NVIDIA Is Coming to DR!!

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In this edition of the Grubernation Weekly Newsletter:

• NVIDIA Is Coming to DR (Here’s Why It Matters)

• This Week in DR News…

• Why I Fell in LOVE With Dominican Republic

If you haven’t AT LEAST checked out the DR Inner Circle website, you should. We’re building an incredible community that this week alone helped two young boys get off the streets into stable housing and school PLUS our members are getting 10% discounts to local restaurants. But most of all, our vibrant WhatsApp chat groups are BUSTLING with connection and information that is INVALUABLE if you’re investing in or moving to DR. Our weekly Zoom alls are a BLAST too - chock full of info and connection.

NVIDIA is Coming to DR

TL;DR: The Dominican Republic signed an MoU (memo of understanding) with NVIDIA to collaborate on AI. If it becomes real (MoU ≠ contract), it could mean (1) data sovereignty via local AI hosting, (2) a national AI talent initiative, (3) AI training through public/private partners like INFOTEP, and (4) a Center of Excellence—the first of its kind in Central America & the Caribbean. I’m bullish if implementation lands. This aligns with where the world is going: AI + entrepreneurship > compliance + grades.

Why I’m Even Talking About This

I’m not a “press release” guy. I talk about what changes real lives: moving your family here, investing, starting a business. This NVIDIA–DR MoU sits right at that intersection. If we get this right, the upside for jobs, education, and investment is real. And yes—I know the difference between a signed deal and a photo-op. That’s why I’m focusing on what would actually change on the ground if this moves forward.

What Was Announced (In Plain English)

Here are the four pillars you’re seeing quoted everywhere, translated to “how does this matter to me?”:

1. Data sovereignty via local AI hosting

   • Translation: Run big models and store data inside the DR, not just in someone else’s cloud. Think less dependency, more control, and a better foundation for health, finance, gov, and enterprise use cases.

2. National AI Talent Initiative (think Deep Learning Institute + future AI Academy)

   • Translation: A national pipeline to skill up students, career-switchers, and professionals in applied AI—not just theory.

3. AI training programs with INFOTEP & others (targeting 2026)

   • Translation: Workforce training at scale. Call centers → AI-assisted service, logistics → demand forecasting, SMBs → automation. It’s not all code; it’s using AI to make money.

4. Center of Excellence in AI (first in CA + the Caribbean)

   • Translation: A hub where research, education, startups, and even tourists intersect. If it’s executed, it becomes the “room where it happens” for the region.

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My Take: Net Positive—with Real Execution Risk

I see two camps:

• Camp A: “Massive step forward.”

• Camp B: “Corporate play for cheap labor.”

Both can be partly true. But zoom out. Education + capability inside the country is the unlock. If we skill up and host the tech here, the spillovers (better jobs, founders, wages, exports) happen here. That beats outsourcing our future.

Where I net out: Bullish with guardrails. Give this an independent governance layer, real timelines, and public reporting—and it can be a decade-defining move.

Who Stands to Benefit First

• Santiago – Medical ecosystem + modern layout + the new Amber Highway speed-to-coast = strong base for health-tech, med-data, and advanced services.

• Santo Domingo – Ports, industry, big universities, public sector proximity. Obvious wins for enterprise AI, fintech, gov-tech.

• Punta Cana area (PUJ/Verón/airport logistics) – A logistics hub is forming behind the airport. Mid-income workforce housing + small-business services could surge.

Parents & Schools: Stop Optimizing for Yesterday

Hot take I stand by: Compliance is death.

The old formula—get grades, get job—served the industrial era. AI bends the curve toward entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and creation. If this NVIDIA plan helps the DR build AI-literate kids who can use tools, start projects, and sell value, we win. I’d rather my sons learn prompt design, data ethics, and shipping a product than memorize pre-calc proofs they’ll never use.

Investor & Operator Lens (How I’d Play It)

• Housing: Mid-market rentals near hubs (Santiago/PUJ/SDQ), with a service room/annex (cleaning help is normal for middle-class here).

• Services: Trades + tech hybrids (electricians, installers, network/security, facility AI retrofits).

• Business Automation: Agencies that bolt AI onto real problems (hotels, clinics, logistics, restaurants).

• Talent Pipelines: Sponsor cohorts with INFOTEP/academies and lock in hiring pathways.

• Founders: Niche B2B workflows for DR enterprises—billing, maintenance, compliance, inventory, patient scheduling, claims pre-processing, etc.

FAQs I Keep Getting

“Isn’t power the Achilles’ heel?”
Short-term, yes—it’s tight. But expansion is underway (generation, solar, private capacity) and there’s real interest in biofuels (sargassum). NVIDIA wouldn’t pick a country with zero path on energy. Execution matters; the signals look better than a year ago.

“Is this just call-center 2.0?”
Only if it’s allowed to be. With local hosting + training + a Center of Excellence, the ladder can go beyond back-office: model ops, automation consulting, data stewardship, applied AI in hospitals, ports, and factories.

“When would we actually feel it?”
Pieces can show up fast (training, pilots, small wins). The flywheel—talent → companies → exports—takes 24–36 months to feel big.

What I’m Watching (Scorecard You Can Steal)

• Governance: Who runs the Center? Is there independent oversight and public KPIs?

• Power: Concrete megawatt additions + uptime trends (not speeches).

• Training: Seats funded, graduates placed, median wages in the DR.

• Local Hosting: Clear announcements on hardware footprints and DR-based workloads.

• Enterprise Pilots: Health, logistics, finance—named pilots with timelines.

If You’re Moving/Investing Here, Do This Next

1. Pick your city thesis (SDQ for scale, STI for systems/health, PUJ for logistics/hospitality).

2. Map a skill plan (for you or your kids): AI literacy, Spanish, one trade or domain.

3. Design income stacks (don’t rely on one wage): services + media + small product.

4. Network laterally (earn the rooms before you pitch). DR is “who you know” first.

5. Stay close to the signal (policy, power, training seats, hiring demand).

Join the Discussion + Get the Deep Dives

• 🎥 Live Q&A: I’m hosting a session on “What DR × NVIDIA means for jobs & real estate.”
  → [Join DR Inner Circle] (paste your link) to get the Zoom invite + replay vault.

• 📄 Bonus Pack: My mortgage doc list + AI-era school checklist for parents.
  → Reply with “PACK” and I’ll send it.

My Bottom Line

This MoU could be nothing—or it could be the moment the DR stopped exporting its future. Education that matches the world we’re actually moving into, plus the ability to build and host here, changes the trajectory. I’m betting on the latter—and I’ll keep telling you exactly what I see, good and bad.

And remember .. I’m no financial expert. These are ALL just my opinions and thoughts. Consult your own financial advisors for advice about your situation.

This Week in DR News

• Hurricane Melissa’s Impact on DR - and here’s one way to donate to help. While then TS Melissa didn’t make landfall in DR, it dumped a TON of rain especially around Santo Domingo and west. Areas like Bani saw terrible flooding along with many other communities in and around the south shore of the island. Prayers to those impacted and if you can spare a little, use the link above to donate to Jompeame to assist with their efforts.

• ANOTHER Miches Resort Opens - but this one is a BIG DEAL. I have called Miches as the next big thing in DR and am very consistent in saying follow the money (that money often being Grupo Punta Cana - where they go, keep eyes open). Zemi Miches is a Hilton project owned by Frank Rainieri and his son, CEO of GPC Frank Elias. These are smart, well informed men. If they see promise in Miches, you should too. Eyes on Cabo Rojo and Punta Bergantin using the same logic!

• Free Manny Cruz Concert November 30 - If you’re around Santo Domingo Este right after US Thanksgiving, why note take in a show? This is fun news and the concert is in celebration of National Merengue Day - so it promises to be a really cool day. Plus I consider Manny a friend, and this is me supporting him!

Why I Fell in LOVE With Dominican Republic

In today’s video, I shared a heartwarming story of community coming together to help two kids get some much needed help in life.

Prepare the tissues, you may ugly cry from this one! Haha. But I promise you’ll be inspired, and if your heart allows for it, there’s a donation link in the video description to help out more kids here in DR.