Business Architect · Venture Builder · Board Advisor
Most operators know one side of the table.
I have worked all of them. Sixteen years as a corporate executive inside a $1B multinational, a Vice Presidency at Ernst & Young advising founders and boards, and five ventures I built from a blank page across the United States, Latin America and Europe.
I work with principals, families and funds who have capital and conviction and need an architect: someone who can turn a thesis into an operating company, a portfolio position into growth, and a complicated organization into one that moves.
Selected value created
in transactions sourced, negotiated and closed across the United States, Latin America and Europe
in recurring annual EBITDA from a global operating model approved by the Chairman and Board, opening Uruguay, Puerto Rico and Spain
ventures founded and taken from concept to market, incorporated across three jurisdictions
people, and 12% market share, in 18 months, building a new country operation in Colombia from a standing start
acquisition driven from sourcing through close, out of a pipeline of 10 opportunities above $25M enterprise value
countries of operation managed inside a $1B group

Fodaxman · Brazil
Where the method came from
Mile 80, not mile 5
11
Years pro athlete
35
International races
5,000+
Kilometres raced
150,000+
Metres climbed
Eleven years as a professional endurance and extreme-sports athlete. Thirty-five international races. More than 5,000 kilometres covered and 150,000 metres of climbing. Ranked 138th at the 2018 Trail World Championship, captaining Guatemala's first national team in the country's history.
People treat that as a hobby. It is where the method came from.
Ultra racing decides its result long after the excitement wears off. Mile 80, not mile 5. The quarter where nothing works, not the quarter you launch. Most business failure is not a strategy problem, it is an execution horizon problem: people build for the launch and never for mile 80.
That is what I bring to a board seat or a build. The discipline to design for mile 80, and the patience to still be there when it arrives.
I also work with a small number of executives on physical performance directly, as an EXOS certified coach. If that is what you are looking for, mention it when you book.
Built and advised with
Vertikal X covered by TechPoint and Sports Tech HQ
Pillars of Operation
Three IdentitiesThe Ultra Man
In 2015 he took up ultra trail running to fight his way out of depression. Within three years he ranked #138 at the 2018 Trail World Championship and Top 5 among Latin Americans on the Ultra Trail World Tour. In 2023 he moved into extreme triathlon and placed top 20 globally after only two races.
The Biz Man
Global Executive in strategy, M&A and international expansion. M.B.A. from INCAE Business School, B.A. in Business Administration and Finance from Universidad Francisco Marroquín, and eighteen years of executive leadership across multinationals, corporate finance, business models, go-to-market and high-performance teams.
The Peak Man
EXOS-certified performance coach and personal trainer. Applies the same load, recovery and progression principles from ultra-endurance to executive performance, plus the Life Test, Life Vision and Life Design reinvention system, motivational speaking, TV work and philanthropy.
How I engage
Three ways to work together. Every one of them starts the same way, with a diagnostic conversation before anything is proposed.
Strategic Advisory
Growth strategy, M&A and capital readiness, international expansion, and operating-model redesign. I have sat on both sides of that table, as the advisor selling the recommendation and as the executive accountable for delivering it.
Venture Building
Thesis to market. Entity and cross-border structure, brand and positioning, go-to-market, the first commercial partnerships, the first paying customers, and the operating cadence that makes the second launch faster than the first. I have done this five times with my own capital and my own name on the door.
Keynote Speaking
Resilience, reinvention and executive performance, drawn from eleven years of professional ultra-endurance racing and eighteen years of building businesses. Delivered in English and Spanish.
Every engagement begins with a 30-minute diagnostic call. No proposal until we both agree there is a fit.
What people say
"Charlie served as a corporate executive for the businesses I lead for over five years, performing at his best capacity in the complex business projects he was assigned, executing with professionalism, discipline and integrity. He has also represented our sports brands as an athlete. We chose him for our athlete portfolio because of the impact he has on other people to dream big."
Board, advisory and governance
- INCAE Business SchoolBoard Member, Guatemala National Committee2017 to 2026
- PentaguaBoard Member2018 to 2024
- Universidad Francisco MarroquínEntrepreneur in Residence2014 to 2017
- Virtual Advisory BoardMember, invitation-only executive network2023 to 2026
- Executive Council NetworkFounding Member2022 to 2024
Nine years on a business school governing committee, six on an operating company board, and three years holding the Entrepreneur in Residence seat formally.
How it works
Every engagement follows the same four stages, from first conversation to a result you can measure.
Diagnose the mandate
You share the business or performance challenge: growth, launch, stage or stamina, and the timeline you are working against.
Confirm fit + define scope
A short call to clarify outcomes, available energy and budget. If it is a match, we agree a scope, cadence and first milestone.
Build / deliver
Advisory sessions, venture sprints, keynote rehearsals or coaching blocks, executed with the same discipline as an ultra training plan.
Measure + next peak
We review the result against the agreed milestone, decide what to lock in and define the next elevation, whether that is another stage or a handoff.
Speaking
Keynotes and workshops delivered in English and Spanish, on stage or virtual. Built from ultra-endurance racing, executive leadership and certified performance coaching.
Audiences
- Boards & C-suite
- Founders & venture studios
- Sports & endurance brands
- Private equity & family offices
- Corporate offsites & sales kickoffs
- Universities & accelerators
Resilience Is Trainable
From depression to the Trail World Championship: how EXOS training principles build executive stamina and teams that hold under load.
Reinvention by Design
The Life Test / Life Vision / Life Design system for leaders and organizations facing forced change.
Building at Altitude
Lessons from founding Vertikal X: sport, capital and technology, and what emerging-market operators do differently.
Strategy, M&A and Expansion
How multinationals actually enter, buy and scale in Latin America, and where the value leaks.
The Book
THE REAL ULTRAMAN
From Dreamer to Achiever. Co-written with Cindy Barascout
The 1% Mindset: From Baseball Star to Ultra Athlete. A heroic journey through sport that redefines the impossible.
Based on a true story: how José Carlos 'Charlie' Sarmiento rewired an ordinary mind into an extraordinary one through 35 years as a high performer, corporate executive, serial entrepreneur and extreme endurance athlete. The book teaches the proprietary UltraM1ndset system so readers can break free from conditioning and build a courageous heart, a strong body and a free spirit.
- Book-anchored keynote (45–60 min)
- UltraM1ndset workshop for leadership teams
- Webinar / virtual session, EN or ES
- Bulk copies + author session for events
The UltraM1ndset System
A proprietary three-stage method: purpose, potential, power. Used in the book, the keynote and the coaching work.
Understand your past, without being a victim.
Face the shadows, choose courage over victimhood, take responsibility and begin to heal, then take the first step without worrying about the next.
Visualize your future, connecting the dots.
When your mind sees it, your heart feels it and your soul lives it, your hands will create it. The body obeys what the mind believes.
Plan and make things happen with courage.
Embrace obstacles with passion, intensity, discipline and courage. Success = (Fail)ⁿ × Forward. Be unique, be rare, and synchronize mind, body and soul.
What I have built
Vertikal X Founder and CEO
Through the VTXAthlete platform, matches endurance athletes with brands and awards sponsorship on verified performance data, scored by a proprietary algorithm, the VTX Index. Incorporated across Switzerland, Spain and the United States, with a US headquarters in Indianapolis.
Monte Sarmiento Founder
Two consumer brands built from concept: Fuego Maya Coffee, Guatemalan single-origin for the US market, and Monte Sarmiento Wines, produced at the Montesanco winery in Valencia, Spain.
Vertikal Sports Capital Founder and General Partner
A venture platform that has designed, incubated and launched five sports and fitness companies from zero to market, including Vertikal Sports Performance, Pilates ProWorks Guatemala and Zero Sixty.
From the Field
Xtri World Tour: Swissman, Norseman, Fodaxman, Icon Livigno. More on Instagram @ultrasarmiento.







Race Archive
Verified Competition Results, 2015 to 2025
Elevation gain (M) vs distance (KM): per race
| Race | Distance (KM) | Elevation gain (M) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015: Transgrancanaria | 125 | 7,000 |
| 2015: ECS | 84 | 3,050 |
| 2015: ECS | 84 | 1,300 |
| 2016: Lavaredo Ultra Trail | 120 | 6,500 |
| 2016: CCC - UTMB | 102 | 6,500 |
| 2016: ECS | 84 | 3,700 |
| 2016: ECS | 84 | 4,260 |
| 2016: Fuego y Agua | 102 | 6,500 |
| 2016: UTG 21K | 21 | 1,100 |
| 2017: UTG | 77 | 5,800 |
| 2018: UTMF | 140 | 6,500 |
| 2018: UTG | 100 | 6,500 |
| 2018: Western States Endurance Run | 164 | 6,000 |
| 2018: Trail World Championship | 86 | 6,000 |
| 2019: UTMB | 165 | 10,000 |
| 2019: La Ruta de los Dioses | 50 | 2,000 |
| 2019: UTX | 50 | 3,500 |
| 2020: Bandera | 100 | 5,000 |
| 2020: Vertikality | 191.4 | 5,258 |
| 2021: The Coastal Challenge | 240 | 10,000 |
| 2022: Brazos Bend | 86 | 1,000 |
| 2022: Spartan Ultra | 50 | Not recorded |
| 2023: Fodaxman | 218.6 | 5,394 |
| 2023: Starvation | 210.5 | 5,736 |
| 2024: Icon Livigno | 240.8 | 6,038 |
| 2024: Skyrunning World Championship | 55 | 3,565 |
| 2024: Ultraman Arizona | 517.7 | 12,475 |
| 2024: Austin Marathon | 42 | 760 |
| 2025: Norseman | 226 | 4,172 |
| 2025: Swissman | 228.5 | 5,671 |
Best single-race D+
12,475 M
2024: Ultraman Arizona
Biggest year by distance
855.5 KM
2024
Total distance raced
4,045 KM
2015-2025 · 30 races
Total elevation gain
151,279 M
≈ 17× Mount Everest
| Year | Event | Distance | D+ Gain | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, NOR | 3.8 / 180 / 42.19 KM | 4,172 M | 14:48 | [ POS. 45 ] |
| 2025 | Swissman Xtreme Triathlon, CHE | 3.4 / 181.8 / 43.25 KM | 5,671 M | 22:14 | [ FINISHER ] |
| 2024 | Icon Livigno Xtreme Triathlon, ITA | 4.1 / 201.3 / 35.4 KM | 6,038 M | 19:06 | [ POS. 27 ] |
| 2024 | Skyrunning World Championship, POR | 55 KM | 3,565 M | 10:21 | [ POS. 81 ] |
| 2024 | Ultraman Arizona, USA | 10 / 423.7 / 84 KM | 12,475 M | 26:55 | [ DNF ] |
| 2024 | Austin Marathon, TX, USA | 42 KM | 760 M | 3:21 | [ POS. 56 ] |
| 2023 | Fodaxman Xtreme Triathlon, BRA | 4 / 172.5 / 42.1 KM | 5,394 M | 15:22 | [ POS. 15 ] |
| 2023 | Starvation Xtreme Triathlon, UT, USA | 4 / 162.7 / 43.8 KM | 5,736 M | 18:36 | [ POS. 10 ] |
| 2022 | Brazos Bend, TX, USA | 86 KM | 1,000 M | 7:46 | [ POS. 2 ] |
| 2022 | Spartan Ultra, NC, USA | 50 KM + 60 OBS. | N/A | 8:43 | [ POS. 66 ] |
| 2021 | The Coastal Challenge, CRI | 240 KM | 10,000 M | 35:19 | [ POS. 5 ] |
| 2020 | Bandera, TX, USA | 100 KM | 5,000 M | 12:33 | [ POS. 41 ] |
| 2020 | Vertikality, GUA (indoor solo) | 191.39 KM | 5,258 M | 14:00 | [ RUN + BIKE + ROW ] |
| 2019 | UTMB, FRA / ITA / CHE | 165 KM | 10,000 M | 27:00 | [ DNF KM 140 ] |
| 2019 | La Ruta de los Dioses, GUA | 50 KM | 2,000 M | 4:45 | [ POS. 3 ] |
| 2019 | UTX, GUA | 50 KM | 3,500 M | 3:00 | [ DNF KM 25 ] |
| 2018 | UTMF, Japan | 140 KM | 6,500 M | 27:15 | [ POS. 41 ] |
| 2018 | UTG, Guatemala | 100 KM | 6,500 M | 19:27 | [ POS. 9 ] |
| 2018 | Western States Endurance Run, USA | 164 KM | 6,000 M | 26:58 | [ POS. 175 ] |
| 2018 | Trail World Championship, ESP | 86 KM | 6,000 M | 13:22 | [ POS. 218 ] |
| 2017 | UTG, Guatemala | 77 KM | 5,800 M | 14:35 | [ 13 / 225 ]TOP 10% |
| 2016 | Lavaredo Ultra Trail, ITA | 120 KM | 6,500 M | 18:13 | [ 105 / 1515 ]TOP 10% |
| 2016 | CCC - UTMB, FRA | 102 KM | 6,500 M | 17:58 | [ 161 / 2123 ]TOP 10% |
| 2016 | ECS, California, USA | 84 KM | 3,700 M | 8:57 | [ 132 / 655 ]TOP 25% |
| 2016 | ECS, New York, USA | 84 KM | 4,260 M | 9:17 | [ 44 / 389 ]TOP 15% |
| 2016 | Fuego y Agua, NIC | 102 KM | 6,500 M | 24:09 | [ 6 / 32 ]TOP 20% |
| 2016 | UTG 21K, Guatemala | 21 KM | 1,100 M | 1:57 | [ 4 / 135 ]TOP 5% |
| 2015 | Transgrancanaria, ESP | 125 KM | 7,000 M | 22:35 | [ 211 / 736 ]TOP 33% |
| 2015 | ECS, Park City, UT, USA | 84 KM | 3,050 M | 10:24 | [ 22 / 121 ]TOP 20% |
| 2015 | ECS, Washington DC, USA | 84 KM | 1,300 M | 9:17 | [ 44 / 389 ]TOP 15% |
Press & Media
Podcasts · Interviews · Features
Empowering Athletes and Changing the Game: building an AI-driven platform for holistic athlete development.
#68 Charlie Sarmiento, Co-Founder of VTX: corporate finance to athlete funding.
Ep. 119: Endurance Sports in the Digital Age with Vertikal X.
Ep. 218: Inside the mind and heart of extreme athlete José Carlos Sarmiento.
Ep. 012: Potential Through Discipline.
The NASDAQ for Athletes: revolutionising investor funding in sport.
Top 10 en el Starvation del XTRI World Tour 2023.
Charlie Sarmiento completó el Fodaxman Extreme Triathlon 2023.
Misión cumplida en el Penyagolosa Trails HG. Trail World Championship, Spain.
Ultramaratonista Charlie Sarmiento en Tododeportes La Entrevista.
VTX Athlete joins as a partner for IRX.
Vertikal X pitches at the TechCrunch City Spotlight: Austin pitch-off.
Media inquiries · press kit available on request
Start with a conversation
Every engagement begins with a 30-minute diagnostic call. We use it to work out whether there is a real fit. No proposal, no deck, no obligation on either side until we both think there is.