Chris Martin – Empowering Change: Trust, Innovation and Transformation

• Growing up in a small business family, Chris learned applied mathematics early, leading to a career in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

• Driven by the surrounded entrepreneurial spirit, Chris ventured into several businesses focusing on telecom tower infrastructure.

• Believing in the necessity of regenerative developments to continue sustaining life on Earth and inspired by indigenous culture, Chris and Keren founded Ketsali.

• Beyond advocating for diverse representation and gender equality, Chris devotes significant time to aviation, enjoying the technical aspects of flying.

• With the determination to succeed, Chris is committed to expanding his knowledge and launching a private equity firm.

1. Can you tell us about your childhood and what values shaped who you are today?

I had an interesting childhood, growing up in a small family business. My father worked for his father in a machine shop as a machinist, where they built machine tooling technology for the small appliance industry. There were various companies, with one of the most famous being Rival, where my grandfather was instrumental in inventing the Crock-Pot. He developed many products and tools, and I had the privilege to work with him in the shop as a young kid every summer. Precision machine shop technology requires applied mathematics in day-to-day application development, which influenced me to choose mechanical and aerospace engineering for my undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I worked through school to help pay for my college, supported by our small business. As the oldest of four sons, I always tried to set a good example, and my brothers also went on to become very successful. Our business expanded extensively, but in the late 1980s, it faced financial challenges as small appliance fabrication and manufacturing began moving to China, causing our business to dwindle. At that point, we switched gears.

My grandfather, an avid ham radio operator, got me involved in it, and I got my license at 14 with the call sign – KB0LIO. His hobby led us to build towers and communication structures. We invented a small product called the Hazer, crucial in analyzing and optimizing antennas for his radio hobby. Tens of thousands of hobbyists like this existed worldwide before cell phones, and making international calls was very expensive, so this was a free way to communicate globally. My grandfather would sit in his shack, with radios on the wall, talking to people worldwide, including Germany, Italy, and Africa. Inspired by this exciting field, we helped my grandfather expand his business, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit within our family. We worked hard and built many different businesses, some of which have become very big companies now.

2. Tell us more about your dynamic professional journey and how you started off. What were the pivotal moments in your journey that led you to where you are today?

I’ve always been interested in helping businesses grow, especially small ones, which was a significant part of my childhood. Seeking innovative and game-changing ideas for small businesses to expand rapidly landed one of my first great opportunities, which came from helping our own small business expand. As we grew, my brothers also joined the business, forming a team with diverse skills and expertise. My brother Tatum was a business major from the University of Missouri-Columbia, my brother Beau was a marketing journalist who graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia as a Summa Cum Lauda, and my youngest brother Sky was a graduate of State Fair Community College in Sedalia Missouri as a tradesman and mechanic who supported our trucking company.  Sky has since expanded his business through acquisition into a large wrecker service for large transportation trucks.

With a background in technical expertise and engineering, we built many of our own systems, products and engineered solutions, focusing on structural support systems. We built a vertically integrated company, designing, fabricating, constructing, to finally operate and owning the assets ourselves. The real money in the Telecom Tower business was in owning the asset, leasing it, and generating lease income for which investors were willing to pay healthy multiples of cash flow. We had four complementary businesses, but the primary revenue came from the multi-tenant co-location of towers. This business started in the U.S. and has now expanded globally.

I was part of several core companies that helped grow their portfolios, including SBA Networks, American Tower and Crown Castle International. Other companies we worked with, like SpectraSite and Global Tower Partners, have evolved or been absorbed. This expansion allowed us to help others and eventually own and lease our own towers, building and selling those cash flows, which was a very rewarding opportunity.

3. What was the inspiration behind an initiative as interesting as Ketsali or Glen Martin?

Ketsali is an indigenous word from the Nahuatl language in Mexico. It’s one of many indigenous languages spoken throughout Mexico, with China, Mexico, and India having the most native indigenous languages. My wife comes from a small town in Mexico and has indigenous and French-Italian heritage. While naming our company, we wanted to express the beauty and power of our system and product. Since our founding in 2019, we have evolved into a regenerative development group, aligning with the Ketsali image and brand. 

The Quetzal, a beautiful bird and national bird of Guatemala, is the Spanish translation of the indigenous word Ketsali. The bird’s feathers were used in the headdresses of indigenous chiefs, symbolizing nobility and royalty. The Quetzal, an endangered species, embodies sustainability and regenerative ideas. Although the Mexican bird is the golden eagle, the Quetzal represents the indigenous heritage rooted deep in Mexican culture.  Our goal of sustainable and regenerative development aims to sustain that culture and our planet through regenerative development standards. 

We believe regenerative developments are essential for continuing sustainable life on Earth. If we don’t adopt these strategies and continue using Western building methods, we will face unsustainability and a depressed culture. The prevalent use of concrete throughout urban systems has had both positive and negative impacts on the environment.  Efficient transportation systems have changed the way food is produced and shipped but it has also created dependency that is not sustainable.  Self-sustainable communities must be able to stand on their own without the support of essential utilities. Our approach focuses on a sustainable utility-based system, which is more appropriate given the decreasing land availability and the negative impact of taking land from indigenous cultures for quick profits. This practice disrupts our planet and leads to various social issues.

We hope the Ketsali brand will promote and support a new regenerative development strategy globally, addressing energy challenges, clean and adequate water, healthy food, and sustainable living standards. Our goal is to create places where people love to live and work together, fostering happiness rather than pain and suffering. This approach contrasts with the issues seen in metropolitan areas dominated by concrete jungles that absorb heat and prevent plant life for essential food and water conservation. While concrete has its strengths, improper application in development can create significant sustainability problems. Ketsali aims to be a powerful brand promoting this transformative program.

4. As someone who has taken on multiple leadership roles, what does leadership mean to you? How have you redefined the idea of leadership in your career?

My primary leadership approach is to lead by example and earn people’s trust by doing what I say. I’m an avid learner, always seeking to learn new things and apply them to what we’re doing. I strive to work with people who have a desire to continue learning, as that’s the only way we can improve. This requires willingness and humility. As you get older, you realize how much you don’t know. I’ve supported building systems that expand global learning; the telecommunications systems today are far more advanced than when I was younger. We can now communicate visually with people worldwide, which is amazing for learning. I push for leadership through experience, learning, and setting a good example.

5. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career, and how have you overcome it?

The biggest challenge we face is that legacy systems and ideas are firmly rooted. When an old idea still makes lots of money, it’s hard to change or compete against it, even if it’s harmful to the environment. Changing to something better is tough if it lacks a proven cash flow model or market. My role is to take on and launch new things that will transform our lives. My involvement in telecommunications transformed how we communicate globally. A proud day was building a tower in a remote village in Honduras. That tower was the lifeblood of the community, allowing them to communicate and conduct business globally. We did it with minimal equipment due to budget constraints and logistical challenges. It taught me that you don’t need the best resources to make a significant impact, just a strong will and determination to finish what you start. This is a hard challenge, especially with big corporations trying to maintain their market control. One way to counter that is through government initiatives like expanding broadband to underserved rural areas. I built Bluebird Network in Missouri, providing cost-effective broadband to farming communities. We sold the business to Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, and it continues to thrive. The key lesson is to never give up; solutions to difficult problems will surface if you’re patient and have the right partners. You can’t do everything alone; teaming with others is essential for success and impact. If done right, you can achieve a lot and change many lives.

6. Everyone needs a good mentor, but finding the right one can be tough. Did you have someone who helped guide you in your career? What did you learn from them?

One of my mentors, Hoshi Aga, worked in the steel industry. He came from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but he was originally from India. I met him in Birmingham, Alabama, which was a steel town in the South. He taught me many interesting things and was one of my biggest mentors, helping me grow and expand. My grandfather, Glen R. Martin also had a big impact on my life. He was always interested in discovering new things and learning. Hoshi helped me expand my horizons internationally and think bigger. These two people had the most impact on me.

7.  What is one characteristic that you think is needed in order to be successful in any venture you wish to pursue?

 I would emphasize the importance of selecting the right partners. If you’re going on a difficult journey, you definitely need the right partners. It’s hard to find and bring the right partners together at the right time. Many things have to align for that to occur. It’s easy to say you have the right partners, but it’s another thing to cultivate the proper friendships and ensure those partners to gel together and show up at the right spot at the right time. If you’re doing the right things, then the right things will happen. If you’re not at the right place at the right time, talking to the right circle of people, then likely whatever you’re doing is just not going to happen. At the same time, you can’t give up. Not everything happens as we wish, so you’ve got to be patient, fight through it, and be willing not to give up.

8. What is a quote/mantra that resonates with you?

The code I try to live by is one of trust and truth. We’re moving more to a world that demands this of us, fostering the best lasting relationships. I’m not perfect at it, but I’m constantly working on it to do my best. It ties into the accountability I want to see in organizations and in my personal life. I’d love my children and those around me to possess it. It’s refreshing to be around people you can trust and rely on, and it’s an especially important one for me. 

9. How do you maintain a balance between your personal and professional life?

I think they can coexist. You shouldn’t be doing anything you don’t like to do. If you’re doing something professionally you don’t like, then your personal life can turn horrible. So, do what you like to do because the bulk of your life is spent on your professional side. You need to be with people who love you and whom you love, otherwise, it doesn’t work well personally. You learn a lot by being around the right people, and if they’re not right, you learn to get away and go in a different direction. You can’t make everyone like you, so be with people who align and think similarly. Both the personal and professional will take care of themselves if you play it right. That’s how it’s worked for me.

10. If you could go back and do one thing differently in your career, what would it be?

That’s a hard question. I like the way things have worked, but there are things I wish were different. At the same time, tough times make better people. Being in a better environment would have been interesting, but I don’t think things would have gone as well for me if they had been different. Things have never been easy for me. I’ve always taken the hard route, and sometimes it took longer than I wanted to get where I was trying to go. But for the most part, when I stuck to what I was doing, it ultimately happened the way I wanted. Sometimes you get there and realize it wasn’t that great. Ultimately, I don’t think I’d change anything. I like it the way it is.

11. Given your passion in supporting women and equally vested interest in supporting your two daughters and your wife having an indigenous background. What excites you the most about the world giving more focus on supporting marginalized groups and specifically women?

I grew up in a family of boys, three brothers, and no girls. My dad wanted a girl, and I think things would have been more balanced with a sister. Now it’s the opposite where I have two daughters, no boys. I’m passionate about supporting girl power because I believe women can have a greater impact on our world. The world’s problems largely stem from men. Men often prioritize power and superiority, influenced by machismo. Headship, taught in my Christian upbringing, is important but has been misinterpreted throughout generations. We need softer and calmer solutions to global issues. Women bring love, peace and unity through their different perspectives. More women in government can bring balance and improve how communities and countries function. Many world issues are led by men influencing policies through their leadership positions in the government and corporations. We must return to balanced decision-making between men and women for sustainable solutions. Strong families thrive when men and women work together, not with one dominating. Girl Power is crucial globally for impactful change in addressing these issues. 

12. Beyond your professional life, what are your passions and interests?

The most passionate thing I’m involved in and have pursued for many years is aviation. I love to fly, and I am learning more about it. Right now, I’m working on an IFR instrument flight rating and flying different classes of aircraft. About six months ago, I got a high performance rating. Flying has changed a lot over the last 30 years since I’ve been involved. Navigation has become technical and automated in many ways, but it’s still very fun. It’s a very good thing for me to do, and the planes are amazing pieces of equipment. I learned about it in mechanical aerospace engineering when I first went to school, now I apply it in actual flights. I absolutely love flying.

13. What vision/goals have you set for yourself or are on your bucket list?

I’ve been trying to launch a private equity firm, continuing with the goal to launch a fund. I’m exploring avenues to create one myself or join another group to form it. It’s been challenging, not an easy journey. I’ve struck out several times already. But I haven’t given up on the dream. My goal is to launch or join my own fund as a general partner. It’s a difficult field to break into successfully. First-time fund managers face hurdles; everyone prefers long-term managers with a track record. The market environment and financial markets can be turbulent. Still, I believe there’s a possibility, and I’m determined not to give up.

Chris’s journey is a testament to learning and growth. He absorbed mechanical knowledge from his small family business and pursued engineering. His love for innovation has led not only his own business to thrive but also to countless companies he supports. His success is proof that hard work does reap amazing results both professionally and within your personal life. With correct solutions, positive transformation is possible. He supports sustainability and regenerative development through his brand Kestali. Chris is also an advocate for gender equality and knows that different perspectives bring different roads to success.