By John Boccacino ’03
Roberto Melo ’94 considers himself a serial entrepreneur, someone who is always looking for ways to help small and midsize businesses grow and achieve their goals. Melo’s latest passion project in his home country of Panama combines his interest in helping companies reach their maximum potential with his passion for innovation and information technology.
Through his Transformation for Growth program with Escala Latam, a partnership with the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Melo is creating a sustainable business scaling model for established small- to mid-sized businesses that demonstrate a penchant for economic growth.
“We help them identify areas of opportunity and we give them the fundamental tools and advice to make their business more resilient. When you help these businesses grow, they usually reinvest that revenue in their communities, so now you’ve developed companies that generate new jobs, new revenue for their cities (through taxes), and value to their neighborhoods. It leads to a long-lasting impact,” says Melo, the General Manager of dChain Global, a tech services business in Panama.
The program features two components: an online boot camp where, working with Whitman professors, business leaders learn to reassess their business model and contemplate ways to grow their company through either capacity (the employees and the workplace culture) or cash management (efficiently utilizing the company’s economic resources).
Following boot camp, a cohort of 15-30 Panamanian companies is selected. Working with business leaders, Whitman professors and local CEOs, a customized business escalation plan is devised to help the companies expand their growth over the next three years.
“This project combines many of my areas of expertise. I am really passionate about innovation and being an entrepreneur. It gives me great pride to be able to give back to my community. To be able to include Syracuse University and the Whitman School, which has one of the best entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises platforms, it’s a perfect partnership,” Melo says.
Like Father, Like Son
Melo inherited his entrepreneurial skills after witnessing how his father, Arturo, was able to create jobs and lift up communities as a successful small business owner in Panama.
Melo opted to study computer engineering in Syracuse University’s College of Engineering & Computer Science. At a time when the use of personal computers was on the rise, and fueled by professors who believed in him, Melo landed an internship with IBM, working on the latest processor chips. It was the first of many career stops focused on innovation and collaboration.
He since has worked as a systems designer and game developer for Apple platforms, a designer of the Pentium processor at Intel Co., a researcher at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), and most recently with dChain.
“My professors pushed me to get things done. They were always there to support me, helping me land internships and jobs. They inspired me to reach my potential and I’m thankful for all of the connections SU provided,” says Melo, a member of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society at Syracuse.
Supporting Future STEM Students from Panama
Melo is part of an Orange legacy family, as his daughter, Isabel, is a sophomore studying computer engineering. He’s hoping to ignite a spark in current Panamanian high school students seeking a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) by providing scholarship opportunities at Syracuse through the Secretariat for Science and Technology.
“I bleed Orange and am so proud to be an alumnus. When I meet another alum from SU, you’re automatically connected. It’s like we’re one big community and we’re always looking for ways to help our students and alumni reach their goals.”
Melo is looking to connect with alumni in Panama and across Latin America who are looking to support Escala Latam’s Transformation for Growth program.
Visit Escala Latam’s website for more information.