Meet Alfredo Ramirez | Entrepreneur, Digital Strategist, and Environmental Advocate

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

Hi Alfredo, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Straight ahead you can’t go very far” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

The quote is from my favorite book, The Little Prince. The book is about love, perspective, and how to not forget the child in you as you grow older. It is quite literally a child’s book for adults. There are dozens of memorable quotes throughout the short book, but this one speaks deeply to me because it is a realist allusion to the fact that the path to success is not linear. Whether your success is professional, personal, or some other kind, there will always be stumbles, obstacles, regressions, and doubts. It will likely take longer and look very different than when you set out on the path to your goal. It’s something I’ve seen in everything I’ve done in my life – it has never worked out as I planned but has somehow been better than I expected. A combination of flexibility and perseverance means I have achieved my goals with much more learning and growth than I initially expected.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have two businesses that I run and operate on a daily basis:

The first is ALRAS Digital, a digital strategy agency specializing in digital and equitable communications strategies for individuals and organizations wanting to make an impact. I launched ALRAS Digital right at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and we hit success almost immediately. I partnered with a dear friend and ally, Betsy López-Wagner, and her communications agency, López-Wagner Strategies, to improve both our offerings. It was by no means easy, but we’ve had the chance to work on major environmental campaigns at the state, national, and international levels as well as advance the mission and improve the internal efforts of major organizations like Greenpeace, the Wilderness Society, and Climate Nexus. I’m grateful for the fact that we’ve both gotten to a place where we can decide on who our clients are, ensuring that their culture and programs align with our values and the change we want to see in the world.

The second is Prosal, an outsourcing platform that connects purpose-driven organizations with diverse vendors and consultants who can design and execute major projects, like a website redesign or strategic planning process. Our vision is to create a more welcoming and friendlier alternative to the request for proposals (RFP) process. This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, because it’s a business that sells something that no one has made before and that I (along with two awesome co-founders) have to create, market, and support. Nevertheless, I’m extremely grateful to be in a place where I can take on this risk and challenge to create something new and great.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The one excellent food spot I never fail to visit or be tired of is La Uchireña in Doral. It’s an inconspicuous little window that sells the best Venezuelan empanadas I’ve ever had anywhere in the world: cheese, shredded meats, and my favorite, cazón, a heavenly mix of fish and spices.

My favorite hidden gem of Miami is Virginia Key Bike Park, a mountain biker’s paradise in the middle of Biscayne Bay. I’ve been going for years and recently became a contributing member after getting to know the people who run it, like Frenchie. The community of mountain bikers and volunteers who design and maintain the trails is an incredible group of welcoming outdoor enthusiasts. Anyone who regularly mountain bikes or is willing to try it out will be surprised at what they find. Just don’t go in the middle of a hot day.

And of course, there’s the beach. No visit to Miami is complete without exploring it oceanside. If it’s not too crowded, I love going between 5th and 7th where the park, near where Muscle Beach is. If it gets too crowded, then the next best spot is a little farther north near 20th. Relaxing the day away there after a night out or just a busy week is unlike few things that Miami can offer (unless you have a boat or go to the Keys of course).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my parents, Gustavo Alfredo Ramirez and Maria Carolina Venegas. They are the kindest, most fun, and most loving people in my life, and they have sacrificed so much so that my younger brother and I can have everything we need to succeed in life. It has meant hard decisions like leaving the life they knew in Venezuela so we could have better opportunities in the U.S., struggling through financial hardship so we could attend Belen Jesuit, and being extremely understanding to the independent lifestyles we have always craved and have led us to leave them and the 305 for years at a time, though we somehow always make it back.

Website: www.prosal.io

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