Jerson… From Columbia to Cape Coral and Beyond!

When I first met Jerson during a recent Uber trip, I had never heard his name before. He explained that it is a more common name in South America. It turns out his mom chose it after a popular soccer player back in Colombia. Jerson grew up loving the sport just like many football enthusiasts in Columbia. He spent hours racing after the ball and developing his skills with his friends and teammates.

Life took an unexpected turn, though, when he moved to the United States at seventeen. Everything was new—new language, new city, new future—but Jerson carried his determination with him like a well-worn pair of cleats.

His mother found work at the Sanibel Harbour Resort and, before long, Jerson joined her there working in the kitchen. He discovered something surprising: he was really good at cooking. Stirring pots, chopping vegetables, and creating dishes that made people smile became his new passion. Before he knew it, he was no longer just helping—he was becoming a real chef. With enough confidence and experience, he opened his own Italian restaurant in Cape Coral, a place where he poured his heart into every plate of pasta.

For three successful years, the restaurant flourished. People came from all over for his delicious Italian dishes. But success brought challenges, and when his business partners started making changes he didn’t agree with, Jerson made a tough choice: he walked away. It wasn’t easy, but he believed in staying true to himself. He found other cooking jobs, but nothing seemed quite right until he joined a restaurant group that needed someone with his talent and toughness. Now, whenever one of their restaurants is struggling, they call in Jerson—the fixer, the problem-solver, the chef who refuses to give up.

These days, Jerson spends a lot of time on the road, helping kitchens get back on their feet. He jokes that he’s a workaholic, and maybe he is, but he still finds time now and then to watch a soccer game and remember where it all began. He always cheers on the Colombian team! As for relationships, he says he’s a perfectly content bachelor. He enjoys his freedom, his work, and the adventure of building something new wherever he goes.

The meaning behind his name, derived from the Hebrew Gershon, is “exile”—someone who leaves one place to find a new life in another. In a way, that fits Jerson perfectly. He left Colombia as a teenager, unsure of what his future would hold, and built a life in southwest Florida through hard work, courage, and a passion for food. His journey is proof that sometimes the hardest moves lead to the greatest stories.

Please welcome Jerson to the Ubernamez website!