When he looks back into his 20s, Rafael Caamaño admits that ego sometimes drove his business moves.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, that led to some avoidable mistakes in his early entrepreneurial career.
Now, as he steps into the role of the top dog at UCF’s Business Incubation Program, he wants to repurpose those mistakes into lessons to share with the businesses coming to him for guidance.
“I learned that everything I was doing was wrong,” he said. “So, I wanted to give back and pass that lesson on. You have to be a better listener and remove your ego. You have to collaborate.”
That spirit of collaboration, born from his own hard-won experience, is one reason Caamaño has been tapped as the new leader of the program, an institution he has served for nearly two decades.
A mission of multiplication
Now, as the leader of the program, he has become even more immersed in the challenges it faces daily.
His team of 12 guides more than 100 companies on their path, serving as a connection point between business owners and the resources that could ultimately land them success.
Caamaño said his motivation stems from his belief that business is the main driver in a healthy economy.
“I was once a business owner,” he said. “I know how difficult it can be. Mix that with understanding how a small business can positively impact the local economy and that’s what drives me.”
For 26 years, University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program has been helping businesses thrive.
Caamaño has been there for nearly 18 of those years.
Building on a foundation
The program consists of seven locations across the region and an eighth that focuses exclusively on photonics-based programming.
Caamaño said one of the challenges has been checking out each of the sites for ways to improve.
That has led to new initiatives, including an upcoming entrepreneurship course starting in October out of Eustis.
Meanwhile, he continues conversations with other locations to see what each needs, specifically.
“We are trying to deliver more community education materials,” he said. “We do go after certain industry targets but, at the end of the day, the cities and counties would like to see more information we can share with the greater business community. So, we are trying to do some of that.”
Big shoes to fill
Caamaño certainly has some big shoes to fill.
The program for 23-plus years had been under the direction of Carol Ann Dykes Logue, who hand selected Caamaño as her successor.
She said his range of experiences in entrepreneurship along with his growth as a leader during his time at the incubator made him the perfect choice.
“He wanted to grow and he made the effort,” said Logue, who formally retired in Apri.
Logue said she watched Caamaño deliberately hone his skillset through both practice and professional development.
That well rounded experience can be crucial when helming a program like the incubator.
Leaders do not know what type of business will come in the door next.
Logue praised his ability to make connections within the community, citing his relationships with leaders in Winter Springs and Seminole County, in particular.
“He has been respected by the rest of the team,” she said. “I wanted to make sure whoever followed me was well-rounded in their entrepreneurial support experience.”
A leader among leaders
Caamaño also has experience helping lead a program from the ground up.
Alongside Ricardo Garcia, he helped transition the Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative from a program under the incubator into its own effort.
“He is a natural connector with a deep commitment to our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Garcia said. “He has an incredible ability to bring the right people, ideas and resources together at exactly the right time.”
Garcia added that Caamano’s ability to create environments that help others feel empowered to lead alongside him is a special quality.
“His vision, genuine care for others, and passion for empowering veterans to succeed in business inspire trust and collaboration,” Garcia said.
As he steps into the leadership role, Caamano has plans to jump in quickly.
While he continues to meet with the businesses at the incubator serves, he is also working behind the scenes on programs and initiatives that he is passionate about.
More gray hairs
Though he admits to already having a few more gray hairs, he says the goal is to empower the business community because its success lifts communities and residents.
“If we invest more time and effort in the small business community, chances are that we can grow a very healthy ecosystem that can help us be more self-sustainable,” he said.
As an entrepreneur, Caamaño learned from those mistakes he made so long ago.
However, rather than run from them, it sparked a selfless approach that the soft-spoken Caamaño brings to his teaching style.
“I developed a sense of urgency to help others,” he said. “If you like to help people or make the world a better place, then you enjoy what I do.”
If he can assist others in their dreams of entrepreneurial success, even better.
“There are a lot of benefits for them and their families,” he said. “I was a business owner and was able to experience something very special because, at the end of the day, you control your own destiny.”