The Bear Roars Linda Rottenberg, co-founder and CEO of Endeavor
In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Linda Rottenberg, co-founder and CEO of Endeavor, the global organization that has helped scale thousands of high-impact startups across 45 countries. For over 27 years, Linda has been at the forefront of entrepreneurship—championing founders in emerging markets and proving that bold ideas can come from anywhere.
Linda shares how Endeavor started as a wild idea (earning her the nickname “Chica Loca”), how it has helped build 80+ unicorns outside traditional startup hubs, and why investing in scale-ups is key to economic transformation. She dives into the multiplier effect of successful founders, the surprising data behind what makes a great entrepreneur, and how Endeavor is expanding its impact as it works toward Vision 2035.
She and Dan also discuss:
- How Endeavor helped launch Latin America’s first unicorns, Mercado Libre
- Why network value is the biggest predictor of startup success
- The rise of Nigeria, Poland, and Lebanon as tech hubs
- How Endeavor Catalyst has become one of the largest global venture funds
- Why scaling a company is about more than just making money - it’s about building ecosystems
Linda’s insights are invaluable for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone passionate about global innovation.
Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/book
Click here to learn more about Endeavor: https://endeavor.org/
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