On this episode of Ascend: Stories of Scale, Angelique sits down with Julian Torres Gomez, CEO of Ontop, to explore what it takes to build the backbone of global work in a world without borders.
From early investor advice that reshaped his approach to compliance, to the realities of operating across 150+ countries, Julian shares what it means to build where regulation, trust, and execution intersect.
Key Takeaways
- Why global workforce infrastructure demands deep expertise in compliance, KYC, and AML from day one
- How investor guidance can reshape a founder’s approach to risk and regulation
- What it takes to support hiring and payments across 150+ countries
- The shift from local-first companies to borderless workforce platforms
- Lessons in scaling leadership within highly regulated, fast-moving environments and why the old rules don’t apply anymore
- Why the future of work infrastructure depends on trust, compliance, and operational rigor
Founders: Julian Torres Gomez (CEO & Co-Founder), Santiago Aparicio (Co-Founder)
Speakers
Julian Torres Gomez
CEO & Co-Founder, Ontop
Julian Torres Gomez is the CEO & Co-Founder of Ontop, where he is building the financial infrastructure for the global workforce.
Prior to Ontop, he founded Fitpal, one of Latin America’s leading fitness and wellness apps, and was part of the 500 Startups Miami 2018 cohort. He is also an author published by Penguin Random House, with works including La Estupidez Colectiva (2019) and Hábitos Poderosos (2022), with a third book in progress inspired by Wu Wei.
Julian has served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at InQlab, lived in China, and studied Business at Universidad de los Andes.
Angelique Strauss
CEO/Founder, AScaleX
Angelique Strauss is the CEO of AScaleX, where she works with companies to improve operational efficiency, accelerate revenue growth, and build strategic partnerships that support long-term scale. With more than ten years of experience leading international teams, she has helped organizations unlock significant business expansion and drive measurable growth.
- 10+ years of experience across B2B technology, fintech, edtech, security & compliance, enterprise technology, and professional sports.
- Venture growth and fundraising leader with contributions to over $50M in combined funding across fintech and edtech companies.
- Generated over $2M in client pipeline from a single integrated campaign.
- Contributed to more than 60% of new business generation in under a year through strategic GTM execution.
- Known for combining operator-level execution with strategic leadership to drive scalable growth.
- Forbes Business Council member and contributor
