Serial Entrepreneur | Startup Evangelist | Investor | Speaker

–  Jorge Varela’s passion is launching and growing companies, and helping others do the same. He is a businessman, startup evangelist, international speaker, business coach, angel investor and venture capitalist. He has started and/or been a part of the executive team at 14 companies with financially successful exits in each market segment. He has mentored, coached, and invested in startups in various industries with combined exits in the last 5 years exceeding $4 Billion.

Currently, Jorge is focusing on

• Investments through LBRV Ventures, a VC firm focused on Series A+ opportunities;
• Helping economic development organizations and municipalities drive growth through entrepreneurship;
• Helping entrepreneurial support organizations develop sustainable programs;
• Developing launch, growth, and funding strategies for early stage companies;
• Developing angel networks and investor networks; and,
• Speaking engagements.

Jorge is a Managing Director at LBRV Ventures, a Venture Capital firm focused on Series A+ investment opportunities. He is on the Executive Board of the Alliance of Texas Angel Networks, an organization consisting of 14 accredited angel groups in Texas, and on the Board of the InBIA, the International Business Innovation Association and is board member and immediate past Chairman of BioNorthTexas.

Jorge was formerly CEO of VelocityTX, an innovation superhub offering validation, acceleration, incubation, mentorships, and seed investments to startups with transformational technology. Under his leadership VelocityTX partnered with foreign entrepreneurial service providers to build ecosystems and provide a two-way bridge for trade of ideas, startups, investments, and products & services. VelocityTX is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Texas Research & Technology Foundation (TRTF) where Jorge served as Executive Vice President of Innovation and managed the McDermott Legacy Fund.

Jorge was formerly Director of TECH Fort Worth, a non-profit organization focused on helping entrepreneurs launch and grow emerging technology companies. Efforts of TECH Fort Worth are largely recognized through programs such as the Cowtown Angels, an angel investors network in Fort Worth previously managed by Jorge Varela. During his almost 5 years at TECH Forth Worth, he and his team contributed to the financial success of clients, totaling over $4 Billion. From 2012 to 2017 he was Associate Director of Entrepreneurship at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

Jorge serves as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation on Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR and STTR) grants.

Jorge is unconventional in practice, and a certified risk-taker. He believes successful entrepreneurs will make the world a better and safer place through:

• financial independence and the creation of economic opportunities globally; and,
• improving the quality of life through the commercialization of new technologies. 

Jorge’s personal goal is to positively IMPACT the world through entrepreneurship.

Jorge lives in Texas, considers his native Belize as “home”, but thanks to his international travels and studies has a great understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. He is most happy when he is near or on the open sea.

Want to know more? He’s probably the most approachable person you’ve ever met – just reach out.