Yellowpepper has assembled a proven management team that brings over 70 years of experience in the fields of telecommunications, business development, fund raising, company start ups, systems expertise, finance, and department management.
This team has a very clear understanding of the market along with a winning combination of experience, technology, operations, and the drive and initiative to meet targeted financial objectives.
Rafael Russ – CEO
Mr. Russ is a highly seasoned professional with over 25 years of business experience in the Latin American region. A proven successful entrepreneur, he and two angel investors founded Amtech Inc in 1985; a start-up company with the vision of bringing residential satellite TV to the Latin American markets. Amtech became a pioneer and a leading supplier in the industry. In 1989 it expanded the business to the CATV industry becoming also a pioneer and a leading supplier in the industry. The company penetrated markets in more than 20 countries in the region and, as the market leader, was acquired by TVC in 1999, the largest distributor of CATV (Cable TV) equipment in the Americas. Mr. Russ was retained by TVC as President of TVC’s Latin American Division Miami, Florida until 2003.
Meanwhile, in 1998, Mr. Russ together with 3 other partners founded Opecable S.A. a new cable TV company in his native Guatemala. The company started with the investments of the partners. They made two acquisitions that added up to 4,000 subscribers. They also started green field opportunities in populated areas without CATV services. The company grew in ten years to 40,000 subscribers (consumers) of video services and now has expanded to high speed Internet services with 2,000 consumers. Rafael has been a managing council member, a board member and Chair of the Technology Committee since inception.
Throughout his career, Mr. Russ has developed invaluable skills which he capably brings to bear as CEO of Yellowpepper. He is multicultural and multilingual in Spanish, Portuguese and English. He has demonstrated time and again his ability to manage cash tightly and wisely as he operated only from original seed investment and grew his prior businesses organically. His knowledge of the region is extensive. Mr. Russ was educated as an Industrial and Systems Engineering at Monterrey Tech. Mexico.
Serge Elkiner – President and Founder
Mr. Elkiner previously worked as VP of Business Development for Hellotech Technologies, a Boston MA start-up founded in Israel where he pioneered the concept of micro payments in which cell phone users use their cell phones as de facto debit cards. Intrigued that this concept which “caught fire” in Europe, Japan and Singapore, Mr. Elkiner decided to use a similar approach to address the specific everyday problems faced by the residents of Latin America in attempting to do simple banking tasks, pay bills, get advertising information, recharge their cell phone minutes, etc. Not only did he pioneer the “cell phone as debit card concept”, he brought his international business development skills to bear on the marketing and sales aspects of product distribution. His unique approach is bearing fruit with major banks, financial institutions, Telcos and business enterprises through the Latin American region.
Mr. Elkiner was educated at the American School in London and holds a degree from Boston University’s School of Management, where he was the first Michael Bronner Hatchery student to graduate.
Bolivar Bravo - Director of Technology
Mr. Bravo's has an extensive background in information technology service providers where he has governed areas as: Systems analysis, database administration, software development, operations and top-level negotiations with vendors, internal managers, and customers.
During the last 6 years, electronic transactions have become his major field in specialization basing on financial and mobile standards. This has been achieved by intensive knowledge and usage of transactional cores such as E1’s Postilion, as well as high end Mobile Platforms.
Mr. Bravo holds a degree in Computers and Systems Engineering with a specialization in Development and implementation of a general solution based on Virtual Local Area Networks, along with several certifications.
This combined has given him the hands-on experience as well as the academics needed to excel. He has continuously showed his management capabilities whether it is concerning the technological side of the operations or within the commercial elements.
Rafael Russ – CEO
Mr. Russ is a highly seasoned professional with over 25 years of business experience in the Latin American region. A proven successful entrepreneur, he and two angel investors founded Amtech Inc in 1985; a start-up company with the vision of bringing residential satellite TV to the Latin American markets. Amtech became a pioneer and a leading supplier in the industry. In 1989 it expanded the business to the CATV industry becoming also a pioneer and a leading supplier in the industry. The company penetrated markets in more than 20 countries in the region and, as the market leader, was acquired by TVC in 1999, the largest distributor of CATV (Cable TV) equipment in the Americas. Mr. Russ was retained by TVC as President of TVC’s Latin American Division Miami, Florida until 2003.
Meanwhile, in 1998, Mr. Russ together with 3 other partners founded Opecable S.A. a new cable TV company in his native Guatemala. The company started with the investments of the partners. They made two acquisitions that added up to 4,000 subscribers. They also started green field opportunities in populated areas without CATV services. The company grew in ten years to 40,000 subscribers (consumers) of video services and now has expanded to high speed Internet services with 2,000 consumers. Rafael has been a managing council member, a board member and Chair of the Technology Committee since inception.
Throughout his career, Mr. Russ has developed invaluable skills which he capably brings to bear as CEO of Yellowpepper. He is multicultural and multilingual in Spanish, Portuguese and English. He has demonstrated time and again his ability to manage cash tightly and wisely as he operated only from original seed investment and grew his prior businesses organically. His knowledge of the region is extensive. Mr. Russ was educated as an Industrial and Systems Engineering at Monterrey Tech. Mexico.
Serge Elkiner – President and Founder
Mr. Elkiner previously worked as VP of Business Development for Hellotech Technologies, a Boston MA start-up founded in Israel where he pioneered the concept of micro payments in which cell phone users use their cell phones as de facto debit cards. Intrigued that this concept which “caught fire” in Europe, Japan and Singapore, Mr. Elkiner decided to use a similar approach to address the specific everyday problems faced by the residents of Latin America in attempting to do simple banking tasks, pay bills, get advertising information, recharge their cell phone minutes, etc. Not only did he pioneer the “cell phone as debit card concept”, he brought his international business development skills to bear on the marketing and sales aspects of product distribution. His unique approach is bearing fruit with major banks, financial institutions, Telcos and business enterprises through the Latin American region.
Mr. Elkiner was educated at the American School in London and holds a degree from Boston University’s School of Management, where he was the first Michael Bronner Hatchery student to graduate.
Bolivar Bravo - Director of Technology
Mr. Bravo's has an extensive background in information technology service providers where he has governed areas as: Systems analysis, database administration, software development, operations and top-level negotiations with vendors, internal managers, and customers.
During the last 6 years, electronic transactions have become his major field in specialization basing on financial and mobile standards. This has been achieved by intensive knowledge and usage of transactional cores such as E1’s Postilion, as well as high end Mobile Platforms.
Mr. Bravo holds a degree in Computers and Systems Engineering with a specialization in Development and implementation of a general solution based on Virtual Local Area Networks, along with several certifications.
This combined has given him the hands-on experience as well as the academics needed to excel. He has continuously showed his management capabilities whether it is concerning the technological side of the operations or within the commercial elements.