Marcelo Cortes, Faire co-founder and former CTO, has recently stepped into a new role as Chief Architect. Marcelo helped launch Faire alongside co-founders Max Rhodes, Jeff Kolovson, and Daniele Perito during Y Combinator’s Winter 2017 cohort. Since then, he has played a pivotal role in scaling Faire’s engineering organization, establishing the company’s Canadian headquarters in Kitchener-Waterloo, and expanding its technical teams to over 300 engineers across offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London, and São Paulo.

Read on to get to know more about Marcelo.

What are you most proud of during your time at Faire?

There’s so much to be proud of—it’s still surreal to think about how far we’ve come since our early YC days. If I had to pick one thing, it would be building and scaling our engineering team, particularly our engineering presence in Canada and Brazil. Creating a strong technical foundation has been essential to Faire’s rapid growth, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to cultivate a team that is not only highly skilled but also deeply committed to our mission. Seeing Faire’s impact reach more independent businesses and unlocking new opportunities for our team and customers worldwide has been one of the most fulfilling parts of this journey.

What excites you most about Faire’s future?

Right now is an incredibly exciting time to be an engineer—AI is evolving faster than ever, and the opportunities ahead are massive. We’re only in the early stages of harnessing AI to help our customers make smarter business and buying decisions, and I believe this technology will be a game-changer for the independent retail community.

One of the biggest questions on my mind is: How can we use AI to make our brands and retailers more efficient—giving them back time to focus on what they love most, which is running their businesses.I’m thrilled about the possibilities ahead and what this means for the future of independent retail.

What inspired you to study engineering?

The first computer I ever used was an Intel 286 at my family’s video rental store outside of São José dos Campos, Brazil. That experience sparked my passion for computers and technology when I was just 11 years old.

The funny part? All the commands were in English, a language I barely spoke at the time. But that didn’t stop me—I experimented, ran every available command just to see what it did, and slowly started to understand how everything worked. That early curiosity, combined with my exposure to my parents’ small business, completely shaped my career path.

I was lucky to attend a high school in Brazil that offered information technology courses, which gave me the chance to dive even deeper into programming. Even though my dad initially hoped I’d pursue mechanical engineering, he’s definitely happy with my decision now. 

How has your heritage shaped you and influenced your career?

Growing up in Brazil and being surrounded by entrepreneurship—through my family’s small business—gave me a deep appreciation for the challenges and opportunities that independent retailers face. That perspective has driven my passion for building technology that helps small businesses thrive.

At Faire, I get to combine my love for engineering with my firsthand understanding of the entrepreneurial spirit. It’s been incredibly fulfilling to bring Faire’s mission to new markets where I know firsthand how much of an impact technology can have on small businesses.