Brothers become entrepreneurs to accommodate their own medical challenges

Brothers become entrepreneurs to accommodate their own medical challenges. Mario Lavorato (left foreground) President of Slambuy Incorporated and brother Luca (right) Founder and CEO, along with David Gimes (rear left) and Will Campbell run the online business that donates some of the proceeds to the CF Foundation. Staff photo/IAN KELSO

Both Mario, 27, and Luca, 23, were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a multi-system genetic disease affecting primarily the lungs and digestive system, very early in life - Mario after birth and Luca while their mother was still pregnant with him.

From a young age, the disease's effects - a build-up of thick mucus in the lungs that causes increasingly severe respiratory problems - threatened their ability to lead normal childhoods. But the Lavoratos wouldn't let it.

"Growing up, we were pretty normal kids other than chronic coughs and trips to the hospital," said Luca, who along with his brother attended both Our Lady of Peace Catholic School and Bishop Allen Academy.

"Really, it was our parents' dedication to making sure that we were healthy," added Mario. "They worked very hard to instill in us the dedication to all our treatments over the course of our childhood...we like to say it was a normal upbringing, but it was normal because of the hard work they put in to get us to that level of normalcy."

For the Lavorato brothers, staying healthy means a daily exercise and physiotherapy regimen, large quantities of digestive enzymes consumed with every meal, and thrice-daily, 45-minute treatments with an inhaled nebulizer to clear their lungs.

As they grew older and embarked into the working world - Mario as an architect and Luca as an engineer - it became apparent that maintaining their commitment to their health, while at the same time making their marks in their chosen professions, was a sometimes impossible feat.

Luca, who's currently finishing up his last four months in the University of Waterloo's structural engineering degree program, has worked at five different companies over the course of his co-op program. A mix of embarrassment and lack of time, he said, led him to oftentimes skip his treatments over the course of those placements.

"I was getting up at 7 a.m., driving across the city to work, then I didn't get home till 8 p.m. They were full days with a lot of travelling, and I just didn't have time to do any of the treatments," he said. "And I couldn't bring (my nebulizer) to the office, because it would be awkward to explain it to everybody."

With their health at stake, the brothers looked to the booming internet venture of group buying websites for a new lease on life and career. Working out of their parents' Burnhamthorpe Road and Hwy. 427 area home's basement, Mario and Luca's new business - Slambuy.com - was born just six months ago.

Since moving to their new corporate digs on Thirtieth Street in south Etobicoke two months ago, the brothers Lavorato have teamed up with childhood friends David Gimes and Will Campbell to launch their own 'daily deal' group buying website along the lines of WagJag and Groupon.

Through Slambuy.com, members can access 50 to 95 per cent savings through 'daily deals' on products and services ranging from spa treatments, to restaurant coupons, clothing discounts, and a whole host of different items, both name-brand and from local businesses.

"It's an incredible range of services and products, from Android laptops, to spa services in Yorkville, and from men's dress shirts, all the way to office desk toys," Mario said. "What's so interesting about Slambuy is, everyday there's a new interesting deal that gets featured. You don't know what's next."

But the crowning achievement of their new business, the Lavoratos said, comes with the philanthropic doors it's opened to them - a portion of their proceeds goes to charity.

"There's an absurd amount of money changing hands in this industry, so we thought that if we can get in there, we can try and have some of that money going to a charity," Luca said, noting that Cystic Fibrosis Canada was a natural choice of beneficiaries. "Ever since we were kids, aside from them championing our rights - like our medications being covered - the social support they've offered has been invaluable. All the money they're able to raise goes directly to the development of programs for us, so it's an incredible foundation all around."

Over the month of December, Slambuy.com customers helped the Lavoratos raise close to $500 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada - and that's only the beginning. They also plan to engage new partners in 2012, from both the corporate and charitable worlds.

"We see it as the sky being the limit," Mario said. "Starting in the new year, what we're going to be looking for is corporate partners who are also interested in helping charities, and who would be able to match what we raise in a given time...and we'll also be working with other charities. For example, we're working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in February because our business partner, Will, unfortunately lost his brother to a drunk driving accident.

"So that's the next step we'd like to take to expand. We're happy to help any charity."