At our February lunch, CEO Jose Gaztambide shared how GoodMaps has become one of the Kentucky’s fastest growing startups.
Jose discussed how GoodMaps was born out of the American Printing House for the Blind, with the simple, important mission to help blind people navigate indoor spaces. He talked about the challenges of getting GoodMaps’ digital mapping efforts and its navigation app, GoodMaps Explorer, off the ground — including the fact that traditional GPS apps don’t work indoors, the lack of indoor maps available, and the limited dollars available in city budgets to fund this type of mapping. He shared how GoodMaps has created a universal and inclusive experience with a value proposition that goes beyond accessibility, as well as details about its recent (and upcoming) funding rounds.
Jose joined GoodMaps from Interapt, where he served as COO. Prior to that, he structured and launched Social Impact Bonds at Quantified Ventures in Washington, D.C., and was a consultant for McKinsey & Co., where he served clients in retail, financial services and private equity, and focused on due diligence, merger integration and organizational design. Jose began his career at CEMEX USA as a strategic planning analyst.
Jose has an MBA from Cornell University where he was a Roy H. Park Leadership Fellow, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, focusing on business development and supporting local entrepreneurs.
An avid baseball fan, Jose has swum the English Channel and Alcatraz without a wetsuit, and traveled cross country on a self-supported bicycle trip. He lives in Louisville with his wife, Katherine, his son, Emiliano, and their dog, Magi.
