This told essay is based on a conversation with Alfredo Mercedes, the 27-year-old founder of VU Talent Partners, based in Medellin, Colombia. Edited for length and clarity.
I am the founder of VU Talent Partners and recently relocated from Orlando to Medellin, Colombia.
I began my career in the Marine Corps Reserve, where I trained as an infantry mortarman. I then worked as an executive recruiter at Daversa Partners, an executive search firm for VC portfolio companies, specializing in placing executives in cybersecurity and defense technology roles.
I left Daversa in August 2024 to take a six-figure role at Defense Unicorns, a Series A defense technology company providing AI and open source capabilities to national security and Department of Defense systems.
The company's change in direction created uncertainty in my job. I could have moved into a leadership role, but it didn't align with my personal vision. I wanted to build something unique at the intersection of people and venture, helping founders of innovative technologies grow their teams that advance democracy and security for real-world problems.
In December, I was laid off and had to resign. After leaving the Defense Unicorns, I wasn't sure what to do next. Currently, I run an AI-powered modular recruiting platform within a global VC firm.
A VC firm hired me for my current role.
I crossed paths years ago to start VU Talent Partners and was hired by VU Venture Partners in January after GP offered to reconnect. Currently, I am launching VU Talent Partners. Our goal is to eliminate the chaos of scaling by building a talent infrastructure that scales with your startup.
I had built a reputation for recruiting defense and frontier engineers. VU Venture Partners had a unique proposition. What if, instead of building a separate search company, we built an in-fund talent platform that leverages the same data and signals that startups rely on?
I jumped at the opportunity
VU Venture Partners was also a good fit because I am a Venture University Accelerator alumnus and VU Venture Partners is an early-stage global venture capital fund.
I am the founder and CEO and ownership and profits are split 50/50. I run the VU Talent Partners platform on a day-to-day basis, where VCs provide access to capital, infrastructure and networks.
3 things that gave me the confidence to leave a high-paying career and take a risk
First, there was a personal runway. I earned rental income from the home I owned in Orlando and moved to Medellin, Colombia to reduce my cost of living and give myself more leeway.
Living in Medellin, Colombia is more affordable in almost every aspect of living, including rent, transportation, food, and entertainment. I live in a two-story penthouse in the Main District area for $1,200 a month. Groceries are delivered to your home in 30 minutes and cost $40. Uber costs $10 anywhere in the city.
Next, we felt the market demand. Startups are scaling leaner, and venture companies are struggling to modernize their talent sourcing. As AI becomes a capability multiplier, we especially felt that recruitment infrastructure and speed to results were lacking.
Third, I knew I was uniquely suited. With my military experience, executive recruiting expertise, and startup operator skillset, I was confident that I could deliver results.
From front row seats to the AI talent wars, these are the biggest challenges I see
- Overheat compensation: I've seen AI roles with potential total compensation of over $1 million lock startups out of the competition.
- signal and noise: Thousands of people are rebranding themselves as “AI experts,” but very few are shipping actual systems. It is important to filter that talent.
- Dual-use talent gap: Defense and frontier companies in particular need employees who can operate at the intersection of AI, government, and business.
- retention: Attracting talent is one thing; keeping them interested when offers are constantly coming in is another.
My story is about building a life centered around ownership, resilience, and adjustment. The Corps taught me grit. Recruiting taught me leverage. Venture taught me scale. AI will teach you the code.
At 27 years old, I'm focused and continuing to learn while building a people-first infrastructure that will outlast me by helping my team grow their talent, not their expenses.
