Ignacio González Castro It seems to move at a different pace. He speaks softly, listens more than he says, and seems unimpressed by power. Even when presidents, magnates and contemporary myths orbit around him, there is a disconcerting calm in his manner and an ancient courtesy that is out of place—for the better—in a world that often confuses success with stridency. His low profile and intact gratitude is not strategy: it is character. As if success – the kind that usually makes those who touch it noisy – had chosen to tiptoe past him.
Uruguayan even in his cadence, he combines the almost artisanal bonhomie of his roots with a life that, behind the scenes, is pure vertigo. She was a teenage model, and without leaving her appearance aside, at just 23 years old she entered her entrepreneurial career first because she understood that her place was not in the shop window but behind the scenes. His training at Babson College in Boston, one of the most prestigious universities in entrepreneurship, finally put him in order. There he discovered the true dimension of global competition. He understood that talent without discipline is not enough and that, to play in the big leagues, you have to be willing to give more than the average.
And he was encouraged to bet big: to create spaces and build bridges. Thus was born the America Business Forumthe project that took him on his tenth anniversary, from Montevideo to Miami. That intimate and close forum for the leaders who mark the planetary pulse where personalities from different fields passed, from politics to sports, fashion, business and entertainment. All with the same purpose: to share lessons, experiences and life stories, which generate an impact on others. A summit where power, for once, lowers the volume, and becomes humanized
A new edition of the Forum has just closed in Miami, with a call that confirms its global ambition: on the same stage they coexisted Donald Trump, Lionel Messi, Rafael Nadal, Jeff Bezos, Corina Machado and Javier Milei, inter alia. Immense names, brought together under a simple and unusual premise: talking about power, success and leadership from a human place. An achievement that, true to his style, he celebrates without being dazzled. Always grateful, he returns home and to his affections to lower the adrenaline. He turns off the phone, but his head is still on, weaving new horizons. He knows that going far is of little use if you lose your way along the way. Its motto – almost a philosophy – is to treasure the advice of ancient souls to move towards the future without ignoring the past. Its formula is as simple as it is uncommon: real listening and an obsession with content rather than vanity. Perhaps that is why, in times of inflated egos, he manages to place figures who do not usually share the stage on the same stage. In his interview with NOTICIAS, he tells how he built this silent method to bring together big names without giving up identity or warmth, and why he believes that, in times of noise, calm can also be a form of leadership.
News: What memories do you have of your childhood in Montevideo and how much did it influence who you are today?
Ignacio González Castro: Since I was a child I wanted to do business. While others dreamed of being soccer players or astronauts, I thought about projects. Over time I understood that it was not enough for me to earn money: I wanted to build something that would truly motivate me.
News: That impulse led him to train in the United States.
González Castro: I studied at Babson College, one of the number one universities for entrepreneurship. It was an experience that opened my mind. There I understood that the real effort is different: in our countries, with an average effort you can stand out; it’s not enough there.
News: Weren’t you afraid to come back and feel that the stage was small?
González Castro: I thought about it, but I immediately started to get started. I always had a clear idea: to do something global without losing roots. I come and go all the time and maintain a deep connection with Uruguay. The project was born from that duality: playing in the global league without abandoning the origin.
News: He started very young. Was it difficult for you to be taken seriously?
González Castro: It was a challenge. In the United States, entrepreneurial culture and success are rewarded; Here, standing out is often frowned upon. And age matters: there I saw very young people in positions of power. Here, on the other hand, if you are not 40 or 50 years old, it is difficult to be taken seriously.
News: How was the América Business Forum born?
González Castro: Little by little. The first forum was at the Montevideo airport for 700 leaders. The second edition we doubled the number of attendees and the following year we took it to Punta del Este, and it didn’t stop growing. There we understood that what inspires the most is not achievements, but life stories.
News: Who was key in its beginnings?
González Castro: Ricky Sarkany. He sponsored me with incredible generosity, without asking for anything in return. I had nothing to give him at that moment and yet he accompanied me all the way.
News: Why this focus on stories?
González Castro: Because success is the tip of the iceberg. I am interested in what is below: the failures, the sacrifices, the dark moments. That generates empathy. People feel like tomorrow it could be her.
News: After ten successful years in Latin America, were you afraid of not living up to what the jump to the United States promised?
González Castro: The plan was big and ambitious from the beginning. I always knew that if we wanted to be global, we had to go to the United States. We looked at Los Angeles, we looked at New York, but for me the place was Miami. In the last year and a half we said: we already tried, we have courage, we are good at what we do. We had to go out and play on the global field.
News: The result was an unprecedented convergence of figures. What was the impact of having them in the same setting?
González Castro: Trump, Milei, María Corina Machado, Messi, Jeff Bezos and dozens of global leaders on the same stage. It is a unique experience. What is most impactful is seeing how these personalities, who seem so distant in terms of their field of action, share a common vision about the importance of resilience, innovation and perseverance.
News: What criteria do you use to put together this incredible list of personalities?
González Castro: Selecting speakers is one of the most complex and fascinating parts of the event. We are looking for people who, in addition to having a global impact, are agents of change, who are truly innovating in their respective areas. It is not only about their professional achievements, but also their personal stories, their visions for the future. Power also needs humanity.
News: The most complex negotiation of this combo?
González Castro: Without a doubt, that of President Trump. His participation was in doubt until the last moment.
News: How do you handle so much pressure?
González Castro: We have very tanned skin. It is not only the pressure of the event, but that of all the teams that surround these figures, each one fiercely defending their interests. It’s like juggling a thousand glasses: times, order, prominence, agendas. This first event in the United States was, in many ways, starting over.
News: In times of hyperpolarization, are there figures that you would not call?
González Castro: I do not have a veto based on my own name, but rather based on principles. It is difficult for me to call someone who is not democratically elected or located at the extremes. At the same time, I believe that each person has their truth and that empathy begins with trying to understand why someone does what they do. Communicating and listening is the best way to build bridges.
News: There is criticism for the low female presence in international forums like yours. Are you satisfied with the level of inclusion achieved?
González Castro: It is a central issue for me and I do not avoid it. We actively seek out female voices, but the reality remains uneven: there are still far fewer women’s names with global visibility than men’s. It is not a lack of will nor a matter of the public, but the result of years of obstacles and invisibility.
News: How do you lower a change in the midst of so much pressure?
González Castro: I return to Uruguay. Friends, family, a small table that I talk to all the time. Barbecue, wine and phones turned off. Enjoyment is also work. That puts you in perspective: nothing is that serious or that important. Also sports: I run a lot to get the adrenaline down. And, when it’s not enough, melatonin and sleep.
News: What did you learn about power and leadership?
González Castro: That human DNA does not change. It doesn’t matter if you talk to the president of the United States, to Jeff Bezos or to a Latin American entrepreneur: the ego, the bright and the dark are always there.
News: What’s coming for the América Business Forum?
González Castro: Miami is going to be our home for the next two or three years. We want to continue growing and call on voices like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, David Beckham, Tom Brady or Oprah.
News: A lesson that applies every day.
González Castro: That life is a combat. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but the important thing is not to get out of the ring.
News: A fear.
González Castro: Not living up to my potential.
News: How would you like the América Business Forum to be remembered?
González Castro: As a space that inspired people to think beyond limits, that awakened in them the curiosity to learn and the courage to change. I would like it to, over time, be remembered not only for the big names who have participated, but for the transformations it generated in the lives and businesses of those who attended.
News: And you?
González Castro: As someone who tried to build bridges. There are too many places that divide us. It also has to do with hope, with having been someone who provided an optimistic view of the future.
