Meet Rigo Garcia: Palm Beach SBEP Graduate

Rigo Garcia is a visual storyteller. As president and CEO of RigStar Digital Media, he works with healthcare companies, tradeshows, live events, and more to build an engaging experience that compels consumers to take action. His company provides its clients with everything from digital signage and AV services to website design. RigStar’s talented team not only works with its clients to create dynamic content, but it also provides the software and equipment to display the messaging. Think of an interactive menu on a large screen at a restaurant or an animated, informative welcome message as you enter your doctor’s office.

Rigo has always had a true entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to create something of his own. He was fortunate that he began his career working for a well-known boss – George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees. For 12 years he worked on the baseball side of the business, negotiating contracts with agents and working on player development. During his time with the team, Rigo was able to meet many inspirational people doing big things. He started asking himself what it was that he could do.

Through his work with the Yankees, he was exposed to advertising and marketing tactics and he was intrigued by the ability to influence behavior through messaging and visuals. In fact, one of his favorite pastimes is watching commercials, so this has been a curiosity of his from a young age.

From the sports world he moved into publishing, starting his own lifestyle and business news magazine. However, as the news industry continued converting from hard copy pages to a digital format his interest grew on the digital side. He transitioned from publishing to pharmaceuticals before taking the leap to start RigStar Digital Media in 2010.

At the beginning, digital signage was not the focus of RigStar. Rigo was working more in the digital marketing space, handling website design, website development and SEO for his clients. While he still offers those services, in 2013 he decided his focus was too broad and concentrated the bulk of his efforts on digital signage. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic removed customers from office buildings and public places where his products are used, he once again was faced with retooling the business.

In the fall of 2020, Rigo participated in the Small Business Executive Program (SBEP) in Palm Beach County. Each week he learned a different aspect of growing his business, such as determining the proper price points for various services, how to manage finances, the importance of protecting the company from a legal standpoint, and how to improve perceptions of oneself and the business.

“Being around other entrepreneurs and listening to them share their similar struggles and triumphs was very therapeutic,” said Rigo.

Taking what he learned during the SBEP, Rigo has changed his price structure. He also pivoted during the pandemic to focus more on government work after program speaker Bruce Lewis shared information about the government contracting process.

“Rigo came into the SBEP with a great attitude and an open mind,” said Courtney Mickens, Jim Moran Institute’s Associate Director of Palm Beach Operations. “It is awesome to see him out in the community as a graduate of our program. He’s a true testament to the entrepreneurial mindset and spirit we strive to instill in our participants.”

Rigo continues to stay involved with the Jim Moran Institute through the CEO Peer2Peer Groups. He has continued to network and has even met other SBEP graduates from different classes.

“The biggest thing we have to learn as entrepreneurs is that we don’t know everything. We have to keep learning, keep pivoting and keep getting better,” notes Rigo. “The Jim Moran Institute is a great organization to add to your team and a wonderful resource for your entrepreneurial journey.”

For more information about the Palm Beach County SBEP program, please contact Jim Moran Institute’s Associate Director of Palm Beach Operations Courtney Mickens at cmickens@jimmoraninstitute.fsu.edu.

About the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship
The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship cultivates, trains and inspires entrepreneurial leaders through world-class executive education, applied training, public recognition and leading-edge research.

Jim Moran was an automotive pioneer and an entrepreneur at heart, who at the age of 7, sold soda pop at sandlot baseball games in Chicago. With a career that spanned more than six decades, he built an amazing chronicle of achievements in the automobile industry.

His vision for the Jim Moran Institute was to provide opportunities that would help others become more successful business owners. A 1995 contribution from Jim and Jan Moran and JM Family Enterprises established the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at the Florida State University College of Business. Since 2011, further enhancements to the Jim Moran Institute and its outreach have been made possible by Jan Moran and The Jim Moran Foundation.