In the last year, Miami-based private equity investor Joe DaGrosa has quietly – and kind of accidentally – become the leader in the participatory sports space in Cuba. Joe DaGrosa and his MultiRace event company, in partnership with Spanish company Eventos Latinamerica, now effectively holds exclusive rights to the Havana Marathon (November 20), Havana Triathlon (February 25-26) and Spartan Race Cuba (March 18).
As the Company expands its presence in Cuba, it aims to help build an athletic bridge by bringing runners and triathletes from the World over to the country while introducing and developing a new generation of competitors in Cuba. “We believe that sports are a wonderful means to bridge cultural gaps and bring people together.” The Company has been holding workshops in Cuba on running sports training, nutrition and rehabilitation, with an emphasis on “training-the Trainers” in order to promote the sports.
Although there has been significant investor interest in doing business in Cuba since the re-establishment of relations with the US nearly two years ago, the reality is that there remains much to do in creating business, diplomatic and legal frameworks for international businesses and investors to operate. These challenges highlight Mr. DaGrosa’s achievement in establishing a business presence which positions him well to expand into other areas of opportunities in the country. Mr. DaGrosa added that “Cuba is a country whose people share a great affinity for many aspects of US culture and sports. Our focus today is to position these events as World leaders and make Cuba a global destination for elite runners and triathletes while seeking opportunities to help Cuba develop and expand its hospitality infrastructure which will be critical in this effort.”