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Travels Through Venezuela and Bolivia with Evan Greenberg | The Nearshore Cafe

In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson chats with Evan Greenberg, Director of Client Solutions at Plug Technologies, about how his travels to 47 countries have shaped his unique perspective on Latin American tech talent and nearshoring strategies. Drawing from experiences in Venezuela, Italy, Bolivia, Thailand, and beyond, Evan shares stories that highlight the value of global awareness when building remote teams and collaborating across borders.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Why is Latin America an ideal region for sourcing tech talent?

Latin America offers a strong mix of cost-effectiveness, time zone alignment with U.S. companies, and access to highly educated professionals. Countries like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia have robust university systems and large pools of software engineers, data professionals, and Salesforce or ServiceNow specialists. In addition to technical skills, many professionals in the region speak fluent English and share cultural values that support strong communication and collaboration. This makes Latin America a preferred alternative to distant regions like Asia or Eastern Europe.

What are some emerging tech roles in high demand across Plug Technologies clients?

According to Evan Greenberg, roles in ServiceNow, Salesforce, SAP, MuleSoft, and AI are in extremely high demand. Companies are increasingly looking for nearshore implementers and developers, particularly in platforms like ServiceNow, which has recently made acquisitions in AI. In addition to engineering positions, non-technical roles such as inside sales, client solutions, and support are also being moved to countries like Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Colombia to optimize costs and improve communication with U.S. teams.

Which Latin American destinations are best for travel and culture, based on Evan’s experience?

Evan highlights Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela as memorable travel destinations. In Peru, he recommends exploring Lima’s seafood scene and visiting the Amazon in Puerto Maldonado. In Bolivia, Lake Titicaca and the Andes offer breathtaking altitude and culture. Bogotá, Colombia, stands out for its food, safety, and vibrant local coffee scene. Evan’s favorite Latin travel experiences combine local hospitality, unique ecosystems, and hidden gems off the typical tourist trail. These destinations offer more than just beauty they provide deep cultural connection and inspiration.

Full Episode

Full Transcript

Brian: Welcome to another episode of the Nearshore Cafe podcast. I’m Brian Samson, your host. Before I get into our show, let me thank our sponsor, Plug Technologies. Plug.Tech, a great way to connect talent from all over Latin America with U.S. companies. This is going to be a fun episode. We’re going to go all over the world. Usually, we’ll get hyper-focused on, you know, Argentina or Peru or Mexico and so on. Today, we’re going to talk to Evan Greenberg, who’s been to 47 countries. So, if you want a little taste of the world, this is the show for you. Without further ado, Evan Greenberg, Director of Client Solutions for Plug, it’s great to have you on the show.

Evan: Yeah, thanks for having me. Really appreciate it.

Brian: 47 countries, a lot of the world! How did this travel bug even get ignited? Was this something that happened when you were a kid?

Evan: It was, yeah. So, my mom actually traveled a lot for work. She traveled Singapore, Thailand, you know, all over, and brought our family. So, from a young age, I was in Bangkok, Singapore, places like that and really just loved new cultures. Also, in fourth grade, my dad bought me a geography book. I read it in, like, I think a day and memorized every country flag and just about all the capitals. So, from a very young age, I always had a passion for amazing.

Brian: I think, um, you had said something about a family trip to Venezuela as well. Was that— yeah, are you sure about that?

Evan: We did, yeah. That was an interesting one, for sure. So, my mom’s very adventurous in travel selection, and we went to— so, we went to Caracas, I think, for a day or two. And then we went to an island in Venezuela, Margarita Island. Then we decided to go into the Amazon, which was awesome. We actually took a riverboat on a five- or six-day adventure to Angel Falls. So, that was really cool. We slept in hammocks each night; monkeys were crawling around our feet. It was a lot of fun. I think I was very skinny, but I think I lost like 10 pounds, so when I left, I was even skinnier. So, yeah, it was a great time. Haven’t been back to Venezuela, but would definitely love to. But I really got a real cultural appreciation for the people in Kaima where we went. It was just, it was just a great experience.

Brian: And remind us, how old were you when you did that trip?

Evan: On that trip, I was probably like between 12 and 14, yeah. So, you know, I wasn’t at that point; I hadn’t been to a ton of places. But it was still a place that I really appreciated going and just loved the culture, and just had a great time.

Brian: Now, we hear a lot about Venezuela in the news, you know, with inflation and like worthless money and so forth. But you went, um, maybe at a different time, right? And it’s sometimes hard to forget or hard to remember that countries evolve. You know, just like Argentina, 100 years ago, was one of the wealthiest countries in the world. What was Venezuela like when you were there?

Evan: Yeah, so when I was there, I’m pretty sure they were under Chavez. You know, there was always a pretty strong military presence everywhere: at their airport, a lot of businesses, pretty much everywhere. I never really felt unsafe. But yeah, there was definitely a huge presence pretty much everywhere we went, well, except for the rainforest, of course. But yeah, no, I never really felt unsafe. And, you know, we traveled with my whole family, so my brother and my sister and my parents; we had a big crew of us. And yeah, that again, that’s kind of where my travel springboarded. And, you know, that’s kind of where a lot of it started. Since then, I’ve probably been to, you know, 40-something countries. It was definitely one of the first.

Brian: That’s amazing. I think travel really can ignite. And, you know, 25% of Americans have a passport, and many of those are only using it to go to Cancun or something. And here you are, you know, pre-teen, teenager, going to Venezuela, um, not a very common destination. How did that even come up? Like, did the discussion come up? I mean, was it, “Okay, we can either go to Cancun or we can go to the rainforest in Venezuela?” You know, how did that even come up in the family conversation?

Evan: Yeah, no, great question. I’m trying to remember back because it’s been a while. But again, my mom’s super adventurous. She usually picks off-the-beaten-path places. So, she knew she wanted it. Margarita Island is essentially an extension of the Caribbean, so it’s an island north of Caracas. It was similar to going to the Caribbean, essentially. So, I think that’s why she picked it. Yeah, that’s awesome.

Brian: Um, so then, you know, fast forward us a little bit. When you were, I guess, on your own, an adult, what were some of the first places you went to?

Evan: Sure, in Latin America, or just anywhere?

Brian: Anywhere in the world.

Evan: Yeah, I’d say some of the more unique ones I’ve been to: Cook Islands, I’ve been to Faroe Islands, I would say Malta is pretty unique. I’ve been to Italy several times; that’s still one of my favorites. I actually got married in Italy as well. I would say those are some of my favorites. I mean, they’re kind of all my favorites because they’re all a little bit different, you know, different foods, different cultures. You know, if you love traveling, you have an appreciation for everyone because they’re all different. So, I try not to pick favorites, but I would say one of the rarer ones was probably Cook Islands.

Brian: Yeah, so, yeah, we hear about, we get ads here in Hawaii for the Cook Islands all the time. I’ve never been, but it looks totally unspoiled, untapped, pristine. Was that your experience?

Evan: Yeah, Cook Islands is unique. There are actually no stop lights on the island. There are a couple, I’m not even sure there are stop signs—there might be a couple. But Cook Island is super unique because it’s probably what Hawaii was maybe 20, 30, maybe 30 years ago, or maybe longer. There are no chain hotels. It’s just very—it’s also the main island, Rarotonga, is actually lagoon-protected. Um, I’m someone that is pretty fearful of sharks, just to be honest, and so I kind of like that clarity of being in a lagoon-protected area, which is nice. But yeah, it’s nice because there’s actually a direct from LA, I think it’s once a week. So, I actually got a free flight to LA on points, and then I paid the difference, and I think the flight was like 50% off. So, it was very economical to get there, which is usually not the case.

Brian: Amazing. How about Italy? You’ve been there quite a few times. Where did you go? What was your experience there?

Evan: Yeah, Italy’s definitely—again, I said I don’t like favorites, but it’s kind of a favorite just because of food and culture. But yeah, so I got married in Puglia, which is the boot of Italy, opposite Amalfi Coast. That’s a special region, you know, they’re known for wine, olive oil. It’s more of an agricultural kind of area, but it’s got some of the most unspoiled beaches. It’s got limestone cliffs. The place that I got married actually does a Red Bull Cliff Diving Championship every year, so that’s pretty cool. Um, other places I’ve been in Italy, you know, it’s funny, I haven’t been to all the, quote-unquote, touristy cities in Italy. I think I spent, maybe, I think I spent like one day in Rome. I try to, you know, go to other places. One of my favorites was actually Sicily. Love Sicily, just, you know, it’s close to Africa, so that’s a place that, you know, the food is a little bit different than other parts of Italy. Um, yeah, that’s definitely a special place. I spent a little bit of time in Venice and kind of Northern Italy. I went to Trento, which is up near the border with Austria. I took a train around Italy, actually more like Venice and the northern part. That was super fun. But yeah, I definitely recommend Puglia to anyone that’s trying to go a little off the beaten path, and the price is right as well. And there’s also a direct flight from New York that started, like, actually, I think it starts in May or something this year, so Americans can now go to Puglia without going to Rome or other places in between.

Brian: Very cool. You mentioned the food just a little bit. Can you tell us more?

Evan: Yeah, well, I’m, you know, again, I’m a pasta lover. And, you know, I like good wine as well. So, you really cannot go wrong with that in Italy. I would say the seafood in Puglia was really, really special. They also do the orecchiette pasta, which is the ear-shaped pasta that’s unique to that region. Just a lot of local vineyards and a lot of local farms, which kind of make it, you know, super, super unique.

Brian: Yeah, let’s, um, maybe switch a little bit to Asia. Where in Asia have you been besides Singapore and Thailand as a kid?

Evan: Yeah, those are the only ones that I’ve been to: Singapore and Thailand. Again, I was probably 15, 16, something like that. I think I was in high school, actually, yeah. But actually, fun fact there, at the time, I was on the world’s longest non-stop flight, and I think I got like a plaque or something, which is pretty cool. The flight was like 19, 20 hours, something like that. And it was, yeah, it was definitely a long one.

Brian: Was that the New York to Singapore? Is that what that was?

Evan: It was, yeah. It was New York; it was actually, I think it was Newark to Singapore. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, yeah, that was unique. You know, I don’t really like sleeping on planes. I think I played video games about 12 hours, um, and then got sick of it, and maybe that caused me to go to sleep. And that was definitely my longest, that was definitely the longest flight for me. Singapore was great. Singapore’s got some very good restaurants. Even the street food is super good. Obviously, it’s a huge hub for businesses now, banking and just about everything else under the sun. But yeah, Singapore was great. Thailand was also great. I went to a Muay Thai match. Um, that was super cool. You know, it was super interesting, like somebody got knocked out, and they just left him in the lobby. That was a little startling. But yeah, I would say the overall experience in Thailand was great. The scenery is great, the temples are really nice. Obviously, the food’s really good. I’m into spicy food, so definitely a good place for me.

Brian: So, this is the Nearshore Cafe podcast. We do talk a lot about Latin America. Um, you touched on Venezuela. Where else, where else in Latin America have you been to?

Evan: Yeah, sure. So, I’ve been to Peru. Again, the reason I went to Peru, I found a flight deal on Hopper (Scott’s Cheap Flights, I think they changed their name to Going recently). But I found a flight deal from Charleston to Peru for like 200 bucks round trip. And, you know, that was pretty rare, so I had to go. So, I went with my wife. I think it was in the last, like, five, six years, something like that. Oh, we had a great time. We love seafood, it was a great time. So, we did Lima. I think we stayed in Miraflores. And then, it was my idea, we skipped Machu Picchu. Like, Machu Picchu is still on my list, but, you know, you have to make like extra preparations and things like that. So, we actually went to the Peruvian Amazon. Interesting. And so, near the border with Brazil. It was very interesting. At a hotel, we stayed at some sort of eco-lodge situation in Puerto Maldonado. There were, you know, like sloths outside our window, monkeys, all sorts of things like that. I think we did a night crocodile tour; that was pretty cool. Um, we had a great time. It was a little bit—we went during rainy season, and it rained a lot, so that was a little downside. But yeah, it was a great time. And Peru is special because there are so many different kind of micro areas of Peru that make it special. Like, obviously, Cusco. Then you have rainforest, then you have sea. So, I thought that was super special. Outside of Peru, yeah, I’ve been to Colombia. I went to Colombia about two years ago. I just went to Bogotá. Love Bogotá, a lot. Again, awesome food. Colombia is unique because you have, you know, Pacific Ocean, Caribbean influence. Then you have rainforest influence. So, it was neat trying food from all those different areas. That was a lot of fun for me. I used to watch, like, tons of episodes of Anthony Bourdain, yeah. And so, I’m very influenced by a lot of the places that he traveled as well. I think I’ve watched, like, every single episode, actually. So, he’s kind of like a hero for me. Other places I’ve been, probably the most unique would be Bolivia, yeah. Um, we went there after Colombia. That was very unique in terms of, well, geographic landscape. You know, it’s in the Andes. I believe the elevation is like 13,000 feet. Um, at the time, I lived in Santa Fe, so I lived at 7,300 feet. So, I was already about halfway there, so I was pretty well prepped. Yeah, 13,000 was a bit—was a bit tough going for a jog. So, you know, even walking was tough.

Brian: Yeah, that’s almost three miles above sea level. Wow! Was it—it was just hard to breathe, yeah?

Evan: Yes, and the food was really good there. It was so interesting. We actually had really good pizza there, which, not sure why they had great pizza, but it was amazing. Actually, really good Bolivian wine! Fun fact, Bolivia has a wine country close to the Argentina border.

Brian: Oh, interesting, which you probably know because you spent many years in Argentina.

Evan: Yeah, Bolivia was super unique. The other place we went to was Lake Titicaca. It’s like the highest alpine lake in South America, borders Peru. That was interesting because we had to take two boat rides; we had to drive for hours and hours and take two boat rides.

Brian: Did you start in La Paz and work your way there? And yeah, tell us about that drive.

Evan: Yeah, yeah, we did. So we had a travel guide. I don’t really like driving in another country; it’s just a personal thing. But we had a guide, and we drove to a certain point, and there was a very narrow stretch of water, but not a bridge. And so, we had to get on this little, kind of, like dinghy boat, I guess, just to take us, maybe, like a two-minute boat ride. And so, it probably took an hour because they had to like load the car and everything. So, that was interesting. And then after that, we had to drive again for like, I would say, another hour or two. Wow! And then so that we got to—we got to a city called Copacabana in Bolivia. And it’s actually modeled after the one in Brazil because it kind of looks the same. It looks similar. I mean, obviously, we’re talking beach versus lake. Um, it’s modeled after that one. Yeah, it was super interesting. So, once we got there, we went—I went to an island called Island of the Sun. And it’s actually, it’s famous in, like, Mayan culture and whatnot. Yeah, but yeah, it was a long day, but it was a lot of fun. Yeah, Lake Titicaca was super cool, huge, huge lake. Definitely some great memories. I even bought like an alpaca jacket from a local, yeah, just to support local as well.

Brian: Now, is that the normal—like, Lake Titicaca’s known—I mean, personally, I don’t know anybody who’s been there besides you. But is that the common way to get there? Is it really, is it normally that arduous?

Evan: I think it is, yeah, because you pretty much have to go over that narrow stretch of water, yeah. So, once you get over that stretch again, you’ve got to drive maybe an hour or two to Copacabana, and then you’re basically at the start of Titicaca on the Bolivia side, yeah. But then you still have to, if you want to go close to the Peru side or go to the island, you have to take a boat. So, it was definitely pretty arduous, but a super fun experience. Just glad my wife also enjoyed it.

Brian: Now, you said La Paz is about 13,000 feet above sea level. How about Lake Titicaca?

Evan: Lake Titicaca, don’t quote me on it, but I think it’s… Yeah, I actually don’t know the answer, yeah. But I mean, I’d imagine if it’s the highest alpine lake, it’s pretty high up there, yeah.

Brian: So, this is interesting. You know, Bolivia, you’re up there. You’re up there in Bolivia. You know, other people might talk about the Salt Flats. Did you get a chance to see those?

Evan: I wish I… Yeah, I’ll have to go back. Yeah, I actually just did some research: 12,500. Pretty close to La Paz, actually. Wow, wow, amazing.

Brian: How about the, um, just the culture, the people? You know, what do you remember about your time in Bolivia?

Evan: Yeah, again, you know, the people were super friendly—locals, travel guides. One of the places was cash only, and I don’t usually carry cash, and they were so nice that I came back the next day and paid them in cash. Like, yeah, in America, no one would do that, honestly. So, you know, again, I thought the people were awesome. I thought, you know, it’s funny, a lot of the places that I travel to, maybe two, three years later, they’re on, like, top places to visit kind of list. Bolivia is actually one of them. I think they were recently on Condé Nast or Travel + Leisure’s, you know, ‘place to check out this year.’ And actually, the hotel that I stayed at was on that list as well, so that was also pretty cool. Yeah, it’s not talked about a lot, or nearly as much as it should be. You know, sometimes I think the landlocked countries get forgotten about, um, for sure. And it’s funny because we usually try to pick unique places or go to somewhere that has a beach, but for this one, it was definitely more about cultural appreciation. And it was not a beach vacation, as you mentioned, being landlocked. But it was awesome seeing the Andes. It was awesome, you know, going to a new country. Um, it’s also fun traveling with my wife because she’s super open to new countries and loves travel as well. So, it’s definitely fun that we can both do that together.

Brian: Yeah, and maybe if we go back to Colombia for a second, if you were just to give some tips to somebody visiting Bogotá, what are your, you know, top two or three travel tips, or, you know, things that they should check out or be mindful of, or whatever?

Evan: Yeah, so in Bogotá, again, I was probably there about five days. I mean, for one, I love the coffee. I’m a super coffee nerd. I would say the coffee—definitely go to a local coffee shop, do a coffee tasting, try all the coffee. I would say the other thing I really liked, the food was great. So, there was a restaurant called Mesa Franco, or Mesa Franca, actually, um, that was one I really liked. There’s a restaurant called Leo that’s really good. A lot of these are, you know, supporting local food in Colombia where, you know, it’s not just some sort of fried food or something; it’s super local to a specific region of Colombia. I thought that was really cool. Let’s see what else. I mean, the other thing I really liked in Colombia, I would say, it was really easy to get around. A lot of Uber—Uber was super easy. The airport was super nice. I never felt unsafe in Colombia. I know certain countries get certain images and whatnot, but again, I never felt unsafe in Colombia. I had a great time. You know, we did some touristy things. We went to a nice church up on the mountain in Colombia. But yeah, if I were to do it again, I’m not sure I’d change too much. I mean, we fit in a lot, and yeah, we had a great time.

Brian: I think that’s great. Well, this is the Nearshore Cafe podcast, and we, um, we love talking to people like you who’ve experienced it, firsthand knowledge, you know, kind of seen it. Um, maybe for business people that are learning about the talent in Latin America, what should they know? Like, from your experiences, why would somebody want to look at Latin America for talent?

Evan: Yeah, it’s a great question. So yeah, this is something, you know, we hear a lot in terms of university systems being really high level. Again, like in Monterrey, they have a really great university that is similar to, like, MIT where a lot of engineers graduate. Obviously, Brazil has, like, half a million developers. Argentina’s got a ton of really good talent for developers. But, you know, even other countries, right? Like, Latin America is super big, and there’s a lot of opportunity. We’ve seen a lot of companies move operations in certain jobs to Guatemala, Nicaragua, even Bolivia a bit. My wife’s company, their whole inside sales division is actually out of Costa Rica. And I’ve seen some other big companies move things to Colombia and other places as well. Yeah, I would say in general that talent pool is, you know, huge. A lot of companies in the U.S. like time zone alignment, right? They don’t want to deal with, um, people being a 12-15 hour difference. It’s just better for collaboration, communication. There’s a lot of cultural synergy that is aligned with Latin America talent. I would say the other thing again is kind of the cost-effectiveness, right? I was reading something the other day where, you know, Seattle, there was kind of a debate around Seattle versus San Francisco for engineers, and people are saying now that Seattle is, like, maybe more, like, better, more prominent for certain reasons. I think in Latin America, the advantage is definitely, um, the cost-effectiveness of the talent. You’re going to get a highly skilled resource for, you know, potentially 40 to 60% cheaper than, um, potentially, you know, someone in the U.S., right? Um, without the quality that you’re giving up, right? So, I’ve definitely seen that a lot. Yeah, I think that’s it for that. Yeah.

Brian: Evan, tell me more about, you know, in your role as Director of Client Solutions, you’re talking to a lot of different companies. You’re seeing different technologies that are hot right now. You know, tell us a little bit more about what you’re seeing and then maybe even the opportunity for leveraging talent in Latin America.

Evan: Yeah, sure. So again, here at Plug, we see a lot of different technologies, including technologies and roles. But definitely ServiceNow, definitely SAP, MuleSoft, Salesforce. Um, there’s a lot of—obviously AI is super hot. But with AI being super hot, ServiceNow just bought an AI company in the last week. There’s a huge talent gap and talent shortage of ServiceNow implementers and developers. So, that’s definitely something that we are seeing in the market. In terms of overall jobs, you know, we’re seeing a bit of everything, right? Most are probably engineering, but a lot on the non-IT side as well. So, yeah, it’s definitely super interesting. And, um, you know, there are a lot of companies that might have operations in India or other countries, but they don’t have recruiting prowess in, you know, Mexico or Colombia or Brazil. And we’re definitely seeing a lot of that where people, companies, or their clients are really asking for skill sets and talent in, you know, in countries across Latin America, like Brazil, Chile, Colombia, you know, all over. It’s definitely been, um, it’s definitely been a really—I would say those have been really hot areas.

Brian: Evan, for somebody who’s been to 47 countries, you’ve got a kind of a pulse that countries are unique, people are unique, culture is unique. How you might lead a team in India might be totally different than Vietnam and Africa, and so forth. How about if a company’s looking to build a team in Latin America, do you have any, like, just a couple tips or advice on, you know, they can get the best out of their investment and best out of their team?

Evan: Sure, yeah. You know, I’ve definitely seen that Latin American talent is super hardworking. Obviously, I touched on the university systems being really strong. Um, I would say another thing, you know, English has been really strong with a lot of talent, so there’s not really that communication gap. Um, I would say those are kind of the main things that I’ve seen, you know. Yeah, I think those are kind of the main things.

Brian: Okay, okay, great. Last question here, Evan: as somebody who’s been to 47, what are the other ones on your list? You know, like, if you were to get to 50, what are the next three that are jumping out at you right now?

Evan: So, I would say definitely Argentina. It’s just—it’s one I’ve been talking about for a long time. I would say Uruguay, and, you know, those can be combined, which is nice; they’re kind of close. Outside of that, you know, I’ve not really been to Africa. I do have a baby that’s a little bit older than one year old, so I don’t know that I’m going to Africa anytime soon or anywhere too far. But South Africa is definitely on my list as well. It’s always been intrigued with animals, and my parents got to go to Kenya and Tanzania in the last 10 years, and they really liked that. So, um, I would say those are definitely some top ones for me.

Brian: Good. Around the world with Evan Greenberg. This has been a really fun conversation. Podcast sponsored by Plug Technologies, Plug.Tech, a great way to connect talent from all over Latin America with U.S. companies. Evan, thanks so much for your time today. I enjoyed it.

Evan: Thanks for having me. Let’s do it again!

Brian: All right, thanks everyone.

Brian Samson
Founder at Plugg Technologies

Brian Samson is the founder of Plugg Technologies and a veteran tech entrepreneur, with 10 years building successful nearshoring companies. Brian has helped to grow Plugg into one of the leading nearshoring agencies, connecting technical talent in Latin America; including Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua and Colombia with top U.S. companies. Plugg consistently hires and places over 100 LATAM resources each year. 

Plugg sponsors and Brian Samson hosts the leading podcast about doing business in Latin America with 70+ episodes, The Nearshore Cafe Podcast. In addition, Plugg brings insight and clarity to clients by supporting them with the details, big and small, to set their team up for success. Everything from currency, customs, hardware, and culture, Plugg provides advice and guidance based on first-hand expat experiences living and doing business across multiple Latin American countries. Plugg Technologies is a trusted partner for businesses seeking future-ready tech solutions including cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital operations positions

Brian holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and prior, was an expat in Argentina and a VP of Talent for several San Francisco startups with multiple successful exits (IPO & acquisitions). In his free time he supports foster kids and is a dedicated family man.