"Entrepreneurs exist because we realize that a process is broken", PlaceMe Founder says
Throughout my life I have been fortunate to meet many people from all walks of life and have been told by many of my friends and family that I was always the connector among us. The Carey Connector is a way of bringing new connections together each month through interviews with local service providers and my team members at Senné.
This month the Carey Connector features Clara Arroyave of PlaceMe
Carey Connector Service Provider Interview April 2019
Clara Arroyave, CEO Of PlaceMe
1. How did you get into your current profession?
In 2012, I moved to Boston to earn my MBA. During that time, I became passionate about solving the problem that foreigners experience while relocating and I wanted to help young professionals transition to a new city.
2. What do you like most about being in your profession?
My favorite part of my profession is the ability to transform an industry for the better. Currently, the real estate industry is outdated and does not provide options for temporary and fully furnished housing. PlaceMe is dedicated to helping people find the right place to live, at an affordable price, at any time. PlaceMe grows bigger and stronger every day, which proves that we are solving a real problem. This is one of the things that drives our team, and one of the things I love about my profession.
3. What don’t you like about your profession?
It is difficult to maintain a work-life balance as the CEO of a real estate startup. I am passionate about seeing growth in my company and helping the community so it becomes challenging to balance the hours.
4. What’s the greatest challenge you see right now in this market?
Right now, the real estate industry is following an archaic model that is not adapting to young professionals and millennials. As demand increases, landlords and property managers simultaneously increase the price of renting. These realities have caused financial strain on young professionals and students and tripled homelessness in the past year in the city of Cambridge.
5. What are your plans to overcome this challenge?
Funding the operations is the first challenge the PlaceMe team needs to tackle. With the funds, we plan to establish more partnerships with developers in the city to tailor new properties to young professionals. This would provide an interesting and profitable opportunity for the developers, while offering a suitable product for our customer base.
6. If I was going to ask a colleague or client what makes you good at your profession, what would they say?
Colleagues and clients know that I speak fast and drink too much coffee! On a serious note, our customers know we work with integrity, transparency, and passion- qualities all too difficult to come by in this industry.
7. What are your passions outside of your profession?
Coffee, good coffee, and very good coffee! Other passions include boxing, touring local breweries, sailing, and being involved in education and volunteering with our local community.
8. What charitable organization(s) are you involved with?
Breakthrough Greater Boston. It is an after-school program that works with kids from 6th to 11th grade to make sure that those who come from minority backgrounds are prepared to apply for college, get accepted and stay in college. This program has a 97% success rate so far.
9. What’s some good advice you can give to people new to your profession?
My biggest piece of advice is to scratch the idea of “it has always been done this way”. Entrepreneurs exist because we realize that a process is broken and we need to rethink how technology can transform an industry for the better. It is very important to not be deterred by that frame of thought and to always look for outdated processes.
If you have any questions about the services that Clara and her team can provide, please let me know. To learn more about the organizations mentioned in this post check out their websites at https://placemeliving.com and http://breakthroughgreaterboston.org/.
