A UF alumnus ascended to the next level in a contest offering rising entrepreneurs a chance to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this June.
The contest is hosted by The Summit, a conference in Dublin that brings technology leaders, entrepreneurs and investors together. Five participants will be chosen to climb the mountain with business leaders and innovators in a partnership with Charity: Water, a nonprofit that brings safe drinking water to developing nations, to raise awareness for its cause.
David Flores, who earned his master’s in entrepreneurship from UF in 2013, wants to win “to get to know these amazing guys who are movers and shakers at a global level.”
Flores submitted a video to earn a spot among the top 50 contestants. Those selected will meet a panel of judges in The Summit Kilimanjaro People’s Choice Final, where the finalists will be chosen.
The 29-year-old Santa Fe College professor said he will be a “natural fit,” if chosen. He founded Onward Development, a consulting company, and is an ambassador and web curator for the Gainesville Area Innovation Network, which establishes communications among startup companies.
“David is one of those startup superstars,” said Isabell Springer, founder of Drivers Ed for Love, a relationship education organization.
She said Flores was helping her compose a business pitch when he received the email notification saying he made the second round.
“He was just thrilled,” she said.
Lee May, executive director of the Gainesville Area Innovation Network, said Flores is a respected member of her organization. May, who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro about 15 years ago, said she would advise him to take his altitude-sickness medication when he makes the trek on the infamous mountain.
“I call it ‘Kill-A-Man-Dead-O,’” she said, “because it was brutal.”
May said she suffered from altitude sickness during her climb, and an inspirational Sherpa helped maintain her spirit.
“In order to encourage me further, he started to sing me ‘Rock of Ages,’ in Swahili, and it just boomed through the mountain tops,” she said. “It gives me shivers just to think about it.”
May said she hopes Flores has the opportunity to also experience this adventure.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 4/22/2014 under the headline "UF alumnus in competition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro"]
