Juan Pablo Mendez Paredes

Class of 2026-2027

Universidad Anáhuac Queretaro
Mechatronics Engineering

Capstone Project Abstract

TrekFed is an independent Amazon Web Services Premier Partner, spun off from Trek10 in late 2025, focused on bringing commercial cloud modernization to the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). As a young, small company (approximately 20 employees) entering a competitive and highly regulated federal market, TrekFed is exploring whether a "micro-vertical" go-to-market strategy, concentrating on narrow, well-defined segments of DIB companies rather than pursuing the market broadly, can help it differentiate and grow. This capstone project supports that exploration through independent research, gathering intelligence from two complementary sources: direct conversations with DIB companies to understand their buying behavior and priorities, and input from AWS sales representatives who work closely with these companies day to day. Together, this research informs a scoring model to evaluate candidate segments and a GTM playbook grounded in real market discovery rather than assumption.

Why did you choose ESTEEM?

I chose ESTEEM because it offered the fastest, most rigorous path to translate my engineering foundation into strategic business impact, pairing the technical depth I built in Mechatronics and at GE Aerospace with the business skills that are forged in every step of the ESTEEM program.

What do you hope to do after ESTEEM?

After ESTEEM, I hope to step into a role where I can bridge technical depth and business strategy, helping organizations translate complex, engineering-driven problems into clear, actionable growth decisions. My time in the program, particularly the hands-on work validating go-to-market opportunities through structured market research, has sharpened my ability to move from ambiguous problems to rigorous, data-backed recommendations. I want to keep operating at that intersection bringing an engineer's precision to strategic questions, and a strategist's judgment to technical ones, wherever that work takes me next.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Outside of academics and work, I stay active through hiking, rock climbing, and the gym, I find that physical challenges help me reset and think more clearly. I balance that with downtime enjoying movies, video games, and board game nights with friends, which keep me connected to my community of peers. I'm also committed to giving back through volunteer work, which keeps me grounded and reminds me why I care about building things that have a real impact on people's lives.