Meet Adriana Rivas | Retail Tech Executive & founder of Biwitech

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adriana Rivas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adriana, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor has been understanding that retail technology only works when it’s built around how retailers actually operate, not how we think they should operate.
When we developed Biwitech, the starting point wasn’t the technology. It was the retailer’s reality. A store manager updates hundreds of price tags manually every morning. A cashier trying to process a lunch rush with a system that wasn’t designed for speed. These are real problems that cost real money, and they need real solutions, not impressive demos.
So we designed everything around that. Our electronic shelf labels eliminate manual price updates entirely, saving store managers over 25 hours a week. Our POS terminals reached 75% adoption in two months because cashiers found them intuitive from day one, not after weeks of training. And our self-service kiosks process queries in under three seconds because we understood that patience isn’t something shoppers have during busy hours.
The other critical factor has been integration. A lot of retail tech on the market is fragmented hardware from one company, software from another, and retailers end up paying to make them talk to each other. With Biwitech, everything connects natively to the Stellar ecosystem. That 360° integration is what actually transforms operations, not any single product.
We went from concept to deployments in four countries within five months. That speed wasn’t luck; it was because we built something retailers actually needed, and we made it easy to implement. That journey also taught me the importance of sharing what we learned. The challenges we faced and solved became the foundation of my book and the practical content I share with the industry, because too many retailers are still struggling with implementations that could succeed with better guidance.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m the COO of BIGWISE Corp and the Chief Biwitech Development Officer, and honestly, the story of how we got here is one I’m still in the middle of telling.

Biwitech started as an idea, a pretty simple one, actually. Retail technology exists, but most of it is built for the biggest players. The big chains, the enterprise clients. Mid-sized retailers, especially in Latin America, were left with fragmented solutions that were expensive to implement and even harder to maintain. I saw that gap, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

So we built Biwitech. A complete hardware ecosystem of POS terminals, electronic shelf labels, self-service kiosks, digital signage, and scanners designed from scratch to work natively with the Stellar software ecosystem. Not two companies trying to make their products talk to each other. One integrated vision, built in the U.S., deployed across borders.
Was it easy? No. Not even close. We launched Biwitech publicly in March 2025, and within five months, we had deployments in four countries. That sounds exciting from the outside, but from the inside, it was a lot of late nights, a lot of “what if this doesn’t work,” and a lot of learning how to move fast without breaking the trust of the retailers who were betting on us.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that technology alone doesn’t change anything. It’s how you implement it. Our electronic shelf labels save store managers over 25 hours a week, not because the technology is revolutionary, but because we designed it around how they actually work. Our POS terminals hit 75% adoption in two months because cashiers found them intuitive from day one. That’s not luck. That’s listening.

What I want the world to know about Biwitech is this: we’re not here to replace people with technology. We’re here to make their jobs easier, their stores more efficient, and their businesses more competitive. That’s the mission, and everything we build goes back to that.

I’m also proud of what this journey has meant for me personally as a Latina woman leading hardware development in tech. It’s not a space that was built for people like me. But I’m here, and I’m building something real, and I hope that counts for something.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Okay, so if my best friend came to visit me in Miami for a week, here’s what I’d do:

First things first, I’d take them to Sunny Isles Beach. It’s more relaxed than the beaches further south, less crowded, and honestly just a better vibe if you actually want to enjoy the water and the sun without fighting for a spot. Early morning, with a coffee, is the perfect way to start the day.

For food, I’d definitely take them to Zuma. The sushi is incredible, the atmosphere is perfect, and it’s one of those places where you just feel good the moment you walk in. It’s my go-to spot in Miami when I want to celebrate or just have a really good dinner. After that, we’d walk through Little Havana and just soak in the energy of the neighborhood. The art, the music, the people, it’s one of the reasons I love living here.

If we’re talking nightlife or just a good evening out, I’d take them to Wynwood. The street art is incredible; it changes constantly, so I still get surprised when I walk through. We’d grab drinks at one of the rooftop bars and just enjoy the vibe. It’s the perfect mix of art, food, and good company.

For something a little different, I’d suggest a day trip to the Everglades. It sounds touristy, but honestly, it’s one of those places where you realize how unique Miami really is, half city, half nature. It’s a completely different world just 30 minutes from downtown.

And if my friend needed a break from everything just to decompress, I’d take them to a quiet spot in Coconut Grove. It’s got that small-town feel even though you’re right in the city. Good cafes, green spaces, and honestly just a really calm energy.
Miami has this thing where you can be on a beach, in an art district, eating incredible food, and surrounded by nature all in the same day. That’s why I love it here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a big shoutout to José Rivas Acevedo, founder of Bigwise and creator of the Stellar ecosystem. José has been my mentor in retail technology, and honestly, I’m not sure I would have ended up on this path without his influence. His passion for software, his discipline, and the way he leads by example taught me so much about what it means to truly understand the technology you’re building, not just from a technical perspective, but from a human one. He inspired me to fall in love with this space, and that passion eventually led me to build my own vision at Biwitech. Having someone like him in your corner, someone who genuinely believes in what you’re doing and pushes you to think bigger, makes all the difference.
I also want to dedicate this to my family. Building something from scratch while running a company isn’t easy, and there were plenty of long workdays, late nights, and uncertain moments along the way. My family was there through all of it, quietly and consistently, without asking for anything in return. That kind of support is the foundation that holds everything else together. Behind every leader, there’s a family that made it possible, and mine is one I’m incredibly grateful for.

Website: https://adrianarivas.tech/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianarivas.tech

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianarivastech

Twitter: https://x.com/adriana_rivas_b