Graduated 1997 from the International Fine Arts College, Miami, Florida with a degree in Fashion Design, a position on the Dean's List and an inclusion in "The Who's Who of American Colleges".
He represented the USA in a jewelry competition which displayed the finalists' work in exhibition at the Louvre, Paris, France.
Before getting his first job in the film industry, Ugo made armor in a friend's garage for Medieval re-enactment members.
He performed as a singer in an Ecuadoran rock band called Phoenix.