’s the journey. He applies that same mindset to the future of Embark Safety.
A privately held company is rare in his space, and he’s had several private equity offers. For Edwin, money’s not everything. His rewards come in the form of seeing his 6-year-old twin boys in their Gator attire at the Gator 100 celebration, knowing all he overcame to be there.
That’s why for Embark Safety’s next step, it has to be the right move.
“I think the hesitation of selling a company has always been a company becomes part of your identity. It becomes part of what you do,” he said. “To me, I use the company as a creative outlet. I use it to express my creativity on creating solutions and building new things that are going to solve problems.”
So what does the future hold? Continued work. Hopefully continued growth. And most likely some more trips to UF’s campus.
About CEO Nexus
CEO Nexus is committed to serving business owners and executive teams leading growth-oriented, second-stage businesses. Our facilitated peer roundtable program utilizes the CEO Nexus Content Model, which focuses on leadership, sales, operations, and finance. The program is structured to enhance Your Ownership Journey™.
Every business owner has their own personal journey with their business. CEO Nexus’ mission is to meet business owners and executive teams where they’re at on their journey and provide the resources and context needed to help them accomplish their goals.