Entrepreneurship on the Frontier, Surrounded by Peers, Confidants & Friends

Build in El Salvador began in 2025, during a period of transition.

Michael Ruiz and Luis Esparragoza had recently moved on from a project and were considering what to build next. Rather than remain idle, they created a Substack publication called Building El Salvador.

The original idea was simple: document the stories of the people helping shape the country's future.

They began interviewing entrepreneurs who had taken the leap of moving to a new country, as well as Salvadorans who were already building businesses, communities, and new opportunities on the ground. Interview after interview, they encountered people with remarkable stories, ambitious ideas, and a genuine belief in El Salvador's potential.

Through those conversations, they began to realize just how much was happening across the country, and how little of it was being connected or documented.

The next stage of BIES emerged unexpectedly.

During an informal gathering at Club Cocal, Michael felt a unique energy in the room. The gathering brought together friends who also happened to be entrepreneurs, builders, and ambitious thinkers. El Salvador naturally moves through periods when momentum feels high and others when it feels quieter, but that evening revealed what could happen when the right people came together.

Michael brought the idea to Luis: what if they could intentionally recreate that energy?

After months of interviewing and writing about entrepreneurs across El Salvador, they began thinking about how to bring those people into the same room. That led to the first BIES roundtable.

The gathering confirmed what Michael had experienced at Club Cocal. When people with bold ideas, complementary skills, and a willingness to help one another come together, meaningful connections form. Conversations lead to collaborations, introductions create opportunities, and ideas begin moving forward.

The publication was no longer only documenting the ecosystem. It was bringing the ecosystem together.

Events became the second part of BIES, but it quickly became clear that occasional gatherings were not enough. The conversations needed somewhere to continue. Members needed a way to follow up, exchange information, make introductions, and stay connected between events.

From that need, the digital community was born.

What began as a simple publication gradually developed into a connected ecosystem of media, events, and community.

Today, BIES is a growing network of entrepreneurs, builders, creators, investors, and local partners who see El Salvador as a place where meaningful ideas can take root. Some were born here, while others chose to make the country their home. What connects them is a shared desire to build, contribute, and turn their ideas into something real.

BIES was not created from a detailed master plan. It grew one story, one gathering, and one relationship at a time.

It continues to grow in the same way: through the people who believe in El Salvador's potential and are willing to help build what comes next.