It was late 2015 in Guadalajara, Mexico. We were 3 guys recently out of college and working boring office jobs; I was a Financial Analyst, Sebastian a Mechanical Engineer, and Moises a Lead Developer. Though these jobs were good, they were not exactly exciting considering our deep rooted passion for adventure. It was hard to get up every morning knowing that we weren’t pursuing what we loved. We all had become friends over the years from a variety of adventures, everything from paragliding to high altitude mountain climbing.
As we continued on our adventures we started noticing the need for newbies to get access to equipment we owned. This was mostly because our friends were always asking us, “Where can I find equipment?” So we started a peer-to-peer outdoor gear rental company as a side hustle, which quickly evolved into a network of trusted tour guides. We got to the point were we had to decide… focus full time on the business (which meant quitting the secure monthly income of our day jobs) or continue with the corporate monotony. Since we loved risk, we all decided to go for it and we quit our jobs. A couple of months later we started offering excursions, and then suddenly we got onto Shark Tank Mexico. It was a roller coaster of emotions… exciting, scary and overwhelming, but it was an awesome experience.
The company was growing fast, and we needed to find tech advisors to scale correctly. We applied to get in with Tech Wildcatters, a Dallas business accelerator. With the help of mentors and a lot of effort we became one of the few startups in the accelerator that achieved 5 out of 5 in levels of growth.
Once Tech Wildcatters accepted us we decided to incorporate the company in the United States, at that time we started doing business in Mexico as LocalAdventures. Growth became our obsession, from 166 travelers in 2016 we ramped up to more than 1,300 travelers in 2017.
Once we hit those numbers we received funding from Dallas Angels and Tech Wildcatters to open a branch in the United States. Which brings us to today, the launch of gohikemexico.com (*which has been rebranded to localadventures.travel). We are now international, and not only have we started creating jobs for Americans, but we are inviting Americans to travel to Mexico. We hope to share our culture and our adventures with as many adventure enthusiasts as possible.
We know Mexico is a lot more than all-inclusive resorts in Cancun and Cabo San Lucas, there is 6,910 miles of shoreline, most with warm waters and amazing beaches. There is jungle, desert, cenotes, caves, mountains reaching over 18,000 ft. and one of the seven modern wonders of the world! We’ve been traveling throughout Mexico our entire lives and we are still finding new areas to explore. We are thrilled to share these hidden gems with you!
localadventures.travel’s focus is on trekking and hiking in Mexico because it is often overlooked in the adventure travel industry. This is an opportunity to educate and share, not only amazing expeditions, but the warmth of our culture as well. Our vision is to put Mexico on the map as an adventure travel destination. Travelers will not only come here for the beach and relaxation, but for amazing adventures Mexico has to offer as well. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Saludos!
-Daniel Pena
Co-Founder and CEO of LocalAdventures
*Note: If you were an existing customer before May 1, 2018, you may have known us as GoHikeMexico. If you became a customer after that date, you know us as the rebranded name, LocalAdventures. This allows us to expand our tour offerings throughout the world.
Our Official Press Release: Tearing down the walls: Growing a U.S. company across the border.
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