What happens to a builder when he realizes his father couldn't take a single building with him?

In this episode of Border Masters, hosts Gustavo de la Fuente and Monique Casellas sit down with Isaac Abadi, CEO of Grupo Abadi, whose family brought the first high rises to the Tijuana side of the border and never stopped building. Isaac arrived from Panama by way of Mexico City, got stuck in the 2008 crisis with a half finished tower, and came out of it with a company that now spans real estate, hospitality, finance and wellness.

He talks about what changed after both of his parents died, why every project since has to be worth doing beyond the money, and what he's building now: NewCity Medical Plaza and its medical tourism ecosystem, an ibogaine clinic in Tijuana treating Israeli veterans for PTSD, and Ayeka, a retreat center in Valle de Guadalupe named for a question rather than a place.

This episode is about what gets built, what gets left behind, and the question he asked himself at his father's grave: are we here to create wealth or wellness?

Some Border Masters episodes are recorded in English and others in Spanish. Listen to this episode and more at https://olasmedia.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment, and share. For guest suggestions or inquiries, email info@bordermasterspodcast.com.

Chapters:
00:00:00 – Introduction to Isaac Abadi
00:02:26 – From Panama to Mexico City to San Diego
00:04:57 – NewCity Residential and surviving the 2008 crisis
00:07:26 – Why Tijuana, with the Californian economy next door
00:11:17 – Building NewCity Medical Plaza, a one stop shop for medical tourism
00:15:41 – Losing both parents and rebuilding the company around purpose
00:20:40 – Ibogaine research in a hospital setting
00:24:21 – Ayeka, a retreat center in Valle de Guadalupe
00:29:58 – Orjaim and treating Israeli veterans for PTSD
00:36:00 – What the border teaches a business person
00:42:33 – What it means to be a Border Master

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Hay ciudades que cambian su historia por accidente y otras que la cambian porque alguien decide contarla distinto. En este episodio de Border Masters, conversamos con José Galicot Béjar, empresario, escritor y fundador de Tijuana Innovadora, sobre los casi ochenta años que lleva construyendo en esta frontera. Galicot llegó a Tijuana a los nueve años, cuando era un pueblo de 20 mil habitantes con calles de tierra, y desde entonces levantó fábricas, tiendas departamentales, discotecas reconocidas entre las mejores del mundo y una empresa de telefonía global. También lo perdió todo más de una vez. Hablamos del origen de Tijuana Innovadora y de las válvulas cardíacas fabricadas aquí que nadie conocía, de los 200 discursos que dio antes de que alguien lo escuchara, de la biculturalidad Tijuana y San Diego como ventaja competitiva, y de por qué, después de seis décadas de negocios, se sigue definiendo con una sola palabra: educador.

Gracias a nuestros patrocinadores por hacer posible estas conversaciones:
Rancho la Puerta

Some Border Masters episodes are recorded in English and others in Spanish. Listen to this episode and more at https://olasmedia.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment, and share. For guest suggestions or inquiries, email info@bordermasterspodcast.com.

Capítulos:
00:00:00 – Apertura y bienvenida a José Galicot Béjar
00:03:28 – Tijuana se reinventa: la conversación que cambió la ciudad
00:06:03 – De Parral a Tijuana: infancia, escuela y los años en México
00:11:55 – Mil dólares, una fábrica de chamarras y el primer gran salto
00:14:41 – Perderlo todo y volver a empezar: discotecas, Los Cabos y telefonía
00:17:48 – Libertad para trabajar: por qué Tijuana atrae talento e inversión
00:23:58 – El alma de Tijuana: migración, apertura y comunidad
00:28:32 – El nacimiento de Tijuana Innovadora
00:34:01 – Liderazgo, ecología y el futuro de la ciudad
00:40:42 – Qué significa ser un Border Master

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What if the solution to America's obesity crisis was a 20-minute surgery, a 20-minute drive across the border, and a doctor who's been doing it for 30 years?

In this episode of Border Masters, hosts Gustavo de la Fuente and Monique Casellas sit down with Dr. Ariel Ortiz Lagardere, founder of the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana and one of the world's most recognized bariatric surgeons, to explore the intersection of medicine, economics, and transformation at the US-Mexico border.

From the rise of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic to the hidden risks of muscle loss, from the reality of cross-border healthcare to Tijuana's emerging medical district, Dr. Ortiz challenges everything we think we know about obesity, surgery, and where the best care in the world actually comes from. With over 30,000 procedures performed mostly for American and Canadian patients, he makes the case that the border isn't a barrier to quality healthcare. For many, it's the only door that was ever open.

This episode is about access, innovation, and the quiet revolution happening just across the fence.

Some Border Masters episodes are recorded in English and others in Spanish. Listen to this episode and more at https://olasmedia.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment, and share. For guest suggestions or inquiries, email info@bordermasterspodcast.com.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – introduction to Dr. Ariel Ortiz
00:02:29 – Why Tijuana became the global epicenter of cross-border healthcare
00:05:26 – GLP-1 medications, muscle loss, and the changing face of bariatric surgery
00:08:50 – Metabolic disease: the silent killer affecting 7 in 10 people
00:11:33 – When surgery is the right choice: 30,000 procedures in 30 years
00:15:24 – The psychological and emotional transformation of weight loss surgery
00:18:14 – Tijuana as a medical innovation hub and what drives international patients
00:20:52 – The financial reality of cross-border care and how the business model works
00:25:20 – Risks, accreditation, and how to choose the right center in Mexico
00:33:55 – Tijuana's future: the medical district, organized healthcare, and legacy
00:45:21 – What it means to be a Border Master and closing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.