Choppin' It Up

Sebastian Pedraza, Entrepreneurship, Ambition, & Automation

Episode Summary

Sebastian Pedraza, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Oko, shares his journey from Colombia to co-founding Oko. He highlights his background in math and science, his college football days, and early career in chemical trading. Sebastian's leadership led to expanding operations across Central and South America, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Oko's innovative automation tool targets logistics, enhancing efficiency and growth. Originally a chemical exchange, Oko's pivot to logistics automation reflects their commitment to innovation and customer success.

Episode Notes

SUMMARY: 

Sebastian Pedraza, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue officer of Oko, takes us on a journey through his career journey. From his formative years in Colombia, where his fascination with math & science took root, to his collegiate days balancing football & school, Sebastian shares how these experiences instilled in him crucial skills like discipline and time management. 

Sebastian recounts his early career days through internships and sales roles, culminating in a pivotal position in chemical trading. He shares his achievements in spearheading a thriving division for chemical trading across Central and South America, later extending into water treatment solutions. 

Sebastian introduces Oko, the brainchild he co-founded, dedicated to crafting sustainable and eco-friendly chemical solutions. Oko's flagship offering, stands as an ingenious automation tool tailored for drayage companies, brokerage firms, and 3PLs in the logistics sector. By streamlining data entry processes into transport management systems (TMS), it aims to revolutionize operational efficiency, liberating resources and driving organizational growth. 

Originally conceived as a chemical exchange platform, Oko's founders pivoted towards addressing automation needs in logistics. Through strategic partnerships with TMS systems and a steadfast focus on customer acquisition, they have witnessed remarkable success in ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Sebastian's passion for chemistry and math shaped his career path in the chemical trading industry.
• Playing football in college taught Sebastian discipline and time management skills.
• Sebastian's experience in sales and cold calling prepared him for success in the chemical trading industry.
• He successfully built a division for trading chemicals in Central and South America and later expanded into the water treatment industry.
• Sebastian co-founded Oko, a company that focuses on sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical solutions. 
• An automation tool that eliminates the need for manual data entry in the logistics industry
• The founders pivoted from their original idea of a chemical exchange to focus on automation in the logistics sector
• OCO sits in the user's email inbox, extracts information from PDF documents, and creates shipments in the TMS system
• Partnerships with TMS systems and customer acquisition have been key to success

CHAPTERS:

• 00:00 Introduction and Fun Fact
• 02:13 Early Years and Introduction to Football
• 06:01 College Years and Focus on Math and Science
• 13:49 Career Path: Internships and Sales Roles
• 25:00 Expanding into Water Treatment
• 26:55 Introduction to Oko: Sustainable Chemical Solutions
• 27:25 The Problem of Manual Data Entry in Logistics
• 30:45 The Original Idea: A Chemical Exchange
• 35:02 Key Turning Points
• 39:08 The Personal and Professional Dynamic of the Founders
• 41:58 The Impact on Clients' Efficiency
• 44:39 The Unique Approach: Fully Backend Integration
• 47:27 Future Ambitions and Giving Back to the Community
• 50:17 Growth and Partnerships
• 53:27 Getting in Touch