Concierge pilot · Student research at the University of Chicago

Latin America's strongest small enterprises are invisible to the people most likely to back them.

Cappytal is a student-run pilot that introduces U.S. Latinos, founders in Latin America and impact institutions to each other, one at a time. Tell us who you are; we call you, then introduce you by Zoom or over coffee. No fees, and we never ask for money.

Choose your door

U.S. LatinosMy family is from Latin America, and I live in the U.S.About three minutes FoundersI run an enterprise in Latin AmericaAbout four minutes, no uploads Funds, DFIs, foundations, brokersI invest in or support enterprisesTwo minutes and a call

Not an investment offering. No company listings, no terms, no returns. Just introductions. Read the disclosures.

01 · The problem

The enterprises exist. The people who would back them can't see them.

Informal

In our first five interviews, records were informal and kept in Spanish or Portuguese.

2Cappytal discovery interviews, Synthesis #1 (n = 5), Oct 2026

The gap is not only money. It is introductions, context and trust. That is where we start.

02 · How it works

Introductions by hand, before any software.

  1. 01

    Tell us who you are

    Pick your door and answer two short steps. No uploads, no money.

  2. 02

    We read every sign-up and call you

    A person reads your answers and, if you agree, we talk for 20 minutes.

  3. 03

    We introduce you by hand

    When there's a fit, we make a warm introduction by Zoom or over coffee. You decide who you meet. No fees.

What happens to your answers

  • Carlos Eduardo Vargas, the founder, reads them. No one else.
  • We use them only to arrange introductions you agree to.
  • Anonymized research use only if you tick the second consent box.
  • Never sold or shared without your permission. Deleted on request.

03 · Join the network

Three doors. Pick the one that fits.

Two short steps. None asks for money or files, and you can go back without losing your answers.

04 · Ambassador program (working name)

Help without writing a check.

Start small. Each rung is optional, and you can stop at any of them.

  1. About 15 minutes

    A coffee chat, and your name

    Talk with us for 15 minutes and, if you agree, lend your name and a short quote on why this matters to you.

  2. One conversation

    Mentor a founder

    One mentoring conversation with a founder, ideally from your family's country, on something you know well.

  3. Later

    Open doors

    When you're ready, introduce us to your employer, your alumni group or your professional association.

Ambassador sign-up

05 · Who reads your answers

For now, a person reads every sign-up.

Carlos Eduardo Vargas

Founder, Cappytal · MS in Computational Analysis and Public Policy, University of Chicago

Every sign-up is read by me. Five discovery interviews so far, more each week.

cev@uchicago.edu
  • We talk to every founder before any introduction.
  • No introduction happens unless both sides say yes.
  • Nothing you share is passed on without your permission.
  • We never ask for money, from anyone.

06 · Questions

What Cappytal is, and what it is not.

Is this an investment offering?
No. Cappytal does not sell securities, list companies, publish terms or valuations, or promise returns, and we do not accept money. No company is raising money through this page. Joining only tells us you'd like to be introduced to people in the network.
What is Cappytal?
A student venture at the University of Chicago working on how capital finds Latin American enterprises. Before building software, we're testing the idea by hand: reading each sign-up and making introductions one at a time.
What happens after I join?
You get a reference code right away. If you asked for a call, you can book 20 minutes on the next screen; if not, we write within five business days. Any introduction comes later, and only if you say yes to it.
Who sees my data?
Only Carlos Eduardo Vargas, the founder. We share your details with another member only after you agree to a specific introduction. We never sell your data, and we delete it if you ask at cev@uchicago.edu. Quote your reference code so we find it quickly.
Why is this a student project?
Cappytal started in a social entrepreneurship course at the University of Chicago. Running it as research lets us learn what each group actually needs before asking anyone for anything more than a conversation.
Does it cost anything?
No. There are no fees for anyone in the network during this pilot.
Why ask founders about documents if there are no uploads?
So we know what exists before an introduction. The checklist tells us what you could share later, with your permission, with vetted people. We don't collect any files in this version.
Can I answer in Spanish?
Yes. Use the EN/ES switch at the top of the page and answer in whichever language you prefer. Portuguese will come later.

Disclosures

What this page is, in plain terms

Cappytal is a student research project at the University of Chicago. It is not a broker-dealer, funding portal or investment adviser, and nothing on this page is an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security. We do not list companies, publish terms or valuations, or promise returns, and we do not accept money. Joining the network expresses interest in introductions and creates no obligation. Nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice.

This initiative is run by a student and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by the University of Chicago. This is an early-stage pilot. Nothing on this page offers, sells or recommends any security.