FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
GEORGE BRINTALOS
CO-FOUNDER , STORFUND
Storfund is a payment solution platform that transfers funds globally and enables users to make easier , swifter and cheaper payments . It currently manages services in over 200 countries and recently launched a new service for Amazon vendors .
Q . WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO AND WHY ?
» Nikola Tesla . I remember reading about him in my primary school physics class and really admired him for being an engineer and inventor ahead of his times . A college dropout who emigrated to the US from the Balkans , he made unprecedented strides in electricity and telephony . He was a real futurist , fearless in his drive for prediction and invention and made me want to be a computer engineer .
“ AS KIDS WE DIDN ’ T HAVE ANY FANCY SUITS OR GEAR , WE WOULD JUST DIVE WITH A SPEAR AND A BIG ROCK TO GET THROUGH THE BUOYANCY ”
Q . WHAT ' S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED ?
» Learning how to thrive in volatility . I had to work to get through high school , college and grad school and had an appetite from early on for identifying opportunities and moving into emerging spaces . Being quick in catching waves and having the patience to wait out storms were skills I improved as an investment banking trader of complex derivatives and which I still value now as a fintech entrepreneur .
Q . WHICH ACTIVITY ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING WHEN THE PANDEMIC IS OVER ?
» Free-diving spearfishing . I grew up on the island of Crete where you learn how to swim before you even start walking . As kids we didn ’ t have any fancy suits or gear , we would just dive with a spear and a big rock to get through the buoyancy . There is nothing like the deep blue of the Mediterranean and the focus and clarity of mind you get from having to hold your breath for two minutes .
Q . IS THERE A PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT FROM 2020 OF WHICH YOU ARE PARTICULARLY PROUD ?
» I am very proud of putting together our Storfund team , a group of incredible , creative and motivated folks who care for our client and our product and make our work a real joy .
In 2020 we turned an idea on a piece of paper to become a cash flow positive company within its first six months of operation , attracting the attention of traditional banks and closing an
20 April 2021