Today we’d like to introduce you to Louis Darrouzet.
Hi Louis, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Growing up in Dallas, I attended and graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School where I was honored to receive Jesuit’s “Man for Others” Award which recognizes a student who exemplifies servant leadership. Upon graduation, I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering while on a cheerleading scholarship. Over the next eight years, I had a successful engineering and operations leadership career until 2013, when I graduated from Southern Methodist University with my Master of Business Administration.
After graduate school, I worked at a venture capital-backed startup as the Vice President of Business Development, and eventually transitioned into a corporate sales role at Keurig Dr. Pepper where I developed and managed a $265M+ client portfolio.
I am now the CEO of the Metroplex Civic and Business Association (MCBA), a non-profit organization that’s helping North Texas businesses create a positive local impact. Simultaneously, I am the Founder and CEO of Skillective, a web-based platform for instructors and their clients to find, schedule, and book in-person or virtual lessons and events. While I am not working, my wife Carly and I enjoy spending time with our five children and traveling the world teaching partner acrobatics.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Perhaps the biggest “bump in the road” I’ve experienced was in 2015 while working for the Venture Capital backed compostable plastics technology startup company –– cycle Wood –– which ultimately flopped. In the beginning, our trajectory seemed encouraging, with products being sold on the shelves of Wal-Mart, through a partnership with Green Pups and Eco-Care products.
As months went on, we received feedback that our product had a pungent odor. The Kraft pulping process uses sulfur to separate cellulose fibers (used to make paper) from lignin. While the compostable technology using lignin worked great, we had trouble with getting rid of the Sulfur odor. Trying to find solutions to the odor problem was getting expensive, and we ended up running out of funding. That was the moment when I felt I was failing in every aspect of my life. I didn’t know how I was going to support my family and I couldn’t solve an issue that seemed like it should have been simple.
In retrospect, I’m able to look back on that time and see the experience as a major learning and growth opportunity. Our setbacks only make us stronger, and I’m thankful that I learned to push myself and take risks.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As a Dallas native, I have long been inspired by North Texas trailblazers like S.M. Wright, T. Boone Pickens, Trammel Crow Sr., and others. They worked alongside each other to serve our community and to provide local leaders with insight on how to best create a pro-growth, pro-opportunity region for all. Upon noticing the disintegration of this sort of collaboration within the business community, a group of business leaders ideated the concept for the Metroplex Civic and Business Association (MCBA). Founded in 2021, the MCBA brings together business leaders across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to collaborate and educate their employees on the community’s greatest needs. Our mission is to ensure the continued success of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and we accomplish this by helping our members become more connected through volunteerism and education. In less than a year, we have grown to more than 55 member companies and half a dozen member charities. Together, we are making a significant impact in shaping our community’s future.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Personally, one of my greatest mentors has been Chuck Ginski, former Vice President of Non-Franchise Sales at Keurig Dr. Pepper in Plano. Chuck took a major risk when he hired me as a sales representative because I was an engineer with minimal sales experience. His risk, fortunately, paid off because, by the end of my time at Keurig Dr. Pepper, I had grown my book of business to ~$265 million in sales per year.
In getting to know Chuck and other business-savvy executives in Metroplex, I learned that there are so many successful people in DFW who are willing to help other individuals learn and succeed. You just have to be willing to put in the effort to meet them and build relationships with them. MCBA is a great way for executives and leaders in upper management to expand their networks. By being an invitation-only organization, it ensures our members have a deeply rooted commitment to the success of our region, recognizing that impactful collaboration requires investing in relationships.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mcbadfw.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcbadfw/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MCBADFW/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcbadfw
Image Credits
Giovanni Gonzalez
