Why We Are Building a Marketplace Around People, Not Just Transactions

The Friction in Today's Service Economy Imagine this: you are a busy professional juggling endless meetings, a stay-at-home parent orchestrating a household, or a small business owner trying to grow your craft. You need a service, maybe a hairstylist, a pet groomer, or a financial consultant, but the process of finding someone trustworthy, booking them, and ensuring a fair price feels like a second job. You sift through reviews, navigate clunky booking systems, or rely on word-of-mouth recommendations that may not pan out. The service economy, despite its growth, is riddled with friction: lack of trust, inefficient processes, and barriers to access that leave both customers and providers frustrated. As the Founder and CEO of PORTEIRO, I have experienced this struggle firsthand. Growing up in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles after my parents' divorce, I faced isolation and challenges that shaped my understanding of advocacy and community. At 13, a life-altering incident, a retrobulbar hemorrhage caused by an accidental injury, nearly cost me my sight. It was the advocacy of my English teacher, who noticed the redness in my eye and took me to the hospital against all odds, which saved my vision. That experience taught me the power of someone stepping up when you cannot do it alone. It is a lesson I carry into PORTEIRO, a platform built to simplify service discovery while fostering trust and community impact. The Cost of Inaction Without a solution, the service economy's inefficiencies persist. Stay-at-home parents burn out trying to manage household needs without reliable support. Busy professionals lose precious time navigating fragmented platforms or settling for subpar services. Service providers, whether hairstylists, landscapers, or event planners, struggle to connect with clients, scale their businesses, or compete with larger players who dominate digital marketplaces. The result? Missed opportunities, eroded trust, and a system that prioritizes transactions over people. For me, the stakes of inaction hit home early. As a ward of the state in California's foster care system from age 14 to 18, I saw what happens when systems fail to prioritize individuals. My English teacher's relentless advocacy, bringing me schoolwork in juvenile hall and fighting for my placement, kept me from falling through the cracks. But not everyone has an advocate. Without a platform like PORTEIRO, the service economy risks leaving millions disconnected, underserved, and distrustful. A Vision for Empowerment At PORTEIRO, we are building a global B2B2C services platform that redefines how people connect with service providers. Launching this week with eight verticals - Beauty and Personal Care, Health and Wellness, Food and Beverage, Home and Garden, Pets and Animals, Automotive and Transport, Business and Financial, and Entertainment and Events, PORTEIRO uses AI-driven matching and voice-assisted booking to make finding, buying, and selling services effortless. Our dual-sided revenue model ensures fair pricing for customers and sustainable growth for providers, while our hyperlocal activation strategy keeps communities at the heart of every transaction. But PORTEIRO is more than a marketplace, it is a movement. As a proud member of the Pledge 1% community, we reinvest 1% of net profit from every transaction into local initiatives. This is not just about commerce; it is about creating lasting impact. Our partnership with Pushing for Pink, https://www.pushingforpink.com/, a nonprofit dedicated to breast cancer awareness and support, is the first step in our "Contributing to Local Communities" philanthropy program. Every booking you make on PORTEIRO helps fund organizations like Pushing for Pink, turning everyday transactions into catalysts for change. Why People, Not Just Transactions My childhood taught me that advocacy can change lives. Whether it was my English teacher fighting for my future or the social worker ensuring I had a culturally resonant foster home, those moments of human connection shaped who I am. PORTEIRO reflects that ethos. We are not just facilitating transactions; we're building trust, empowering individuals, and strengthening communities. Our AI ensures personalized matches, our platform prioritizes transparency, and our commitment to reinvesting in local causes means every booking has a ripple effect. For stay-at-home parents, PORTEIRO simplifies life by connecting you to trusted providers for everything from home repairs to wellness services. For busy professionals, it is a seamless way to reclaim time without sacrificing quality. For service providers, it is a chance to grow your business, reach new clients, and thrive in a fair, accessible ecosystem. And for communities, it is a promise that every transaction gives back. Join the Movement We are launching PORTEIRO to make the service economy work for everyone. Whether you are a customer seeking convenience or a service provider ready to scale, now is the time to join us. Sign up for our Member Waitlist at https://app.porteiro.com/member-waitlist to access a world of services tailored to your needs. Service providers in our eight verticals - your expertise is the heartbeat of PORTEIRO. Join our Partner Waitlist at https://app.porteiro.com/waitlist to grow your business with us. We are also calling on community programs worldwide to partner with us. If you are part of a local initiative that aligns with our mission to uplift communities, contact me at https://porteiro.com to explore becoming a benefactor of our "Contributing to Local Communities" program. A Future Built on Trust and Impact At PORTEIRO, we believe the service economy should be about people, not just profits. Our mission is to simplify, connect, and empower, across borders, cultures, and communities. As we launch this week, I'm reminded of a quote by Roy T. Bennett: "Always have a willing hand to help someone, you might be the only one that does." Let's build a future where every service transaction is a step toward empowerment and impact.