Explore Pedro Herivaux's journey in the Sports Industry

That word “rootless” reminds me of my childhood. I was born in Haiti and I grew up very poor. So, there was no room for error. If I made one mistake, I would go back to where I was before. So, I had to be rootless. I had to make sure to be successful in everything I did. I left Haiti when I was young, almost twelve years old and moved to America, New York. My family wanted to try living the American dream, have a better life. It was tough coming from Haiti, a country where everyone had the same complexion and facing a totally different culture. I didn’t even know the language, I was not familiar with racism. I was staying in Brooklyn, in Crown Heights, which was a tough neighborhood. I was bullied and had to adjust to become cool in high school. It wasn’t easy growing up like that. I sometimes wish I had never made that transaction to leave Haiti. I went from being a cool kid on the block, playing football on the streets of Haiti to being unpopular and bullied because I didn’t speak the language. Nonetheless, that experience has shaped me into the man I am today. I had to become very strong mentally in order to become successful in what I do and that has worked out pretty well for me. – Pedro Herivaux

So, after high school, I was recruited in a college in Massachusetts. When I was in school I started playing soccer, basketball and running track. Soccer was my passion and if I had studied hard I could’ve gone to better colleges but I didn’t have good grades. At that time, I just wasn’t mentally focused. However, I got lucky. My coach helped me and I was offered a scholarship from the Mount Ida College in Boston. I didn’t even care much about the school, I just really wanted to get out of that environment. So, I would have taken any offer that came out. They really wanted me because I was a good player and that’s how I went to Massachusetts. – Pedro Herivaux

So, I knew I was a D1 player, no matter what the grades showed. So, when I went to college I tried hard to hone my skills. I had to go there and improve myself. The first year of college I trained a lot and everything turned out great. Everyone kept wondering what was I doing there, why wasn’t I playing D1? And the coach would answer that it was because of the grades. I made some noise and at the time I was creating some traction. Everything was starting to come together. – Pedro Herivaux

Well, I started dating a Japanese woman, who would later become the mother of our three children. At that time, she knew someone who was looking for a football player in Japan. She insisted he should see me play soccer. So, I sent him a video of me playing. Back then, my best friend, the father or Naomi Osaka was living in Osaka, Japan. Knowing I had someone there made everything more appealing. It was a big change because we’re talking from eating beans and rice every day to sushi, it isn’t as easy as one would think. So, my move wasn’t a big strategic plan, I just happened to come across an interesting offer as a player. – Pedro Herivaux

It was a big change. I’m a big fan of Kung-Fu movies and ninjas. A part of me thought there would be ninjas walking around. I didn’t expect for it to be a huge and fast-paced city. When I moved there I realized Japan was fun. At first I was like the average traveler, it was the first time I left America and it was different, unique. The food situation was hard and I would eat McDonalds every day. People who worked there learned my name and my usual order. I would eat breakfast there because I didn’t know what else to order or where else to go. – Pedro Herivaux

Basically, we grew up in Brooklyn, New York together. He was the one who drove me to get my license in his car and he had moved to Japan to open a clothing store. In Japan, the culture was so different and having a friend there made everything much easier. Unfortunately, when I got to Japan, I got injured really early. I came from New York in a beautiful city, it was party time. I was away from my family, my parents were very strict, I could be by myself, do whatever I wanted and I started partying really hard. My friend and I opened a business, a bar together. – Pedro Herivaux

After I got injured playing, I knew I had to do something. I was a bit confused because I had never had a real job. It was hard for me to work for people. I don’t like people talking down on me because when I was a kid, I was bullied. When I was 16, I decided to be tough and since then I can’t take it for people to put me down. I knew I had to work for myself. I got injured and two of my sons were born around at that time. I thought I could train one of them to become a pro. I knew my mistakes so I wouldn’t let them make the same ones. Despite all this, I decided to open my own company and I never gave up. That word is not in my vocabulary. That’s what I did because I had no choice. You can either go back where you came from or you can use your resources to do something that you love. I only do things I love. Passion is my driving force, not money. I love the night scene, so I decided I was going to open a bar where I could have my own night scene, have my own party, bring my own people and be my own boss. – Pedro Herivaux

Believe it or not, back in the day, I looked good, I had a great physique. I started doing some modelling. When I was in New York, in Washington Square Park, a lady saw me and she said she loved my cheekbones and talked me into modelling. At that time, I hadn’t thought of myself as a model. My family’s culture preferred fatter kids, they always said I looked too skinny. I didn’t tell anyone about that, not even my sister. I finally told her two weeks later and she convinced me to do it. I called the lady, she said I had the looks, physique. I did a photoshoot and then started doing some fashion shows for Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Armani, etc. That was fun, it was easy money. I went from being a kid who grew up tough in the hood to being in modelling magazines. It was funny, enjoyable. – Pedro Herivaux

It was weird. When I was in Japan, I got injured, my kids were growing up in Japan and I didn’t like that because Japan was so small and had a homogenous population, not a multicultural one. Every time I went on trips with my kids, my mum, who was the love of my life, couldn’t talk with them because they only spoke Japanese. My mum told me I needed to take them back. They had to learn my language, be with other Asian and black kids, have more room for them to play sports because there aren’t many opportunities in Japan. So, I decided to move back to Boston. When I came back, I knew I had to earn a living. At that time, I had dreadlocks. I was a model and people didn’t know what I was going to do here. I couldn’t get a job. I finally found one at a junior college. I caught up with some old friends of mine who used to party and had become club owners. I approached them and told them I needed a job and they were happy to offer me one. They knew I was good with people so they suggested I became a bartender. I refused because I didn’t want to handle drunk people all night. I told them I wanted to be at the door, be the first person people see when they walk through. We talked about it and I accepted their offer. I knew the club scene pretty well. You can meet many important people while working in places like that. I enjoy people so it was the perfect job for me. I worked there for 18 years. – Pedro Herivaux

Yes, it was. It came out at the right time. I had been in the club scene for a while. I thought I couldn’t be working in the club scene forever. I needed to do something. I was going to be a grandpa, my kids were going to college. It was time for me to get out of there. While at the club, I met the son of the president of Haiti at the time and we sort of became close friends. He invited me to visit him in Haiti. I didn’t have good memories of Haiti but he convinced me. I went there after the earthquake and it seemed like a different scene, a different country. I remember growing up poor but when I went back I saw the rich part of Haiti, private beaches, cool cars, good restaurants. I had no idea that part existed. I saw a good opportunity while being there. I had other friends with money in Boston. So, I came back and I said we needed to raise funds because the earthquake had imbalanced the economy, stocks were being sold cheap, people were still being discovered under the rubbles. So, I decided to create a waterproof, shark-proof phone, whose battery would last two weeks. It was the best model made. When I went back to the neighborhood I grew up, I saw they had so many needs. I’ve been going back to Haiti constantly to do some good, try to encourage the youth to aspire for better lives. There are some kids there who could get into the NBA. So, I’m doing something in Haiti besides business.  I’m saving lives, giving these kids opportunities to actually become successful, which is far more important than business. – Pedro Herivaux

We’re currently selling 10,000 to 20,000 pieces per month. Right now, we’re focusing on Haiti and are trying to go to Jamaica and The Bahamas. However, the coronavirus has stopped almost all business operations. We want to go to Africa as well because I am also interested in doing businesses in Africa too. – Pedro Herivaux

This is like my baby now. I love what I’m doing. This is like life for me. I spend most of my life working. I’ll tell you the story of how the company got founded. I met Steve Schechter, one of my best friends, while playing soccer in the old men’s league, over 40. At that time, he was working as a soccer coach at a private school in Massachusetts. My son was in his team. When I told him I still wanted to be in my son’s life, he offered to be an assistant coach. My son wasn’t happy with that. So, we started coaching together. After the earthquake we became very close and started opening soccer clinics in Haiti, getting bigger and bigger. When we were in Haiti, in my friend’s beach house he asked me whether they had youth leagues in Haiti. He asked how someone could find young pros for their nation teams and I had no answer for that. He wanted us to work on a solution and I agreed to be a part of it. His idea was for us to create a platform, create a software and run the leagues into the software, find the best players (boys and girls) in the whole country and help these kids. In America, I can probably find two or three kids that are good but in Haiti the number is way bigger. So, we went back to Haiti, talked about it and said we would raise money, we both put money into creating the app and it has been amazing. This next generation is amazing. In another 5 or 10 years we’re going to see kids coming from the streets playing like pros and making money to help their families. The opportunity is insane. – Pedro Herivaux

It was launched almost a year ago. I had some money to invest, I had friends of mine, family members that were there for me. My business partner had a good background and had relatives with money so it was fairly easy. We had to raise 250,000 dollars in order to build the application. Some put more and some a bit less. It’s always important when you have someone who knows people with money. If I had done it by myself I would still be trying to raise money. There was a vision, there was no competition. What we’re doing in Haiti we’re also trying to do in Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Jamaica, Brazil but Haiti was the first one. It wasn’t easy building everything from scratch. – Pedro Herivaux

TapIn Mobile Solution is a platform that can be used for any sport but especially soccer. It offers its users the opportunity to play in organized soccer leagues starting from 6 years old to 18 years old. You can get data to find the best players in the platform. What I mean is that if someone registers at the platform at 6 years old, they’ll have all their data ready by the time they become 18. The platform will “watch” you grow and eventually help you find scholarships if you’re a good student and help you play for the national team in your country or the professional league of your country or abroad if you’re not. We manage everything from A to Z, booking, referees, coaching and player’s data. This is the only application that manages the whole league with a phone. The users don’t have to do anything, we do all the work. We find the best managers, the best coaches, best referees, best players, everything. We’re number one, we’re one of a kind. – Pedro Herivaux

It didn’t take long because we wanted to launch it as soon as possible. When I look back now, we should’ve paid for the app, wait for everything to be done, test it out and then market it. However we were so excited we thought the app was good while it was only 50% finished. It is still in making but it is 90% completed and we are so happy trying to make it happen. We contacted a big company here to launch the app. It is the biggest company in Massachusetts. They loved the idea, were ready to work with us, were getting ready to do a fundraiser and out of the blue a global pandemic happened. Given the circumstances, they made us a different offer which we didn’t want because they were trying to use the situation to their advantage. So, we refused and went along a different path. – Pedro Herivaux

Lucky me, I started in Haiti because my son was playing for the Haitian national team. He was one of the big players on the team so it was easier to have access to the president of the Federation. So, I basically went to Haiti, sat down with him at dinner. I love meeting people, I’m good with them. I make them comfortable and ask them quick questions about the league, how he found players in Haiti for the national team and the top question: do you think my son is the best player in Haiti in his position. He refused to answer it. He is my son but he had an opportunity, something a kid somewhere in the countryside playing soccer barefoot never did. They don’t have a smartphone, they have no clinic, and they’re not even part of society. He said that was a big problem in the country, they couldn’t find players like that. They didn’t have the means to do a big league in Haiti, it was too costly. He thought there was no way. I told him I had a way, I could solve his problem right there. I told him we had an app that would collect all data for all the kids playing and didn’t even have to travel, they could just play and we would have the data. He asked me to show him and I did. I told him we didn’t need his money, just for him to sign and approve it. I was in a fuss to work together and he accepted. That’s what I basically do in every country, they all have the same problem as Haiti. – Pedro Herivaux

Right now we have almost 7,000 users in Haiti. We’re kicking off our first pilot on September fifth in Haiti and I’m excited. We have sixteen hundred boys and girls playing in the pilot. That’s the first time ever. In Haiti we have just one department, we have 80 teams from Asian groups from twelve to eighteen playing. After the pilot we’re going to pick the top four players aged from 16 to 18 to bring to Europe. We have some clubs in Germany and Spain waiting for me to bring the top four players in the league and to see their level. I just can’t wait and they can’t wait either. You should see the pictures they send me training. They have hope, something to look forward to. I can’t even explain what a great feeling that is. I don’t care about the money, I would do that for free. It’s basically the Facebook of soccer. – Pedro Herivaux

Uganda is live. We have 13,000 users. It was growing every day but it stopped because of the Coronavirus pandemic and now it appears to be booming. In Haiti, in another two years we’re probably going to have a million kids playing on the platform. We could get to 15 million. The platform doesn’t have a stop sign, you can put as many players as you want. – Pedro Herivaux

So, because of my background, I was the last person to catch up with technology. If you’re young and you can have an idea it’s important to get people that know technology in order to make it come to life. Both I and my partner had an idea but he wasn’t really an IT guy either so what we did was basically hiring smart and intelligent people to add to the team and started recruiting top guys. Lucky we, almost all these guys were soccer junkies. They played soccer at Yale, Harvard. They’re smart but they also love the game, their kids play soccer too and they saw this as a big opportunity. So, my job was very easy. My responsibility was to meet the states’ Federation representatives, use my charms, dine with and make sure they sign the papers. They ended up calling us and asking when we were going to start and we didn’t have the product yet. The Coronavirus pandemic, even though terrible, gave us time to finish it, to work from home. We were 50% ready and all these countries were asking to see the app. Now we have three leagues that will start in America. One of them will start this month on private schools only, to test the program. We started with 4 teams in the top high schools so that by next summer we’re going to have all the private schools playing with the application and there’s going to be a summer league ready for the season. – Pedro Herivaux

Well, the last time I talked to my partner about an evaluation, it was around 30 million in one year. What we’re going to do is to raise money with people that want to really invest in this business. I also own a sports line, called “Palla”. I was discussing with my partner that we should probably go to Nike when we start to expand in Africa and I thought why not create our brand, why negotiate with Nike? Why not create our own brand and have the kids wear that? So, we have to raise money for Palla separately. I think that Palla is going to be just as big as or bigger than Nike. If someone is coming to our Leagues, the only way they get the uniform is from us. In countries like Nigeria, there are millions of kids who are going to grow up with the brand. We’re going to have some ambassadors, professional athletes who are going to represent the brand. There’s a movement going on in Africa, people are investing in companies. I’ve told investors to invest in Palla because when we make money, we’ll invest back in their community. We will build football fields, fund scholarships. They’re basically investing in their own community. We just had an order from the Haitian Federation for soccer balls and we’re sending $70,000 worth of equipment from Palla. All the leagues, even the private ones are going to have their own uniform, which is Palla. We can get so many countries using Palla. Right now we’re starting a campaign, if you buy one Palla ball, you get one for free. – Pedro Herivaux

If there was a TapIn Mobile Solutions back in my day, I would have probably been a D1 player at college. The teams right now are incredible. A coach we’re collaborating sent me a video of the team and all the uniforms had the Palla logo on them. I called him surprised because I was seeing Palla. Palla is becoming part of their culture, so I sent some other uniforms and he pressed the logo onto them. They’re just so happy, they can’t wait to get them and feel like this is their brand too. I feel like Palla is theirs, it’s not mine, it’s a culture and that’s exactly what I said to them. All the kids are going to grow up with Palla and it will be a part of them, be part of the movement. – Pedro Herivaux

I don’t really watch entrepreneurial shows. I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur because I’m a soccer player, model and suddenly I have gone into that field. What I always say to other entrepreneurs is that when I go down there to pitch to investors, companies, I speak from my heart. I let them know this is my word, life, my dream. I tell them to take a look at me, I’m just a kid whose parents gave me an opportunity and look at what I have become in my life. I want to go back and give these kids with more talent than me a real chance of succeeding. When I came from Haiti, I was good but I wasn’t even in the top 20 players in my neighborhood. There were kids that were much better than me but didn’t have the opportunity. So, this type of business is a good fit for investors and people who have money, want to do social good and are passionate about it. Some entrepreneurs come from wealthy homes but others have rough beginnings. So, you’ve got to show the passion. To be honest, I get a pay but I make sure I’m the lowest paid person in the company. I’d do it for free but they won’t allow me, they don’t want someone to be stressed. However, I would honestly do it for free until we start making money. You basically have got to speak from your heart. Do it because you love it. When you love it, they see it and it makes everything easier. Don’t be afraid, be bold. The worst that can happen is refusal and that’s ok too. – Pedro Herivaux

Yes, it happened to me when we first started. I feel like that was my own fault because I wasn’t a good salesperson. I couldn’t explain a lot because the app wasn’t finished yet and I couldn’t answer many questions. Investors kept asking how I was going to handle the competition and I would mumble the answer. If asked now, I would have shown the app to the investors. I would’ve told them that we’re number one. I would have all the data to back up my claims, have them look at the many teams who are playing in different leagues. The app is finished now and it has become a lot easier but back then, I kept mumbling. People don’t want to lose their money, they want to know you’re confident. Nowadays I tell people that they’re missing the biggest opportunity of their life if they don’t invest in my company. I tell them I don’t really need the money, I’m just offering them a good opportunity as a friend. I tell them to not come back two or three years from now and regret it. Everybody says I’m very confident in the company and I reflect that. Now we’re about to do another raise of about half a million to go another round, to pitch to big companies. If someone comes up with 100,000$ to invest, he is not going to contribute much to the company because we’re way beyond that. – Pedro Herivaux

I had a great friend of mine that we used to party here. Because of all my partying, if you’re an entrepreneur, you have to be out, you have to be in a scene. Sitting at home is not an option. You go to lounges, you meet people, and you talk together. A lot of people have money and they don’t know what to do with it. If they see you have a good cause and are passionate about it, they will support you. I always tell investors that I don’t want their money, I want them to come in and build this thing together with me. I actually want people to be part of it. Most of my meetings with my investors are from going out, or being introduced by a friend or something like that. I have a close entrepreneur friend, who’s Haitian as well. He owns a company who buys used IPhones, refurbishes it and sells it in China, after it gets refurbished. He makes millions of dollars. I told him about my business idea and helped me. He knew other entrepreneurs/investors and he raised $4million dollars right away. – Pedro Herivaux

Always follow your passion. Don’t say “I can’t”. I hate that word. Follow your dream and when you have an idea, put it together, talk to someone that you trust, who will believe in you, share this idea with them and go out, meet people. Don’t sit at home and look into people’s Facebook accounts. You have to meet them. If I went out, I would be able to raise $100,000. I know I can call three people that have that kind of money and say I want to talk about my idea. It’s that simple. I know a lot of people from playing in the soccer league over 40. Let me tell you a story. I was playing with Haitian soccer league over 40, they invited me to play with them because I was the best player. I accepted because I grew up with most of the guys on the team. However, I joined another team, composed of mostly Americans, some of them were bankers, big business guys, big time lawyers. The reason I made that switch was because with their help, I could build the network I was looking for. Always try to put yourself in a position around people that can help you. They’re right in your face but you can’t see them because you’re not looking for them. They’re there. I was playing with this guy and I didn’t know he was a millionaire. I spent every Sunday with him and didn’t realize that. He would always dress so casual, keep a low-profile and I looked like I was more successful than him but he was very wealthy, had a big mansion, several properties, etc. Right now, he is an investor in my company. – Pedro Herivaux