About Me

Founder. Startup CEO. 17+ years in tech, 11 in product leadership, 6 in growth. Intensely curious, relentlessly fun, and bent on systematicity.

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How We Got Here

Roman Gonzalez

Roman Gonzalez is Founder and Consultant at Rad Plant Man Consulting, an AI strategy and operations firm for venture-backed companies and enterprise teams based in Austin, TX.

He comes to the table with 17+ years in tech, 11 in product and design leadership, 6 in growth marketing, and 5 years as Founder and CEO of Gardenio — a Techstars-backed consumer tech startup for gardeners. Now he's on a ruthless mission to help organizations succeed through radical focus and AI-powered operational excellence.

The core of the RPM thesis is that how we work is the distinguishing feature between teams that are flailing and teams that are thriving. Most teams are doing random things, confusing activity for progress. Teams driven by clearly articulated goals, repeatable cycles, radical focus, and lean, rigorous, user-centered experimentation are giving themselves their best shot at success. That's the best you can hope to do — and it's more than enough.

I also work under the belief that we spend so much of our lives building companies — it's a privilege — so we should have fun while we're doing it.

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Personal Context

The Stuff That Shapes the Work

I'm intensely curious and love deep learning — geeking out on things most people haven't heard of. I'm a Travis County Master Gardener, growing over 150 unique varieties of plants at my home. I run a monthly specialty coffee tasting club, box four times a week, write and record music, and I'm keenly engaged in the intersection of food science, horticultural history of cuisine, home cooking technique, and ancestral foodways.

I also host Bar Roman — a book club and event series built around discussion parties. Good people, good questions, good drinks. An excuse to go deep with strangers and friends alike.

For speaking engagements, business opportunities, or to get an invite to one of these things — send me a message via the contact form.

Awards and Acknowledgements

Recognized for Leadership and Impact

I'm pleased to have been repeatedly awarded for my leadership in and contributions to the Austin startup, Latinx, and diverse founder community.

  • •2021 Techstars Sustainability Selection — Boulder, CO
  • •2021 Bank of America $20K Grant Award Winner
  • •2021 Austin Young Chamber Fast Start Health and Wellness Grant Awardee
  • •2021 Austin A-List Spotlight Award Winner
  • •2020 Asana.com Standout Latinx Entrepreneur
  • •2020 Lightship Capital Fast Pitch Finalist and Audience Award Winner
  • •2020 SXSW Startup of the Year Finalist
  • •2020 Divinc Champions of Change People's Choice Award
  • •2019 Mosaic Diversity Awards Finalist, Startup Category
  • •2019 Naturally Austin Top 6 Most Exciting CPG Brand
  • •2019 Generation Titans Grant Award Winner
  • •2019 Startup to Watch — Austin Inno
  • •2018 BuiltInAustin 50 on Fire Startup
  • •2018/2019 TarmacTX Alumni, Social Impact Accelerator with 3M Technologies
  • •2017 Fall Divinc Alumni

Service and Community Work

Giving Back to the Communities That Built Me

I continue to mentor startup founders — helping them navigate the long, difficult, confusing journey. In 2024, I advised the board of the Travis County Master Gardeners.

Previously, I served as Board Member and Programming Chair at Divinc, a nonprofit accelerator for BIPOC founders, where I brought data rigor to the programming team. I also co-founded Divinc Ventures, a microfund for BIPOC founders, and chaired the 2023 Champions of Change Awards selection committee — facilitating the first indigenous and transgender award winners in the history of the event.

With Elisa Sepulveda of Math Ventures, I co-founded LatinTX — a backyard “pachanga” for Latinx founders and funders in Texas to drive angel deal flow and organize Latinx ecosystem data. I also worked with the National Director of the Naturally Network to launch Naturally Angels, a founder-focused thematic pitch night.

Earlier in my career, I co-ran the Brown University Club of Austin, managed the Austin Storytelling Facebook community, and started several backyard storytelling nights — including Hyde Park Storytelling and StoryX: Experimental Backyard Storytelling — raising money for social justice nonprofits across Austin.

Let's Get Started

Let me know what you're up to and how I can help.