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Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

Chattanooga startup’s ‘travelogistics’ shipping plan overcomes uncertainties of delivering to South America

Photo by Matt Hamilton / Shappi CEO Karla Valdivieso, left, and COO C.J. Valdivieso
Photo by Matt Hamilton / Shappi CEO Karla Valdivieso, left, and COO C.J. Valdivieso Photo by Matt Hamilton / Shappi CEO Karla Valdivieso, left, and COO C.J. Valdivieso

It’s easy to gripe about the United States Postal Service.

But compared to many countries, most Americans don’t realize what a reliable system they have, say Karla and C.J. Valdivieso. For most of Latin America, ordering products online is a gamble. Due to political factors and safety concerns, packages can arrive months late; and sometimes they don’t arrive at all.

Frustrating on a personal level, it’s an even bigger problem for business owners who want to order supplies.

It’s also wildly expensive. Often, making a trip to the U.S. is less expensive than having items delivered to a local address.

Growing up in Ecuador, the women experienced the frustration first hand — the catalyst for the creation of Shappi, an application designed to solve shopping woes for the people of Ecuador.