4 Minutes With…Sebastian Scaparro, Business developer and administration manager, ALS Bioenergy

Tell us about your organization and it’s role in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

ALS Bioenergy is a company that develops and commercialize technologies for biofuels, agroindustrial and bioproducts. Our technology is multifeedstock, glycerin free and has a much lower cloud point then the traditional process. We want to drive the world towards a more sustainable and environmental friendly place.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

As the business developer of the company my main focus is to keep helping the team forward against the main targets that is to obtain the investment needed to build the first commercial plant. We are looking at a number of possibilities in various countries and hopefully one of them will come trough the next 12 months.

Another focus is to keep other technologies on the track to commercialization and to keep acquiring new interesting technologies.

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?

We really need to have one or two companies that really makes it. A breakthrough and example for the rest of the world so the industry really have an example to point at.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change?

I would raise the blend mandates in every country that already have blend mandates, and insert blend mandate in every country that doesn’t have it. I would also replace all the oil derivated products with bio based solutions if available.

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?

Its an incredible feeling working with something that really is needed and will make a difference. I think I never can go back to just working somewhere where money is the main driver. Climate change is here, oil is bad, and we are actually making the world a better place.

Where are you from? 

I was born in Argentina, Mar del Plata. When i was 5 I moved to Sweden, Stockholm. And there I practically lived all my childhood and more. I also lived 2 years in Spain. And now, a year back, I´m living in Panama.

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway? 

I´ve put together courses from different universities in Stockholm, and in the end I had something looking like a undergraduate major in economics, start ups and innovation. As there was no real program for innovations and start ups, which is my main passion, I had to put it together myself. I also have a diploma in advance leadership from UOL USA

Who do you consider your mentors? What have you learned from them?

I have a really good mentor in Hector Aguilar, CEO of ALS Bioenergy and former CEO of General Electrics in Latin America & Caribbean. He is really great and as I am young I have a lot to learn from him. Otherwise I don´t really have any mentors. I follow thousands of entrepreneurs and business people and hear a lot of great things to live by from this individuals. So I choose the best from whomever and try to apply it to my own life. Also I´m considering to make my own personal advisory board with some outstanding people that could advice me and help me to accelerate the learning and execution curve.

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?

Believe in yourself, be persistent, keep your head up and keep moving forward. The American culture and the start up movement both have a “failure is ok” culture which I consider to be really great. A failure for an entrepreneur is almost always a good thing, it is a tough lesson but its a good lesson. Hard moments come so many time in life that you need to learn to like the adversity, to see it as a challenge, an opportunity to grow.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry? 

I train crossfit together with my work colleagues every day in the week, and then we play football 2 times a week. Otherwise I like to read, cook, socialize and surf.

What 3 books would you take to read, if stranded on a desert island?

I really love books, so this one is hard for me, but I think I would go for really thick ones.
Shantaram would be the first.
Kane & Abel the second.
7 habits of Highly Successful People as I still haven’t read it even if I have it in my bookshelf.

What books or articles are on your reading list right now, or you just completed and really enjoyed?

Im reading The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb right now. I´ve just finished Daniel Kahnemanns Think fast & slow. And the next one on my list is either Mastery or 7 habits of the successful people.

What’s your favorite city or place to visit, for a holiday?

I travel a lot to Argentina, Spain and Sweden as I have friends and family all over these countries. Stockholm in the summer is the best place in the world for me. Otherwise every new country is the best place for me. I really would like to see every country in the world.