As the co-founder and CEO of Andina Acquisition Corporation, Luke Weil has established a strong foothold in the Andean region of South America. Mr. Weil, a native of New York with impressive academic and professional credentials, co-founded Andina Acquisition Corporation to capitalize on what he sees as a significant opportunity for growth. The corporation enables foreign investors to take advantage of these opportunities while also serving as an investment vehicle for those who see the clear potential for exceptional growth in the area.

Mr. Weil’s interests extend beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits in South America, as he is also very committed to a number of philanthropic efforts. Mr. Weil has partnered with the Surfrider Foundation and the Concerned Citizens of Montauk in order to ensure that sustainable clean water practices are adopted locally. Perhaps most notably, Mr. Weil also co-founded Rios Nete, a group committed to a number of charitable endeavors that benefit the Amazon rainforest. It seems that for every profitable endeavor, Mr. Weil is engaged in an equally charitable endeavor as well.

Given his predisposition for philanthropy, it is clear that Mr. Weil has multiple goals for Andina Acquisition Corporation. Certainly the organization aims to be exceptionally profitable for all parties involved, but in doing so it will assist many locally owned private businesses in achieving significant growth that may not have been possible otherwise. In every endeavor, Mr. Weil has demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that there is always a mutual benefit for all of the parties involved, and his many years as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor have shaped the strategies he employs to achieve these consistently positive outcomes.

How did you get started? What sparked this business idea?

I have always been interested in this sort of opportunity going all the way back to my days at Brown University, where I studied economics. After I earned my MBA from the Columbia University School of Business, I began pursuing a number of entrepreneurial opportunities, and this led to an interest in the Andean region of South America. There is a wealth of opportunity there, and it seems that it has been somewhat overlooked by investors. Through Andina Acquisition Corporation, we hope to show investors the many opportunities that exist and provide the access needed for foreign investment.

How do you make money?

We serve in a number of capacities and roles, but our services allow Andean companies to be publicly traded on NASDAQ, which generates access to liquidity along with the capital needed for growth. We are therefore able to generate revenue by providing these services and by stimulating interest among foreign investors.

How long did it take to get your business into the black?

There was a great deal of initial interest in what we were doing, so we have been in the black for quite some time now. It was certainly much quicker than we expected, but we also did not expect for it to take all that long anyway.

When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?

We did not have any doubts when we founded Andina Acquisition Corporation, as we had a sound plan in place and had done our due diligence with regard to the strategies we planned to employ. I have always believed that there is no substitute for proper preparation, regardless of the endeavor.

How did you get your first customer?

Part of the due diligence we conducted before founding the company was ensuring that there was significant interest in the opportunity we planned on providing. We had a number of investors and Andean companies interested in our services immediately, and we were able to do so by having a clearly outlined plan in place.

How are you marketing your business? What strategy works best?

We do our best to identify Andean companies that we believe will benefit from our service offerings, and we do the same with investors. The key is in identification and target marketing, as this has proved to be extremely beneficial in finding the parties that will experience the greatest gains from working with us.

Is there a trend in your industry that particularly excites you right now?

It is very exciting to know that there is still “uncharted territory” out there, and that we are the company that is doing the initial exploration. We see incredible potential for growth in these countries, and it has been quite inspiring to see the positive impact that we can have on this region.

What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?

There is not a day that goes by in which I am not presented with a tough decision. The only thing I can do is to be as educated as possible and to properly weigh all of the available options so that I arrive at the best possible decision. I collaborate with others and ask for competing opinions as frequently as possible, and I feel that this has served me well over the years.

What do you think it is that makes you successful?

I have a very strong work ethic, and I feel that I have a unique ability to identify an opportunity that others may not see. The opportunity in South America, for example, was one that had been overlooked until we founded Andina Acquisition Corporation.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

We always set up certain goals that serve as benchmarks in charting our progress, so each time we meet one of those goals I feel a great sense of achievement. Even if it is just a small goal on the way to something bigger, it is immensely satisfying.

Tell us about one of your hobbies when you’re not working.

I have developed an interest in maintaining an organic garden, but I also enjoy anything that keeps me close to the water, whether it is boating, surfing or swimming.

How do you plan to build upon the initial success of Andina Acquisition Corporation?

We have a long-term business plan that we believe will ensure the continued growth of this venture. We have already achieved a great deal, and we believe that we can build upon this initial success and generate consistently positive outcomes for all of the parties we work with.

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