Quick Profile

Born in 1975 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gonzalo Paternoster immigrated with his family to the United States in 1982 at the age of six. While growing up in South Florida, he began to develop an appreciation and love for people from all walks of life at an early age. As a young boy, Gonzalo showed signs of leadership skills and abilities he would continue to develop, and which would serve him well in all his endeavors.

During high school, Gonzalo served as the student body president and was the recipient of several scholarships, honors and prestigious awards, including the Kodak Young Leaders Award and the Miami Herald Silver Knight Award. He has continued to hold several leadership positions within his church and community.

Gonzalo left college in 1997 to become a pioneer in the Internet Industry. This led him to become the Director of Technology for a public Internet company. Using his extensive training in marketing and information technology, he also spent several years as an Internet Strategy Consultant for companies in various industries, including the world renowned Tom Peters Company.

Gonzalo is happily married to his high school sweetheart and is the proud father of three young children.

One on One With Gonzalo

You came to the United States from Buenos Aires, Argentina when you were six years old. How has being an immigrant helped you look at things from a different perspective?

GP: Being brought up in a home with one set of customs and then being surrounded by people with other customs gave me an understanding that even though people are the same, they can have different ideas and challenges. My parents saw the United States as a country with so many opportunities, a country full of wealth & freedom. That really gave me an appreciation for all the opportunities we have here. So I had a desire to be a person that took advantage of and utilized those opportunities as much as I could. My parents always worked very hard, and pushed me to get an education. They taught me that no matter what I could always increase my knowledge. It's been an enormous blessing for me to be a son of immigrant parents.

We're constantly hearing how your enthusiasm is contagious. Where does your drive and passion come from?

GP: That's a good question! I guess some people would say that I was born with it, but I think it goes beyond that. As soon as you are putting 100% of yourself into a project, or you are grateful for your opportunities, there's no other way to be but passionate! As far as my drive, I don't want to get to my deathbed and think about all the things I wish I would have done. An experience that has played an instrumental role in my life was when I was in 7th or 8th grade, I walked to the nursing home that was next door to my apartment complex and told them I wanted to volunteer. My parents taught me that the elderly should always be respected for their wisdom and experience. While volunteering, I would spend hours talking to the residents about their lives. They all pretty much gave me the same advice: Before you know it, you're old. Do everything you want to do, so that when you're old you don't regret not taking any risks. You'll always regret what you don't do when it comes to following your dreams.

Some have called your eternal optimism a fault. How do you reply to that?

GP: Well I guess you have two choices in life. You can either be an optimist or a pessimist, and I think being a pessimist is depressing, so that only leaves me with one choice! I have always admired Mahatma Gandhi and his belief that "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." I truly believe that we live in a world of unbounded possibilities. Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right."

What do you believe to be your life’s greatest accomplishment so far?

GP: You know it's funny, sometimes people think of business or civic accomplishments. I actually think of my opportunity to be a husband and a parent. My greatest accomplishment would have to be having a family that's loving, fun, and enjoys each other.

What do you hope to accomplish by inventing the Safe Sex Passport?

GP: I really believe that love, romance, and dating should be a wonderful and enjoyable experience. I think the sexual relationship that two people can share is very powerful, and now it's become such a dangerous thing. It wasn't meant to be that way. Unfortunately there are a lot of people with sexually transmitted diseases that don't even know it. In some cases they do know and they withhold that information. It’s only fair to both parties that there is full disclosure of each person's health status. My intention is that the Safe Sex Passport becomes a world wide standard for people to use as an added layer of protection against the spread of STDs/HIV.

We hear that you are an avid reader. Which authors have had the most influence on you?

GP: Anthony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Jack Canfield and Seth Godin.

We’ve been told that you surround yourself with inspirational quotes. Would you mind sharing some of them with us?

GP: Here are my three favorite:

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of Life's coming attractions."
    - Albert Einstein

"Follow your Bliss and the Universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."
    - Joseph Campbell

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
    - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Contact Information

SSP BioAnalytics Inc.
P.O. Box 550093
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33355
Phone: (954) 474-0118