Pauly Suchy’s Journey and the "Paraguay Effect" on Global Entrepreneurship

Promotional flyer by GEN Paraguay showcasing the national delegation members who represented the country at GEC Istanbul 2018.
After completing a six-year tenure as Director for Startup Programs at the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN Global), Pauly Suchy shares the fundamental lessons that defined his career. In his reflection, he highlights a determining factor: the influence of Paola Ferrario as his initial mentor. Pauly’s time within the Paraguayan ecosystem served as the catalyst that allowed him to understand startups from both a human and systemic perspective. This foundation, forged through local collaboration and strategy, was what he later projected into the leadership of international programs, proving that quality mentorship is the engine behind great global leaders.
Roberto
Urbieta

Can a trip to Paraguay change the course of a career at the headquarters of the largest entrepreneurship network on the planet? For Pauly Suchy, the answer is a resounding yes.

Today we share a story of audacity, mentorship, and resilience that began on the dirt roads of our country and ended up impacting thousands of founders globally.

The Awakening in Paraguay: Meeting a Mentor

In late 2017, a young Pauly Suchy arrived in Paraguay at the invitation of his friend Rodrigo Cantero. What was meant to be a simple visit ended up becoming "mile zero" of his career. It was in Asunción where he met Paola Ferrario, then Vice President of GEN Paraguay.

Paola didn’t just open the doors of the local ecosystem for him; she became his mentor. She was the one who guided him through budding ideas, taught him to look at entrepreneurship with strategic depth, and showed him that entrepreneurial genius is everywhere—but opportunity must be built.

Anecdotes of Resilience: The Road to Istanbul 2018

Alongside Paola and Raúl López Palacios, Pauly immersed himself in the challenge of a startup seeking to revolutionize heavy machinery rentals. The stakes were high: representing Paraguay at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) Istanbul 2018.

Pauly recalls that trip with humor and humility: from missing his first flight because he confused military time, to spending two nights awake in Istanbul preparing a pitch for an industry he was just beginning to discover. Although the startup did not survive the following year, the lesson was eternal: "If you don’t quit, the journey continues." Pauly returned from Turkey not with a trophy, but with a vision that would equip him to work with founders from all over the world.

The Leap to GEN Global (HQ)

After successfully leading Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in his native Ohio in 2020 (following in the footsteps of his mentor, Paola), Pauly joined the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) headquarters team in 2021. There, he served as Director for Startup Programs, leading high-impact initiatives such as the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) and organizing congresses in venues as imposing as the Saudi Royal Palace and Melbourne.

Lessons from a Global Journey

After a six-year career and thousands of founders met, Pauly leaves us with these 7 fundamental lessons:

  1. Best practices are only guidelines: Adaptability to local context is everything.
  2. Real Diplomacy: Listening and understanding real needs achieves more than formality.
  3. Critics are your friends: Stay true to yourself and only compare yourself to who you were yesterday.
  4. Focus on people, not the agenda: Genuine relationships open doors you never knew existed.
  5. Friendship is what remains: In the end, your team and your friends are the only ones left standing when a startup ends.
  6. Your story matters: Don’t be afraid to tell it, and don’t be naive enough to think you know someone else's.
  7. DON’T QUIT: If you stop showing up, that is when it truly ends.

At GEN Paraguay, we are proud to have been the fertile ground where Pauly Suchy discovered his purpose. His story is a testament that, with the right mentorship and the courage to fail, Paraguayan talent—and those who believe in it—knows no borders.