Entrepreneur and Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell is taking great strides to equip law enforcement agencies along the southern U.S. border with advanced drone technology. However, he took an unlikely path to becoming the CEO of a $200 million company.

Chell sat down with Steve Ispas of Epoch TV’s “Bay Area Innovators” to tell his story. His career began when he was 14 years old, assembling PCs to sell to local farmers. Later, in 1994, Chell and his brother founded a client server business that continued to grow. He eventually took the business public, and it became worth $3.5 billion in 2000 when Chell was just 25 years old.

After moving on and making other successful investments, Chell was living a luxurious financier lifestyle. However, on Sept. 11, 2001, he was traveling and ended up at the base of the World Trade Center, where he saw the terrorist attacks unfold.

“That was the first night I remember thinking, ‘I’m just going to get drunk,’” he said.

That was the beginning of his downward spiral into alcoholism and drug abuse. He eventually became homeless.

Chell said that his substance abuse was a coping mechanism.

“The drinking was a symptom of the out-of-control-ness of my life, the ego, and the other challenges,” he said.

He described himself as “barely being alive” during that time. He had hit rock bottom.

After some time passed, he became tired of his condition and made the decision to “become alive” again. After two years, many trips to rehab, and help from his friends and family, he recovered and found his way back to a successful entrepreneurial career.

After getting back on his feet, Chell was involved in multiple ventures, such as UrtheCast, a company that streamed videos taken from space. He became inspired by the potential of drones after being introduced to Zenon Dragan, founder of the company Draganfly.

In 2013, Chell and an investment group bought Draganfly, and he became CEO. Draganfly, a Canada-based company, is the oldest dual-use drone manufacturer in the world and is credited with the first drone that saved a human life.

Now, Chell and Draganfly are partnering with Cochise County, Arizona, to protect the U.S. southern border.

Cochise County had aimed to utilize drones for some time but had to rely on Chinese-produced drones with security concerns and poor battery life, Chell said. In response, Draganfly designed a drone that combined the benefits of fixed-wing and multi-rotor drones. Their drone is able to function for nine hours, fly at high altitudes, and carry heavy payloads.

Along with other technologies, the drone enables law enforcement to deliver medical equipment and other supplies, conduct surveillance and radio communications, and even deter criminals. It also helps them assist victims of human trafficking at the southern border, who often require medical attention.

Chell said the people at Draganfly feel positive about the humanitarian aspect of their work.

Anticipating a successful pilot project, Chell is optimistic about expanding the drone’s usage across the entire southern and northern borders of the United States. He believes this expansion would bring meaningful support to border patrol and enforcement across the country and benefit the company.

Chell described his work with Draganfly as “the most impactful technology I could possibly be involved with” and is inspired by the higher purpose of his product and the glowing feedback he’s received from the Cochise County local community.

After reflecting on his unique life story and business career, Chell described his definition of success as “being able to sleep well at night and wake up excited about the next day.” He says he stays committed to doing the best job he can, contributing to others, and holding himself accountable.

He gave some advice for promoting humility and avoiding the perils related to ego.

“It’s getting connected to something bigger than myself,” he said. “I thought I was the center of the world. ... I just didn’t know any better. I didn’t know, and it took an extreme humbling ... for me to get to a spot where I’d be open to that. The best way that I stay connected to something bigger than myself, whatever it is ... is I take time to be quiet. I take time to meditate. I take time to listen.”

He said if he had a secret weapon, that would be it.

“The more I do that, the more I realize that everything is connected,” he said.