THE

UNDERDOG
FOUNDER

Ex-Y Combinator Visiting Partner, Edrizio De La Cruz shares his odyssey from selling guavas in a Santo Domingo barrio to selling his startup to Mastercard.

AS FEATURED

MEET EDRIZIO

A Dominican immigrant raised in Harlem, Edrizio dropped out of college and the US Air Force, becoming an aircraft technician to make ends meet. He later returned to college, worked on Wall Street, and earned his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013, Edrizio co-founded Arcus, a fintech company that was backed by Y Combinator, Citi Ventures, SoftBank, and Ignia. In 2021, the company was ultimately sold to Mastercard.

ABOUT UNDEREDOG FOUNDER

Success in Silicon Valley has become the new American dream. However, for Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs without vital resources, turning this dream into reality is a long shot.

Underdog Founder shares Edrizio De La Cruz’s improbable odyssey from selling guavas in a Dominican barrio to co-founding his startup, Arcus, in Silicon Valley. Arcus was recognized by Forbes as one of the most successful startups of 2021 and was later sold to Mastercard. This no-nonsense playbook is for the entrepreneurial dark horse, a memoir and business narrative that presents seven key principles to rise above racism, poverty, imposter syndrome, and every imaginable and unimaginable startup obstacle.

This is a case study on how diversity programs (SEO, MLT, Toigo) and affirmative action, are vital in helping underrepresented professionals achieve the American dream - one that goes against all odds.

ADVANCED PRAISE

Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize–winning author

“An exhilarating memoir, candid, unsentimental and brilliantly courageous, an indelible portrait of the American dream and the American nightmare.”

Michael Seibel, Y Combinator

“Brutally candid…the most powerful book I’ve read on how to succeed as an underrepresented founder.”

Garry Tan, President at Y Combinator

“Prosperity and the ability to create new businesses is the cornerstone to a more fair economy and society. Edrizio’s story is an important one because we believe and want to build a better world through tech that is a big tent, where every person, no matter their background, can and will find a path to success.” 

Gaby Natale, 3x Emmy Award winner and bestselling author

“A very unique blend of painfully honest memoir and a practical how-to guide on turning your disadvantages into advantages as an entrepreneur.”