Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Shifting Focus: Pharma to "Farming"

When Juan-Carlos Libreros quit the pharmaceutical industry to start a business of his own, friends and family probably weren’t surprised; the biomedical engineer had talked of one day making orthopedic implants. But acting on his brother Luis’ idea of importing fresh tilapia into the U.S. from Colombia? “It was risky,” says Libreros. “I’d never done anything like that before, so I got as much advice as I could.” One source: Prospera, a Florida-based nonprofit organization for Hispanic entrepreneurs. “They gave me funds toward my business plan and a website. That was huge.”