Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 - (Page 17)

mining-town district of 700 Hill, and is later joined by her kids in Michigan, where upward mobility begins to burn away a dark past. With a budget of approximately $15 million, 700 Hill is expected to premiere as a major release at the end of 2008 or in 2009. The movie is being scripted by Nat Christian, who wrote, acted in and directed the recently completed indie feature Channels. It is “by no means meant an isolated project,” Mendez says. “I have been bombarded with opportunities to co-produce many projects.” He foresees being involved in two or three of them by early next year. “My mantra is not to limit myself to the ‘immigration’ story. There are so many aspects of being a Latino American that go beyond immigration and integration,” he says. “Mexican culture and the Mexican-American integration have been happening since the Americas were colonized.” Mendez’s own story seems like the stuff of Hollywood movies. He was spurred on by a father who believed education and hard work were the only ways to get ahead. “He grew up poor, with no guidance, and was able to break through, earn a degree, and work hard to guide his children to value education and business,” Mendez says. Failure was not an option.Young Dave and his siblings were never allowed to be “quitters” once they started a project. Dave Mendez left home to earn an engineering degree at Clemson University, then began working at DuPont, where he discovered an interest in marketing and sales. He jumped at the opportunity to attend the University of North Carolina’s MBA program on scholarship, intenred with Conoco in London, then took at job in sales management at General Electric. It wasn’t long before he felt it was time to run his own business. That was in1996, and in an increasingly digitized world, Mendez and a couple of professional buddies envisioned a future in software. The founded Supplybase, Inc. “People thought we were crazy,” he recalls. “What did we know about software?” He readily admits that they knew zip about software, but says they did know what they wanted their software applications to do HISPANIC ENTERPRISE * “AMERICA IS FINALLY REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF THE LATINO INFLUENCE, AND THAT IT’S NOT A ‘NEW’ PHENOMENON.” DOSSIER Name: David Mendez Position: Founder, CEO and producer Company: Monterrey Pictures Specialty: Feature ﬁlms Current production budget: $15 million Previous positions: Private Consultant, Corporate Development, New York Managing Director, Katalyst New York (venture-capital consultancy) Co-founder, CFO/COO, Supplybase, Inc. (software) Sales Management Executive, GE California Engineer, Dupont Biggest deal: Sale of co-owned company Supplybase, Inc. for $380 million Education: Engineering degree, Clemson University; MBA, University of North Carolina Family: Married, one child, another expected Quote: “Being a movie producer is the purest form of entrepreneurship, putting all the pieces of the puzzle together to create a ﬁlm. It’s an overwhelming task, as it is to build a new business.” and who their customers were. So by “working harder then I’ll ever work in my life,” Mendez and his partners raised venture capital ﬁnancing and eventually sold the business to i2 four years later for $380 million. Not bad for starters. In the fast-paced entrepreneurial world Mendez now qualiﬁed as an expert. He was recruited by the Katalyst consulting ﬁrm to run their New York ofﬁce and advise others on the ins and outs of venture capital. Then in 2004 he struck out on his own as a consultant to small companies in “corporate development,” which, according to Mendez, consists of “raising capital, marketing and advertising, ﬁnancial management, growth strategies and strategic planning.” So how did he end up in the star-struck, paparazzi-plagued world of the movies? “Believe it or not, the world of ﬁnance and the world of business are not too far from the world of moviemaking, particularly in the role of producer,” Mendez says. Besides, Mendez, an accomplished photographer, says he had harbored a secret passion for moviemaking for years. Mendez says he has a story to tell with 700 Hill. And given the heights of business success he has reached, it is all the more compelling to look back at a heart-wrenching past of poverty, immigration, down-anddirty manual labor, cruelty and rejection. It is the story not only of his family, but of the American family. Mendez has a tip for any Latino businessmen interested in going Hollywood: Now is the time. While large numbers of Hispanic creative people are an accepted part of the industry, Hispanic entrepreneurship in Hollywood is lagging, he says. Latino movies are likely to be well-received, especially considering Hispanics attend movies three to four times more than non-Hispanic audiences. Plus, he says, movies with a Latino slant are a hot commodity right now. “America is ﬁnally realizing the importance and value of the Latino inﬂuence, and is also beginning to understand that it’s not a ‘new’ phenomenon,” Mendez says. “The Latino inﬂuence has been here from the very beginning.” 17 October/November 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 Contents BIZBUZZ: Business Briefs Trendsetters BIZTECH: Personally Digital BizLife - Travel: The Mobile Meeting Motoring: Is What You Drive, Who You Are? Q&A - Fact Tank for the Hispanic Population Hispanic Commerce Cover Story: Tiles with Style Success & Motivation: Grammy Whammy Finance: Talking Code Event: Masterminds NCLR Report - Improving your Triple Bottom Line Politics & Government: Keep on Truckin' Managing: Avoiding an Identity Crisis Franchising: Beyond the Brand Finance & Investing - Talking Money Movers & Shakers Regional Report - Louisiana, Louisiana Chamber Focus - On the Island of Enchantment

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

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