Prior to founding Sparkle, Cenmar Fuertes was co-founder and CEO of Latin eVentures Ltd., an international technology company with offices in six countries. Before Latin eVentures, Cenmar was a senior international business executive for Ingram Micro, Inc., a Fortune 500 company.
In 1998, while working from Ingram Micro, Cenmar moved to Tokyo to oversee the company’s Japanese operations. Living and working in Japan was a truly revolutionary experience for him. The cultural differences were significant. He had to open his mind to a completely new set of cultural values and traditions. One of his favorite activities while living in Japan was simply observing how the Japanese people lived and conducted their daily affairs.
For Cenmar, the turning point of his Japanese experience came after his meetings with two remarkable men. One was Japan’s most successful technology entrepreneur and the other one, a Zen Buddhist monk and teacher. From the entrepreneur, Cenmar learned about the power of ideas and how ideas combined with action, can bring to life new solutions and products the world needs. From his Zen teacher, Cenmar learned the importance of living an authentic life. One lived with presence, compassion, and in the service of others.
At the time of these encounters, Cenmar had many questions about his life’s purpose. A constant struggle existed between his desire for a more meaningful occupation and the “safety” that his corporate career represented. In the end, the fundamental question he asked himself was whether the work he was doing really made a real difference in anyone’s life. The loud answer he heard was –No, It Does Not!- It was at that precise moment that Cenmar made a leap of faith into what would become a whole new life for him. He promised himself to seek his authentic voice and to learn how to create tangible value for others.
Cenmar came back to Southern California with a strong desire to live a life where he would be “present” for those he loves and where his work would make a direct impact in the lives of others. Sparkle was born in 2002 as a “real-world” representation of his desire for direct contribution. Sparkle’s corporate mission: “To provide our clients with an out of the ordinary experience; every time and for life”, is consistent with Cenmar’s ideals and serves a moral compass that guides the decisions every Sparkle associate makes in his/her daily activities.
As our prospective client or partner, you should know that one of our main goals is to make sure you experience our unique culture and genuine care. Our daily work consists of assisting others while perfecting our individual and team technical abilities. For Cenmar and his associates at Sparkle, such an approach is purposeful enough. Our belief is that daily work process is where real growth and personal satisfaction lies. Rather than thinking just in terms of finishing the task, the project, or the workshift, we see our real work as a never-ending continuum, where mastery is the true and ever-evolving final goal for each one of us. This is not to say that we don’t live and work in the real world, where time constraints, commitments and outcomes matter a great deal to our clients. We do. We just try to remember that taking a longer view, is a healthy way of dealing with daily work pressures. In the end, this translates into higher levels of productivity, much better project outcomes, and excellent client service experiences.
We thank you for your interest in Sparkle and look forward to establishing a long and rich relationship with you. Please request a free estimate or ask us a question.
