10 Years of On Point Strategy
Celebrating a decade of impact

Everything we had been building since 2016 led us to an important decision: to take the leap into the federal market with our first federal contract, for a five-year period.

And it was precisely then that something very important began to grow: my confidence in our capabilities and in what we had built together as a team. Up to that point, we had already established a strong track record in Puerto Rico, working with the Government of Puerto Rico, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector clients. We had learned, we had grown, and we had proven what we were capable of.

Becoming a federal contractor challenged us to raise our standards for compliance and quality, but it also strengthened my confidence in our capabilities and in everything we had built as a team. After years of working with the Government of Puerto Rico, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector clients, we were ready to ask ourselves: How far can we go?

Looking back, I see 2021 as a year of growth, validation, and new beginnings. We confirmed that everything we had built since 2016 had prepared us for something bigger—and that we were ready to take OPS to the next level.

We entered 2020 looking outward. Then everything changed.

The year began with OPS expanding its horizons. We connected with entrepreneurs and business leaders through EO in Costa Rica, explored international opportunities at USAID’s Overseas Small Business Conference in Frankfurt, and continued building the broader perspective that had begun with our first commercial missions to Panama the year before.

But 2020 challenged us almost from the start.

On January 7, a powerful earthquake struck Puerto Rico, disrupting communities across the island. As families faced uncertainty and loss, our team came together to collect and distribute essential supplies to those affected. It was an early reminder that impact is not only about the work we do for our clients, it is also about how we show up when our community needs us.

Then March arrived.

COVID-19 changed where we worked, how we met, how we trained—and almost everything we thought we knew about running a business.

But the work didn’t stop. Neither did we.

We adapted quickly, moving trainings from classrooms to screens while continuing to support our clients through increasingly complex challenges. Our work expanded beyond grants management into processes, organizational structures, controls and operational improvement.

Looking back at the handwritten process maps and endless whiteboards makes us smile today—

Before the dashboards, there were whiteboards. Lots of whiteboards.

2020 also brought an important federal milestone: OPS secured its first direct contract with a federal agency, supporting the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Community Liaison Office (CLO) for the Caribbean Division.

And amid one of the most unpredictable years we had experienced, Mely was recognized as Woman Entrepreneur of the Year during MEDWeek Puerto Rico—a milestone that celebrated how far the journey had come and the team that had helped build it.

Through earthquakes, a global pandemic, operational disruption and uncertainty, we learned that resilience isn’t simply about surviving change. It’s about continuing to learn, solve, serve and move forward while everything around you is changing.

2020 taught us: We can’t always control what changes. But we can decide how we respond.

The world changed.

OPS kept moving.
10 Years. 10 Chapters. One Story.

One of the most important decisions made during this period was to formalize OPS’s growth as a company. It was also during this time that the organization rented its first office in Hato Rey, marking an important step in its development.

OPS also faced several challenges along the way. Despite its rapid growth, the organization recognized the need to establish a stronger internal structure. Defining clearer roles and responsibilities and adopting a more organized way of working required greater effort and commitment from everyone who was part of the team at the time.

2018 marked a defining year in OPS’s development as an organization. While continuing to support recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, OPS secured its contract with ASUME, accompanied the agency to the ACF regional offices in New York, and launched projects that demonstrated its ability to operate in increasingly complex environments.

The year also brought several important milestones, including the first office in Hato Rey, the first team photoshoot, the first ID badges and branded materials, and the early foundations of a stronger organizational culture.

Growth arrived quickly with OPS’s first contract through the Government of Puerto Rico and the Office of Management and Budget. With it came responsibility, the need to build a team, and the realization that the vision could only grow alongside people aligned with its purpose.

Then came Hurricane Maria. While facing the crisis personally, the OPS team was also serving communities across Puerto Rico, often working long hours under uncertain conditions. Those experiences shaped the resilience, agility, and unwavering commitment to service that continue to define OPS today.