By: Natalie Johnson

Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, in a small town that doesn’t appear on most maps, Thais Saenz was born among the Ticuna tribe. To reach her hometown of Benjamin Constant, one must travel five days by boat from Manaus, through winding rivers lined with dense rainforest. It was an environment where survival depended on ingenuity: where the power of community and persistence shaped every day.

That setting would prove to be the foundation of Saenz’s life. She grew up understanding that limitations could be temporary when paired with imagination. “When you come from a place that requires creativity to survive, problem-solving becomes instinctive,” she says. “You don’t wait for opportunities to find you, you build them.”

Years later, when she immigrated to the United States, that instinct would play a pivotal role in guiding her again. Arriving with little more than determination and a belief in hard work, Saenz began climbing the corporate ladder. She started in entry-level roles, learning everything she could about leadership, systems, and customer relationships. By her late 20s, she was managing multi-state markets across Latin America and the U.S. for major brands, including Fortune 500 companies.

From the outside, it looked like success. Yet internally, Saenz felt something was missing. “I was helping corporations thrive, but I wasn’t changing people’s lives,” she recalls. “I wanted to build something that could allow people freedom: time to be better parents, leaders, and human beings.”

That realization led her to create Saenz Global, a fulfillment company serving one of the most overlooked sectors in business: roofing. What began as a solo project has evolved into a tech-driven operational partner trusted by roofing professionals nationwide. Unlike traditional virtual assistant firms, Saenz Global integrates directly with JobNimbus and AccuLynx — the industry’s leading CRMs — allowing the company to handle permits, production, claims, and customer communication with a high degree of precision.

“Roofing is our focus, and that’s what makes us different,” Saenz says. “We’re not assistants: we’re professionals who understand the details that make or break a job.”

But technology alone isn’t what sets Saenz apart. Her company operates with a core philosophy: that success without impact is not fulfilling. “Efficiency is important, but fulfillment is about more than speed,” she explains. “It’s about giving people their time back so they can show up fully for the parts of life that matter.”

That mindset reflects her own journey: from a girl raised in the jungle to a business leader shaping an entire niche. Saenz often shares with her team the lesson that has carried her through every challenge: clarity and action often beat perfection. “You’ll never have all the answers before you start,” she says. “But once you take the first step, the next one typically reveals itself.”

Her leadership style mirrors that belief. At Saenz Global, decisions are made collaboratively, and new ideas are tested quickly. She encourages her team to think independently and own their results. “I want every person who works with us to feel empowered to grow beyond their role,” she adds.

Looking ahead, Saenz envisions scaling the company far beyond operations. Her goal is to make Saenz Global the leading fulfillment company in the roofing sector: blending automation with empathy, and systems with heart. “We’re solving a $53 billion problem,” she says. “But what drives me isn’t the number, it’s the potential impact.”

From the Amazon to American boardrooms, Saenz’s story is one of reinvention, persistence, and purpose. It’s a testament to the idea that greatness isn’t defined by geography or resources: it’s built through resilience and faith in what’s possible.