HispanicBusiness

Yipes Communications, Inc., based in San Francisco, is pioneering a breakthrough in communications technology—gigabit optical IP networks. Frank R. Robles, Yipes' co-founder and Vice President of Corporate Development, is a true entrepreneur and one of the key players in bringing Yipes to its leading position in the rapidly growing optical networking services industry. As one prominent industry analyst put it, Yipes is "truly red hot in both concept and execution."

Robles was born of an inter-racial marriage and raised by a single mother in one of the worst neighborhoods of East Oakland, Calif. He taught himself computer programming at age 12 and by age 14 was president of the Kaiser Aluminum Computer Club. Because his high school did not offer the courses required to go to college, he was home tutored and scored high enough on his SAT tests to earn a Cal Grant to attend University of California, Santa Cruz.

Robles' career as a software programmer and entrepreneur began in college, developing educational software for a company called "Tecla." Over the span of his career, he has provided technical management and consulting services to high-tech leaders such as Apple Computers, Hewlett-Packard, Kana Communications and Siebel Systems; and he was a founding member of Internet service provider, Netcom.

Robles co-founded Yipes in 1999. He has helped the company raise over $200 million in venture capital funding and has played an integral part in rolling-out Yipes' fiber optic networks across the country in record time.