For Alejandro Morales Goncalves, founder and COO of STOA, the heart of the business is simple: helping growing companies bring chaos into order.
STOA works with small and mid-sized businesses that are growing, but often struggling to become more efficient, more scalable, and ultimately more profitable. As Alejandro explained, many companies reach a point where “everything lives in the founder’s head.” Processes are not documented, standard operating procedures are missing, and leaders begin making software decisions before they fully understand their own operations and needs.
“Our job is to bring that chaos into order,” he said.
That means helping businesses document processes, create SOPs across the organization, choose the right tools, and then implement and train teams so the software actually works for the business — and for the people using it. Over the last year and a half, STOA has also become more involved with exit planners, helping business owners maximize the long-term value of their companies. Alejandro describes that work as turning businesses into more valuable assets.
His path into that work wasn’t one he planned from the beginning. He started his career in marketing more than a decade ago, working with agencies as a technical marketer focused on websites and integrations. When he later went freelance, clients increasingly brought him bigger operational challenges — not just marketing questions, but business problems they wanted to solve through technology and software.
“It happened organically,” he said. “I love solving problems, and marketing wasn’t giving me tangible outcomes. This gave me a way to get hands-on with businesses and solve real problems.”
That evolution eventually became STOA, which was founded in 2020 during COVID.
Alejandro found the Wake Forest Founders program almost by accident. Someone told him about it while he was working in the Loading Dock - Wake Forest. At the time, he was navigating major change in his business, including the departure of a partner and the process of reorganizing the company before eventually finding a new one. He joined the program not knowing exactly what to expect, but quickly realized how much he needed it.
“Running the business was very lonely,” he said. “There was a combination of loneliness and imposter syndrome. I felt like I was the only one who didn’t know how to run a business.”
Through the Founders, he discovered something different: perspective, encouragement, and a community of founders working through many of the same challenges. He credits Dr. Tim Flood and the program’s guest speakers with giving him valuable insight into how to lead and grow a business. He also found confidence through the pitch competition, where he placed third with Cohort 3.
“I had done a lot of public speaking in Spain, but this gave me confidence here,” he said.
Still, what surprised him most was not just what he learned about business — but what he relearned about people.
Alejandro said that before the program, he had come off six months of networking that left him burned out and cynical after too many interactions that did not feel genuine. Wake Forest Founders changed that.
“It gave me optimism again,” he said. “It showed me you can do business and still be authentic with people.”
That shift became one of the most meaningful parts of the experience. “It brought me a lot of confidence and happiness in my work again,” he said. “It brought me back to loving my job.”
He also reflected on a bigger lesson that continues to shape the way he approaches both business and life.
“What has surprised me most is the degree of abundance that exists if you approach life and business that way,” he said. “When one door closes, another opens. That has happened to me over and over again. There is enough pie for everyone.”
That mindset — one rooted in action, generosity, and trust — was reinforced through the program. Alejandro said one of the most comforting realizations was understanding that no one has everything figured out.
“Nobody really knows what they’re doing,” he said with a laugh. “We’re all in this together. We all started at the same place, and we’re all just trying to make it together.”
For him, that perspective created peace of mind and made it easier to keep moving forward. “I used to think you had to be perfect before you move,” he said. “Now I know it helps to just take action before everything is perfect. There is no perfect plan.”
That sense of community has extended well beyond the program itself. Alejandro said Wake Forest has stood out because of how closely connected and supportive the business community feels.
“The difference in Wake Forest is the community is so much stronger,” he said. “It’s tighter knit than other areas. People are willing to bring you in and make introductions for you.”
Originally drawn to the area because of family ties in Wake Forest, he joined both the Chamber and The Loading Dock and approached networking with a focus on building real friendships. Those connections have led to meaningful business opportunities, including a major project with Audrey’s Barkyard — a collaboration that came directly out of the Founders program.
Now, STOA is entering its next chapter of growth. The company is on track to double revenue from last year, and Alejandro has a long-term vision for STOA to become a trusted advisor for businesses through new tools, educational platforms, in-person events, and future expansion opportunities.
One of the most exciting developments is STOA Tools, a new product designed to help businesses access practical resources and support. Alejandro said the prize money from the Founders pitch competition helped kickstart the product’s development, and it will soon be available free for two years to Wake Forest Area Chamber members.
For Jason Cannon, President of the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership (WFBIP) and the Town of Wake Forest’s Economic Development Director, that kind of innovation represents something much bigger than one business win. “STOA Tools is the kind of resource that can benefit the entire Wake Forest community. When we support products and services that help organizations run better, grow stronger, and connect more effectively, that creates value for everyone — from small businesses and nonprofits to residents, community partners, and the broader local economy. Wake Forest is strongest when all of its stakeholders are moving forward together, and when one wins, we all win.”
Alejandro said that for anyone considering Wake Forest Founders, the biggest value is the network and the community it creates.
“If you want to build a strong network and community, that’s the number one benefit of the program,” he said. “You learn from people with different backgrounds, you brainstorm together, and you help each other come up with solutions. You just have to be open to learn and contribute.”
His story is a reminder that entrepreneurship does not have to be a solo journey. Sometimes the greatest value comes not only from refining a business model, but from finding the people, perspective, and confidence to keep going.
In Wake Forest, STOA found all three.
