By Bryson Foster ’23 ’25 MA
Photos by Kat Lawrence
Floating in the pool is okay – ventilation will prevent you from drowning. Dreaming, by contrast, requires hard work. Miguel Avila ’18 learned this when he started Daily View Pools LLC.
Through sheer determination, Avila, a Huntersville, North Carolina, native, built her business while participating in the 49er Foundry, UNC Charlotte’s student incubator, as an intern.
“The 49er Foundry has helped in many ways,” Avila said. First, it connected me to resources. It also gave me tips on how to get started.
Now, Daily View Pools employs more than 15 people in Charlotte – and it’s growing. The company has three locations, including one at the PORTAL Building at UNC Charlotte, the University’s workspace and talent innovation center for regional and global businesses.
“The opportunities I’ve had in Charlotte are allowing me to take the next steps as a business owner,” said Avila.
The company’s vision
Daily View Pools is a licensed designer who builds outdoor spaces that encourage connection. The company started in 2016 as a swimming pool development company. By 2018, they were building pools, laying concrete and pavers.
Avila’s entrepreneurial spirit inspired him, and in 2024 Daily View Pools began offering pool management and outdoor construction, including sidewalks and light poles. With the increase in donations, the company was awarded contracts with the cities of Charlotte and Greensboro.
Before all his success, Avila gave his original idea to the 49er Foundry, where his skills were expanded as he learned. The PORTAL Construction site continues to support the growth of the company.
“We took advantage of the many resources developed by the University,” said Avila. “We’ve used our partnership with UNC Charlotte primarily to hire talent. Being an alum is part of who I’m working with UNC Charlotte students is always exciting.”
Through a technology-driven business model, Daily View Pools offers online cost-estimators that provide customers with quick quotes for pool services. Through a partnership with Waterguru, the company is able to analyze the quality of the customers’ lake water with the latest technology; one with Pool Brain that enhances customer service and allocates resources efficiently.
“Through this partnership we are improving transparency and building trust,” said Avila. “We do this by providing information so people can make the best decisions.”
Laying the groundwork
Avila earned a BS in economics from UNC Charlotte in 2018 and has participated in extracurricular activities, including a student-run radio station, Radio Free Charlotte, and entrepreneurship programs. An important moment came in 2015 when he landed an internship at Ventureprise.
As a marketing intern at UNC Charlotte’s source for student entrepreneur support, and currently part of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, he reviewed student startups and organized student-run business competition competitions.
“I did it enough to handle the business problem and inspire the desire to start my own company. I thought, ‘Well, I’m giving advice to all those starting their own companies, I should do it myself,'” he said.
Devin Collins, former director of Ventureprise and current regional innovation officer for the Division of Research at UNC Charlotte, said Avila’s success doesn’t surprise him.
“Miguel is an exceptional businessman and a better person,” he said. “His success today with Daily View Pools is a direct reflection of his character, work ethic and desire to create value for his family, customers and community.”
Avila credits the financial knowledge he gained through his studies at the Belk College of Business as essential to running his company successfully.
“My economics professors used to say, ‘If you learn one thing, remember this: Financial opportunity is your next best option.’ “I often think about it when I’m making difficult business decisions,” said Avila.
Back to the roots
The key for Avila is to remember his elite roots. In addition to being an active alumnus, he leads the Google Developer Group Charlotte, which since 2024 has provided learning opportunities to more than a thousand students on campus. (Avila is in the midst, along with Google and the College of Computing and Informatics, of calling the next “Build with AI” event event, taking place at 5 p.m., Thursday, April 2, at the Dubois Center.)
“Giving back is an important lesson I learned as a student,” said Avia, who now hires Niner interns to gain hands-on experience. “The advice I often give to students is that there is no right time to start a company.”
Outside of the business world, Avila’s continues to cultivate a years-long passion for DJing. He attended Backspinz Music Academy in high school and used his skills at Radio Free Charlotte. Last October, Avila returned to campus to perform at the second annual Bachata Brunch during 2025’s Homecoming week.
“It was surreal. Djing on campus reminded me of my college days,” he said. “It was a moment I will remember.”
Looking ahead
With the success of Daily View Pools, Avila plans to expand his business into a government contract. The company will expand its operations under the name Daily View Construction, focusing on residential and commercial properties.
“We are doing public service with Charlotte and Greensboro, the growth made us name our company to reflect our offerings,” said Avila.
In 2020, Avila was named to Charlotte Inno’s 25 Under 25 Innovators, and in 2024, he received Elevate Lifestyle’s Top 30 Under 30 Future Leaders of Charlotte Award. He was invited to serve as co-chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Latin American Business Council, and serves on the Small Business Committee for the PAVE Act (NC House Bill 948).
For Avila, giving back beyond the Charlotte community is important.
“The Wilmington Chamber wanted to bring in someone with experience running a company and being involved in various programs in Charlotte to provide advice and guidance to local programs,” said Avila. “It’s another way I’m sharing my knowledge in the community. I’m learning about Wilmington and I hope to do more business there again.”
With everything Avila has done, he advises others to create opportunities for themselves. “If there’s something you want to be in the organization, you have to be a change and create yourself,” Avila said. “It’s something I’ve always done; creating value is how I measure success.”
The expansion of Daily View Pools LLC, led by Miguel Avila ’18, to include the installation of light poles resulted in a contract with the city of Charlotte through its Strategic Investment Assets program. Pictured above, Avila’s team is installing solar lights for the Charlotte Area Transit System’s Arrowood Station.
Bryson Foster, two-time UNC Charlotte alumnus, is a freelance writer living in Concord, North Carolina.
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