Colombian Delegation
The First Lady of Colombia formed a delegation of Colombia's brightest and most talented, and created the 'National Award for Young Talent' to promote young talent in every corner of the country.
The delegation was formed in partnership with One Young World.
56
Winners
35 +
Companies involved
2
Cohorts
The First Lady of Colombia believes strongly in the value of partnerships to grow young talent. Her speech at One Young World 2019 focuses on this belief, and the ways in which this has positively impacted young talent from Colombia.
National Award for Young Talent Scholars 2020/2021
Ángela Rincón Ruiz
Architecture student and photographer
Colombia
Bio
Ángela is a 21 year old young islander, student of architecture at the UPB in Medellín, in love with art and culture and concerned about the cultural abandonment, traditional architectural heritage and the lack of sustainable environmental actions for the conservation of the archipelago. Passionate about reading, history and photography especially portraits of the young people of San Andrés. With that photographic material two exhibitions have been made called "Youth Is In The Air" and a video that was presented in the framework of Colombia 4.0 in the city of Bogotá in 2017 entitled "Young Teenagers". It reflected the reality that the young people of the department live today such as the lack of sports infrastructure, creative spaces or even opportunities for higher education. She dreams of becoming a great architect to preserve traditional architecture in a sustainable and accessible way for all the inhabitants of the archipelago, building parks and green areas where children can play, dogs can run and people can sit and read a good book.
Expertise
Circular Economy, Creative Arts, LGBT+ Rights, Photography, Sustainable Development
Brayan Danilo Guerrero Bastidas
ISA Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. E.S.P
Colombia
Bio
Brayan Danilo Guerrero Bastidas is a student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UPB. He was elected UPB student representative 2019-2020. He has also been granted the Scholarship Ser Pilo Paga 2 and has the best ICFES score of his school. Winner of Innovate EPM 2019 an innovation and entrepreneurship contest. Professional Internship ISA Intercolombia 2020-01. Passionate about Telecommunications and social work.
Expertise
Engineering, Renewable Energy, Science and Technology, Social Entrepreneurship, Teaching and Training
Daniel Zapata Castro
Industrial Engineer and Public Policy Liaison for Social Development
Colombia
Bio
Daniel is pereirano, scout, Messenger of Peace, Global Shapers Community (Pereira Hub outgoing Curator) (World Economic Forum), Promoter of Social, Political and Sustainable Development, with great leadership capacity, development of high-performance teams and manager of institutional coordination; experience in impact, sustainability and social mobilization projects. He is also an Industrial Engineer, Public Policy Liaison for Social Development; student of a master's degree in Administration of Human and Organizational Development. Social entrepreneur with experience in peace building, social mobilization, community processes for empowerment in sustainable development.
Expertise
Activism, Community Building, Peacebuilding, Public Policy, Sustainable Development
Diego Chilatra Peña
Founder and Director of Caquetá Innova Foundation
Colombia
Bio
Diego Chilatra Peña, a 23-year-old farmer from the municipality of Cartagena del Chairá, Caquetá, Colombia. He is in his 9th semester of Agroecological Engineering at the University of the Amazon, founder and director of the Caquetá Innova Foundation, project manager at national and international level. Currently pursuing a Master's degree at SUMMAN University in California, USA in Project Management and Colombian State Public Administration. He is also an English student at the Academía Iberoamericana de Idiomas del Caquetá.
His work on service leadership and territorial vision for the benefit of rural communities aims to advance towards a more productive and competitive region in the market spheres. The impact of the management achieved and the promotion and support of his community, allows him to dream and aspire to the candidacy of the Mayor of his Municipality for 2023. Finally, he bids farewell with the following thought in the post-conflict era: "those of us who were the children of war will be the fathers of peace, prosperity and progress in Colombia".
Expertise
Activism, Agriculture, Climate Change, Community Building, Conservation
Erika Cortés Acosta
Project Director at Somos CaPAZes
Colombia
Bio
Erika Cortés Acosta, 27 years old, Internationalist, volunteer at Somos CaPAZes since 2017, an organisation that promotes peace education in Colombia. Facilitator of workshops on the themes of: Human Rights, conflict management and resolution, leadership and innovation for children and adolescents, parents, teachers and companies. Currently Project Director of Somos CaPAZes, Co-founder of Siembra Gaiki, a sustainable fashion social enterprise. Founder of Academia Mujer Origen (AMO), an educational programme that seeks to empower girls and women through self-esteem and entrepreneurship. Promoter of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and member of Global Shapers of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Expertise
Education, Peacebuilding, Project Management, Social Entrepreneurship, Teaching and Training
Ginna Alejandra Jiménez Vergara
Founder of Comproagro
Colombia
Bio
Ginna Alejandra Jiménez Vergara is a 23 years old from the municipality of Toca Boyacá. She is a student of the last semester of International Business Administration at the University of Boyacá, Technical systems, Technical software programming SENA and has a diploma in Management of social projects of the University Foundation Cafam. She is a young woman who is characterized by entrepreneurship and dedication to the farming community, since 2014 she has been managing a family business, called Comproagro, a venture that was born out of the need of her family to access better marketing conditions. This venture has managed to impact more than 35,000 farming families nationwide, she has also had the opportunity to participate in various spaces of youth public policy, entrepreneurship and in the youth conversation table with the president in 2020. Entrepreneurship and community support has brought her some awards, such as: Cafam Woman Award year 2019, Representative of Colombia in the meeting of Women Entrepreneurs in Africa and Latin America together with KAS, Winner of the Bayer Young Community Innovators award in 2016, highlighted by JCI Colombia as one of the 10 outstanding young people in the country and has had the opportunity to participate in other spaces both nationally and internationally. Her work has always focused on the empowerment of rural women, both by generating employment for more than 30 women in Toca, and by creating spaces for the development of financial, communication and personal skills for rural women.
Expertise
Activism, Agriculture, Business Administration, Information Technology, Web Development
Jorge Luis Sierra Natera
Founder and Director of Fundación Social Dosojeba
Colombia
Bio
Jorge Sierra Natera is a young socio-cultural manager, founder and director of the "FUNDACIÓN SOCIAL DOSOJEBA", a non-profit social organisation. Jorge Luis was born in 1994 in the municipality of Baranoa Atlántico Colombia. His origins and peasant customs have been for him a real source of pride, values that he has used as a service actor for his people. Jorge has worked to build families with integrity and values. According to his friends, he has always stood out for being a humble young man, with projection, inspired by cultural training and dedicated to educational innovation focused on entrepreneurship.
Expertise
Education, Human Rights, Law, Public Relations, Social Work
Juan David Ramirez Jaramillo
Ed-Tech Director at Protalento
Colombia
Bio
Engineer, educator, and social entrepreneur. Faithful believer that responsible leadership, technology and education are catalysts for change. He is currently Ed-Tech Director and part of the founding team of Protalento, a startup that accelerates digital talent in young people in Latin America and reshapes the labour market in the region; outgoing curator of Global Shapers Medellín, a network of young leaders of the World Economic Forum; and a fellow of the Teach for All network.
Expertise
Education, Future of work / Fourth Industrial, Information Technology, Project Management, Social Entrepreneurship
Julieth Samanta Fajardo Navarro
Founder of Jóvenes Voluntarios de Mocoa y Putumayo since 2017
Colombia
Bio
Julieth Samanta Fajardo Navarro was born in Mocoa-Putumayo (Colombia) in 1992. She attended primary school and finished high school at the Santa Maria Goretti School in Mocoa-Putumayo in 2009. She is in the process of completing her professional career in Architecture at the University of La Gran Colombia - Bogotá. She is a young researcher, as well as efficient, disciplined and interdisciplinary with experience in working with vulnerable populations, displaced, victims of armed conflict, elderly, youth and children since 2017.
On this issue, her thesis titled Integrated risk and disaster management centre for Mocoa-Putumayo was chosen for the competition of the best architectural projects at her university La Gran Colombia-Bogotá. As an architect, the research work, designed and constructed by the Tepes research group of which she is the coordinator, has been carried out around spatial, social, environmental, urban-architectural and community problems.She is also the Founder of Jóvenes Voluntarios de Mocoa y Putumayo since 2017.
Expertise
Activism, Community Building, Disaster Relief, Human Rights, Social Work
Karen Giraldo Castaño
Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Corporación Cultural Pasión & Corazón
Colombia
Bio
Karen studied Administrative Management and a technical degree in Commercial Operations and Marketing. She had her first approach to music and the cello at the age of 7 at the Ecoelsa string school. She was part of the Sonfónica Joven de El Santuario Orchestra, where she had the opportunity to make two international tours to Mexico and to be part of the Binacional Mexicolombiana Orchestra. She was a workshop leader in cello initiation in the Roberto Pineda Duque Music School of El Santuario and musical initiation in the Music Schools Program of El Santuario. Later, she was part of the Philharmonic of El Santuario, with which she made a third tour to the Aztec country and received master classes of Violoncello in the Conservatory of Music of Toluca. She is the co-founder and co-director of the Corporación Cultural Pasión & Corazón, an organisation that was founded in 2016 with the aim of creating, developing and strengthening philharmonic orchestras and musical processes for children and young people in Colombia and Latin America. Music as an instrument of Reconciliation and Peace.
Expertise
Community Building, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Peacebuilding
Lina Marcela Álvarez Camargo
Founder and Director of El Cuarto Mosquetero
Colombia
Bio
She is a Social Communicator and journalist, a graduate of the Corporación Universitaria del Meta, she specialised in Public Policy for Equality in Latin America with the Latin American Council of Social Sciences - CLACSO. She fell in love with journalism at the age of 10, when she started doing radio at the student radio station and later participated in several local radio stations in children's and youth programmes; also doing theatre initially at school and later at university that were decisive in contributing to her professional life. However, it was at university when she began to participate in organisational processes working in human settlements, when she decided that communication for social change and journalism focused on social issues was what she wanted to dedicate herself to as a professional.
She is the founder and director of the collective and alternative media El Cuarto Mosquetero, which gives visibility to issues and initiatives related to peace, gender and environmental issues, especially in peripheral and rural Colombia, where it is difficult to access the media to amplify their voices. Thanks to her together with the team of El Cuarto Mosquetero in Meta, she was invited to the forum Hablemos de Verdad held by El Espectador in Villavicencio with the aim of socialising the work that has been done for the contribution of peace, which they considered important to exalt for being carried out and led by women and young people. In 2019 she was selected as a Memria fellow to research on peace processes and non-repetition in Meta. Recently she was chosen for her social work by the women's organisation She Is Foundation.
Expertise
Activism, Education, Event Management, Film / Video Editing, Human Rights, Journalism, Marketing and Communication, Photography, Public Relations, Social Media, Women's Rights
Luisa Fernanda Romero Muñoz
Founder of Get Up And Go
Colombia
Bio
Luisa Romero is an Electronics and Telecommunications Engineer from the University of Cauca with a Master's degree in International Tourism Management from the University of Ulster in the UK. She was born and raised in Cauca, a Colombian region heavily affected by the armed conflict. This context and the different stories of the communities, led her to focus her efforts towards generating opportunities to generate positive change and impact in her region and country; in particular through her social enterprise Get Up And Go Colombia. Her trajectory as a social entrepreneur has been recognised by different national and international awards such as the Young Peacebuilders Award from the El Nogal Foundation, the RECON Award in the culture of peace and human rights category, the Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI) programme from the US State Department, the Young Peacebuilders with Dalai Lama Award from the US Institute of Peace, the AFS Young Global Citizens 2019 Award and the Chevening Scholarship from the UK Government.
Expertise
Activism, Advocacy, Community Building, Human Rights, Peacebuilding, Social Entrepreneurship, Tourism
María Clara Valderrama Muñoz
Founder of Trasmallo.lab
Colombia
Bio
Maria Clara Valderrama is 26 years old and was born in the city of Medellín. After 4 years of studying she made the decision to make a disruptive decision to change her life. She stopped her undergraduate degree and went to support a family tourism project in a Caribbean island in the Colombian Caribbean called Isla Fuerte. There she trained together with the people of the region as a craftswoman and founded a weaving workshop so that the young people and women of the community have the opportunity to have a space for training that allows them to have leisure time and a productive activity. Together with several young people who were committed to the workshop, they set up a weaving laboratory called Trasmallo.lab.
Expertise
Creative Arts, Product Design & development, Social Work, Tourism
María Fernanda Fuentes Eslava
Co-founder of Forella
Colombia
Bio
Born on February 2, 1998 in the municipality of San Gil, Santander, she finished high school in 2014 and later graduated as a Business Administrator in 2018, characterised by being an enterprising, empathetic, conscious, organised, dynamic and creative young woman. Manager of projects related to sustainability, social entrepreneurship, female empowerment and culture, co-founder of FORELLA, a brand from Curitiba, created by women who seek to highlight local arts.
Expertise
Activism, Climate Change, Creative Arts, Conservation, Education, Social Entrepreneurship, Women's Rights
María Victoria Leguizamo Parales
Founder of Fundación Dignidad Trans
Colombia
Bio
Maria Victoria Leguizamo Parales is 25 years old, a human rights defender, a young Transgender woman, originally from Arauca. Her life purpose is to defend and promote the Human Rights of young Trans people. She is the founder of Fundación Dignidad Trans, which works to defend, protect and promote the human rights of trans migrants, refugees, returnees and refugees in Arauca. Since 2019, the year in which the foundation was born as a collective, they have been carrying out actions to raise awareness and provide legal and psychosocial support in cases of gender-based violence and discrimination (GBV-D) against trans people, especially trans women sex workers of Venezuelan and Colombian nationality.
Expertise
LGBT+ Rights
Nailyng Karing Giovennetty Fontalvo
Student and Entrepreneur
Colombia
Bio
Nailyng Karing Giovannetty Fontalvo is 18 years old and spends her free time developing entrepreneurial projects. She likes science, innovation, technology, sports and is characterized by being a sincere and pragmatic person in her ideas. Her dream is to help the community, to generate ideas that allow her to promote solutions to the problems that her department is currently facing, using technology, science and innovation as a means to achieve it. She is currently studying business administration at the University of Guajira, and is a scholarship holder of the 2018 La Equidad Insurance Innovation Award and a member of the winning team of the Zayed of Abudabí United Arab Emirates award for the Americas 2020. She also works in the Eureka 7 science club with primary school children to strengthen the development of their creativity.
Expertise
Activism, Community Building, Conservation, Science and Technology, Sustainable Development
Nicolás Rojas Niño
Founder and CEO at Imagine Apps
Colombia
Bio
Nicolás Rojas is a technology entrepreneur born in Bogotá. After learning software programming on his own, he founded his company Imagine Apps at the age of 17. With zero capital and no external funding, he managed to grow the company from 0 to more than 50 employees with a presence in Colombia, the United States and Mexico. He has participated in the development of more than 200 software projects that have impacted millions of users around the world.
Expertise
AI, Business Development, Engineering, Information Technology, Project Management, Sales, Science and Technology, Software Development
Sara Valeria Samaniego Ruiz
Social Communicator
Colombia
Bio
Marce is known as the first "Youtuber Recycler" of Bogotá. She has been interested in educating Colombians on waste separation in a fresh and fun way. She also seeks to make visible the important work that the recyclers' guild does for the environment and society. Sara Samaniego is a social communicator from the Javeriana University, creator of "Marce the recycler and co-founder of the Reciclando Amor foundation. Sara decided at the beginning of 2019 to incarnate, live and feel her reality from a totally different perspective; that of a recycler. Although many see Marce as a fictitious character, for Sara this is the most real project she has ever developed. Apart from being Marce, Sara works as the Creative Director of her agency "My Createam", a venture that focuses on developing environmental communication strategies through audiovisual tools. During the pandemic Sara and her team at Fundación Reciclando amor have helped more than 4,500 waste pickers with markets that have been collected through donations from Colombians.
Expertise
Activism, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Conservation, Creative Arts, Marketing and Communication, Photography, Social Media, Strategic Planning
Sibia Daniela Guerrero García
Social Communicator
Colombia
Bio
Passionate, dreamy and resilient. Daughter of the most modern town in Colombia, Gramalote. She is a social communicator with experience in youth leadership, leading popular communication projects and communication strategies for development. She has found in film and photography a way to preserve the memory, culture and experiences of her territory. In her passion as a leader, she has provided educational learning experiences and appropriation tools to children and adolescents. She likes to know and explore new places, she is impressed by nature and her dream is to know and share many stories of places in the world.
Expertise
Community Building, Education, Photography, Social Media, Teaching and Training
Tatiana Galero Cueto
Colectivo Poder Mestizo, Colectiva Feminista Caribeñxs and Mesa Nacional de Empleabilidad y Emprendimiento Juvenil Rural (National Roundtable for Rural Youth Employability and Entrepreneurship)
Colombia
Bio
Caribbean human and territorial rights defender. She is a young woman who promotes gender equality, the eradication of fundamentalisms and the search for a life free of violence for LBTIQ+ people from the Caribeñxs Feminist Collective, transforms social imaginaries, builds memory and claims alternative cultural identities, in an effort to contribute to the construction of peace from the Mestizo Power Collective and promotes political advocacy, networking and resource management for the dignified life of rural youth, in the National Bureau of Employability and Rural Youth Entrepreneurship of Colombia.
Expertise
Activism, Human Rights, LGBT+ Rights, Public Policy, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Women's Rights
National Award for Young Talent Scholars 2019
Yusley Kafiana Olaya Yepes
Project Manager of 'Mujeres rurales e indígenas emprendedoras'.
Colombia
Bio
I am indigenous from Kurripaco, I am 25 years old and an expert in workplace health administration. I am very passionate about working with indigenous communities, mainly indigenous women and I truly believe in overcoming extreme poverty. I promote the development of agricultural productive projects with indigenous women from the communities of Mitu and Vaupes, to strengthen the food sovereignty of these indigenous communities in order to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty in the indigenous communities of my state. The project carries out capacity building for indigenous women to boost crops and therefore, have enough products to sell, consume and make communities sustainable and self-sufficient. The Summit at One Young World was very rich in knowledge and experiences.
Expertise
Agriculture, Social Work
Alejandra Salazar Campos
Co-founder of MPC Madera Plástica de Colombia
Colombia
Bio
I am 28 years old, co-founder of MPC Madera Plástica de Colombia and passionate about protecting and looking after the environment through recycling and reusing. My Startup aims to apply social and environmental strategies by improving the quality of life of people. This is done through the transformation and utilisation of recycled plastic that will be used for the countryside, the industry, construction and urban furniture. It has impacted in a positive way more than 6000 kids and their families just by building playgrounds and has avoided the deforestation of more than 38000 trees, which would have been used for construction materials. Being part of One Young World is a great marketing opportunity for our company, it is very satisfactory, supportive and confirms that you are doing things right.
Expertise
Business Administration
Alejandro Marulanda Ocampo
General Secretary and Co-founder of 'Modelo de Naciones Unidas de Pereira por Risaralda - PEIMUN'
Colombia
Bio
I am a global shaper, Delegate of my country in the Youth Assembly, Co-founder and General Secretary of the ‘Modelo de Naciones Unidas de Pereira por Risaralda - PEIMUN’. This project is the biggest space for the inclusion of young leaders in this state. It aims to connect and create synergies between more than 1,000 young leaders in different public and private education institutions in Risaralda. It is an inclusive space where both national and international world problems are debated, whilst being conscious that leaders today need to be aware of their surroundings and have the ability to find solutions for these issues. Since PEIMUN was founded it has grown 129%, but the most relevant fact is that five out of the nine UN models have emerged around official schools, contributing to reducing the social divide and reinforcing SDG knowledge in the classrooms. One Young World has opened my mind by getting to know so many cultures and new ideas in terms of social innovations, it has provided me with greater knowledge learnt from all the influential counsellors through various workshops and conferences and, it has allowed me to create strong relationships and connections throughout the whole Summit.
Expertise
Activism, Education, Public Relations
Ángela María Parra Peña
Regional Coordinator of Education Programmes at CISV International
Colombia
Bio
I am a psychologist with a big interest in non-formal education, soft skills development and peace building. CISV is present in 60 countries and carries out education programmes for the peace of kids and adolescents around the world. An average of 10.000 people participate each year in non-formal education spaces that aim to inspire and educate in taking action towards a better, just and peaceful world. One Young World connects a global network of inspiring people who are changing realities.
Expertise
Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Mental Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Teaching and Training
Bibiana Quintero Orozco
Founder of 'Fortalecimiento de capacidades'
Colombia
Bio
I am very passionate about public institutions and a huge promoter of Human Rights. I truly believe that civic participation transforms public dynamics. The project ‘Fortalecimiento de capacidades’ improves the organizational capabilities to acquire the necessary skills for civic participation in the North of Santander. The One Young World Summit recognizes young leaders in the world. It helped me realise I am not alone trying to make a difference, there are many young leaders who are eager to change the world.
Expertise
Activism, Advocacy
Camila Fierro
Founder of 'Ya Tengo Donde Escribir'
Colombia
Bio
I believe in intellectual connections and that if we all unite our powers the world would be a better place. I express myself through art, by making notebooks out of cereal boxes for children with lack of resources. We like to call these notebooks a guide to their dreams, since we teach children through training workshops soft skills. Likewise, through our work we teach our volunteers that age has no limits, we can do whatever we believe in and it is time to turn our words into actions. At One Young World the people you meet are amazing, I had the chance to meet Richard Brandson, which opened opportunities in my professional career.
Expertise
Creative Arts, Intrapreneurship, Marketing and Communication, Product Design & development, Public Relations, Sustainable Development
Claudia Alejandra David Correo
Founder and Researcher of Sennova - Sena Regional Vichada and Fundación Simaruba
Colombia
Bio
I feel very passionate about protecting the environment and sustainable production. I believe we are the drivers of positive change in society through our individual daily actions. In order to obtain good results, it is essential to do it with passion, discipline and teamwork. ‘Sennova’ and ‘Fundación Simaruba’ strengthen the production sector and carry out training through research projects, innovation and technological services. It also aims to preserve the environment, enhance education and youth leadership. One Young World is a source of inspiration for young people and a space to strengthen the work we do to make a change and transform our society in a positive way. Through this Summit, I realised that we are people with very different realities and situations, but we all have one common goal, to change the world with our actions.
Expertise
Agriculture, Climate Change
Daniel Toro Suaza
Agronomist and advisor of ‘Soberanía alimentaria y medio ambiente de 5 comunidades indígenas de Barrancominas’
Colombia
Bio
I am a young dreamer with a great desire to make the world a better place. In the state of Guaina, due to the fires in the amazonian region the areas referred to as “conucos” and/or “chagras” decreased. The goal of this project is to establish and plant agroforestal systems with native indigenous species to promote food sovereignty and preserve the environment. I have worked hand in hand and advised the project and 150 families on how to carry out these rotatory planting systems avoiding fires since the affected areas are where culturally indigenous families grow their crops for self-consumption. The Summit of OYW has inspired me to carry out my work with passion and with the belief that young people have to commit to making positive changes.
Expertise
Agriculture, Climate Change, Conservation, Public Speaking / Pitching, Sustainable Development
Debbie Carolina Marín Caicedo
Coordinator of Gender Projects at Escuela Robotica del Choco (Innovation Girl)
Colombia
Bio
Industrial engineer, specialist in organisational control, passionate about the work I do in the community and about any topic related to female empowerment. Since I was a little girl I have been very critical about the sexist culture that I grew up in, where women rights were violated in many ways. Two years ago I became part of the ‘Escuela Robotica del Choco’ team where I was able to coordinate the training of more than 50 girls in STEAM, but also empower and inspire them. I also connected them with areas related to science, technology and innovation to reduce the inequality gender gap and facilitate their access to quality education and managerial roles. The ‘Escuela Robótica del Choco’ (ERC) is a lab where boys, girls and young people develop their skills and competences to design, build and implement solutions to issues that are close to them through science, technology and innovation. ‘Innovation Girl’ is a programme dedicated to train and empower women from the city of Quibdo, strengthening their competences and skills in CTel, through the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) methodology. One Young World was a great revelation.
Expertise
Engineering, Monitoring and Evaluation, Robotics, Strategic Planning
Estefania Angel
Coordinator of Cumbres Blancas
Colombia
Bio
I am a political scientist with the spirit of an ecologist. Project and Community Manager with experience in civic education, conflict resolution and critical thinking with young people. It is a project that creates awareness about glaciers melting. We are writing a book and documentary about the tropical glacier extinction that is more vulnerable to the environmental emergency that we live in today. OYW has allowed me to strengthen my tools to impact through social projects and connect with changemakers to create synergies towards a better world.
Expertise
Activism, Climate Change, Community Building, Education, Politics
Germán Mueses Rodríguez
Founder of Fog Water Company
Colombia
Bio
I am an environmental engineer of Fog Water Company and of the ‘Atrapanieblas: agua segura para las regiones’ project. In Fog Water Company, we created this project in order to provide 64 families with safe water through systems that transform currents of humid air into water. Through this project we aim to improve the wellbeing and sustainable development of communities through innovative technologies and by transferring relevant knowledge to beneficiaries by collective learning, cooperation and community work. OYW Summit has given me greater international cooperation.
Expertise
Business Development, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Community Building, Conservation
Gisela María Bernal Oviedo
Founder of 'Escuela-Bosque: un programa para la vida'
Colombia
Bio
My name is Gisela, but I am referred to as Gaia (goddess of earth), educator, green entrepreneur and education researcher. The project ‘Escuela-Bosque: un programa para la vida’ is an open sustainable classroom model that promotes food sovereignty and the preservation of water sources. In relation to this last aspect, the project has organized communities in different board meetings and rural round table discussions to rationalize and make a responsible use of water. One Young World has given me vision and awareness to value and protect life on our planet in all its forms.
Expertise
Activism, Agriculture, Circular Economy, Climate Change, Conservation
Helmer Leonardo Ávila Jiménez
CEO and President of 'Fundación Juana Velasco de Gallo, Proyecto Micro Huertas Ancestrales Uba Rhüa (Espíritu de la Semilla en Lenguaje Muisca)'
Colombia
Bio
I am a future architect, Cultural Manager, Social and Environmental Leader, President of the Foundation Juana Velasco Gallo and winner of the ‘Gobernación de Boyacá como "JOVEN LÍDER" Boyacá Colombia 2019’. Our project ‘MICRO HUERTAS ANCESTRALES UBA RHUA “ESPÍRITU DE LA SEMILLA”’ aims to find food and economic stability between families, kids and young people with low resources in rural areas of Colombia. The project works with a social and environmental purpose towards finding spaces, experiences and opportunities to improve the quality of life of the infant, young and elderly population of Colombia. Attending the One Young World Summit has been one of the best opportunities I have ever had. It offered personal development and a professional outlook that has improved my cultural, social and environmental initiatives and processes, which has caused greater outreach and more young people and kids to benefit from the scarce resources in this region.
Expertise
Activism, Agriculture, Business Development, Climate Change, Conservation
Inocencio Mosquera Montañez
Beneficiary of Tertulia Literaria Fortulee and current collaborator
Colombia
Bio
I have studied Languages and Culture and Political Science in the Andes University. I am 20 years old and I am Araucano. I am one of the first members of the ‘Tertulia Literaria Fortulee’ in Arauca, who is now looking to support more kids who can benefit from this project through literacy and soft skills. The project aims to incentivise critical thinking, create a social network, manage communities and discussions through debates and literary work in the community of Fortul and the area of Arauca. To this date, more than 7000 kids, young people and adults have had the chance to participate in this project. Likewise, it has expanded to different states. Attending the OYW Summit has been one of the best experiences of my life, starting with the values of the Summit all the way to the challenges we all have to face and the path we choose to take as young leaders to solve them.
Expertise
Education, International Relations, Peacebuilding, Politics, Public Speaking / Pitching
Jonathan Puerta Pereira
Founder of DISEÑA TU PAÍS and TASKME
Colombia
Bio
I am a young leader and social entrepreneur, my desire is to contribute to social transformation from an innovative and entrepreneurial perspective. I feel motivated through the creation of business models that tackle social problems, economic growth and youth employment. I am the co-founder of two social impact initiatives: DISEÑA TU PAÍS y TASKME. I administrate two companies with more than two years of experience in entrepreneurship and innovation management in the private sector. I have been recognized as “Joven 2020” by the municipality of Medellin, winner of the National Young Talent Prize of the Presidential Advisor for the youth and One Young World Ambassador (world web of young leadership). I am creative, proactive and curious, a swimmer and cinema lover. DISEÑA TU PAÍS is a think tank where young people use innovation and design tools to construct business models that address social problems, becoming social entrepreneurs. TASKME is a platform that boosts youth employment through the development of young people’s soft skills, identifying their talents and connecting them to the business sector with existing projects. OYW inspires, connects and collaborates to reach one shared purpose: changing the world!
Expertise
Business Administration, Future of work / Fourth Industrial, Science and Technology, Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Development
Jose Carlos Ricardo Molina
Environmental educator, technical advisor and researcher for 'Fundación Hijos De La Sierra Flor'
Colombia
Bio
I am an entrepreneur with a strong professional ethic and social values. I believe in the capabilities of all the participants of my team and motivate them to obtain excellent results. We promote the preservation of the tropical dry broadleaf forest in one of the most important reserves of Sucre and the Colombian Caribbean. We do this through strategies and actions that allow local communities to transform their practices into environmentally sustainable activities, the protection of biodiversity and the development of environmental culture. ‘Fundación Hijos de la Sierra Flor’ is a non-profit organisation that promotes education, cultural and community development programmes. We have impacted 60 beneficiary families, 90.415 plants have been planted through agroforestry systems and production-protection forests for biodiversity, 10.000 m of hedgerows to recover 823 hectares of tropical dry broadleaf forests and protect 15 water springs. We have also impacted 390 empowered students to preserve the Coraza reserve and its ecosystems and 40 forest rangers through the creation of three management, intervention and governance documents for the reserve. We have also strengthened a tourist institution to offer ecotourism, among other things. OYW has allowed me to inspire ideas and realise the example I set.
Expertise
Conservation
Juan Carlos Viloria Doria
Founder and Vice President of Venezolanos en Barranquilla
Colombia
Bio
I am a doctor and Vice President of the ‘Venezolanos en Barranquilla’ and General Coordinator of ‘Coalición por Venezuela’. We are a civic community of venezuelans with more than 10 years of experience working in these matters who currently make up a non-profit organisation that provides complete assistance to migrant, refugee and returning migrant populations who come from Venezuela. One Young World is the best platform for networking, learning and exchanging experiences.
Expertise
Activism, Community Building, Healthcare, Human Rights, Public Policy
Julian Jaramillo Guerrero
Co-director of 'Organización: Asociación Shinyak Proyecto: Escuela de Liderazgo Juvenil'
Colombia
Bio
I am a social scientist from the National University of Colombia who has worked mainly leading youth processes in every state of Putumayo to strengthen youth initiatives working towards comprehensive development, peace reinforcement and ensuring human rights in this region. ‘La Escuela de liderazgo Juvenil’ is a space to share youth experiences, initiatives, reflections and learnings that tackle topics like identity, culture, human rights, boosting new ideas in favor of young people aged 14 to 28. It is a space where young people can learn mechanisms and tools that promote youth contexts in the territory. OYW has taught me that “having a young world means changing and evolving until we accomplish a more human world and therefore, understand that our role and our existence are based on finding balance with everything that surrounds us”.
Expertise
Film / Video Editing, Human Rights, Politics, Public Policy, Sustainable Development
Kellisha Watson Forbes
Coordinator of Rising Sun Foundation
Colombia
Bio
I am a Business Administrator, candidate to Public Management Specialist, committed to my community, global volunteer and a woman who is always looking to make a change with great impact in the lives of others. The project Raising Sun Foundation visits vulnerable neighbourhoods of the island of San Andres, spreading values and norms in a dynamic way to boys and girls. The crime rate and use of drugs is slowly decreasing, kids and young people are getting more and more involved in cultural activities and their academic performance is improving thanks to the parents who are also becoming involved in the process. I believe, the One Young World Summit has impacted my life in many ways, it has contributed to believe more in what I do, it has motivated me to continue doing things for others without expecting anything in return, to acknowledge what I have and become a better person. Thanks to the opportunity to network in the Summit I have been able to see how other young people think, which has completely changed my vision of the world. Listening to their stories helped me realise how privileged we are and we should never miss a chance to better ourselves and be happy.
Expertise
Business Administration, Business Development, Education, Social Work
Laura Milena Mojica Millan
Co-founder and Director of M&M FORMANDO LIDERES
Colombia
Bio
I‘m a passionate young leader generating a positive impact in my region. I ́m from a rural area of Colombia. Quality education helped me escape of poverty, that is why I am passionate about it. I develop the talents of young people to build a peaceful society. Empowering young people is my work to make the world a better place. M&M provide quality education for school-age children from Villanueva, Colombia, through daily study sessions to more than 70 students with no access to quality education. M&M has a team of tutors and volunteers from all around the world, who teach students languages and all the core academic subjects. M&M empowers families from remote towns by providing them a quality education for their children. Doctors, psychologists and social workers meet every 2 months to advise families as volunteers. One Young World has been the most inspiring experience I´ve ever had as a young leader.
Expertise
Business Development, Displaced People / Refugees, Education, Social Work, Teaching and Training
Lemec Tiller
Leader and Founder of Fundación Wayuuda
Colombia
Bio
I am a young entrepreneur from the state of Santander, I am a knowledge-based and action-based changemaker who is motivated by equity and understanding. ‘Fundacion Wayuuda’ aims to improve the quality of life of vulnerable communities, building social bonds with the impacted communities and the academy. We develop diverse projects, from the implementation of automated water supply systems, productive systems of agriculture and livestock, mechanizing manufactured handcrafts, ethno-tourism, constructing sustainable environments and the Majayutpana educational institution in the community of Uribia, La Guajira. Attending the One Young World Summit and raising the voice of those who cannot be heard, the presence of those who are not with us anymore because they passed away fighting for equity, has been the biggest honor of my life. I have been able to represent one of the most vulnerable regions of my country and this has motivated me to continue with this cause.
Expertise
Climate Change, Community Building, Engineering, Renewable Energy, Social Entrepreneurship
Lucas Bravo Reyes
Director of Educambio
Colombia
Bio
I decided to believe in a better future that is why I became an opportunity creator, to transform the reality of people in need. ‘Educambio’ creates educational tools and opportunities of quality to vulnerable Colombian kids and youth. Our key pillars are circular economy, social innovation and sustainability. With this project we have recovered 75 tons of recycling, 25.000 notebooks, 15.000 notebooks made of recycling materials were donated, 8 libraries were built in different key areas of the Colombian Pacific and more than 30.000 books were given out. 22 kids received scholarships from our Scholarship of Change programme. The Summit helps to have a more open mind.
Expertise
Business Administration, Business Development, Circular Economy, Sales, Social Entrepreneurship
Luis Felipe Henao Murcia
Founder of Digital Cobosques Pipe Q-ida
Colombia
Bio
I am a guardian of a National Natural Park in the highlands of Chiribiquete, an ecological farming technician, environmentalist and social leader of Guaviare Colombia. I have had the chance to design sustainable development strategies through rural and urban environmental education, training young environmental leaders of Calamar who have promoted the initiative ‘Salva la selva’. I have also trained other young leaders in different states to promote the preservation of natural resources. All this has been done through environmental workshops. From 2016 I have had regional, national and international recognition in my work towards defending the Colombian Amazonia, reforesting more than 150 hectares in Guaviare, Vaupes, and states like Meta and Caldas. This has enabled through training workshops capacity building for more than 400 families and more than 1800 people in Calamar, Retorno, Miraflores and San Jose del Guaviare. The organisation focuses on stopping deforestation, environmental education and integrating families and communities in the affected areas. PIPE Q-IDA is a project that through digital media reaches 12 million people worldwide, which has allowed to create a web of contacts with international organisations focused on the preservation of natural resources. OYW has contributed to the growth of these projects.
Expertise
Activism, Agriculture, Climate Change, Community Building, Conservation
Luisa Paulina Reina Ceballos
Officer of Juventud Radical
Colombia
Bio
I am a person whose life motto is to love and who believes smiling can cheer anyone up. Facing different adversities has taught me to see these as an opportunity to learn and grow. I carry out volunteer work in the youth group called ‘Juventud Radical’. This group believes that people need love and is in charge of creating educational processes for young people, women and kids to provide tools that will allow them to grow from who they are, what they know and exploring what to do. I work with rural indigenous communities as well as people from urban areas and create activities that will allow these young people to learn about other lifestyles that will help them make better decisions in terms of crime, drug consumption, suicide attempts, human trafficking and sexual exploitation of boys and girls. One Young World has broadened my horizons for the development of new activities and has made us believe that helping is always the best option.
Expertise
Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Human Rights, Teaching and Training, Women's Rights
María Alejandra Téllez Correa
Executive Director of Climalab / Colegios Al Clima Con el País
Colombia
Bio
I am a lawyer from Rosario University and State, Public Policy and Development Specialist from Los Andes University. Currently, I am the Executive Director of the CLIMALAB NGO and World Bank Consultant in the Urban Development department. The project ‘Colegios Al Clima Con El País’ aims to promote in schools actions and strategies that will help combat climate change in Colombia. The main goal of the project is to provide the necessary tools for public and private schools at primary and secondary level to introduce an approach to climate change and sustainability in their academic and administrative curricular. This project encompasses all the school community; students, teachers, parents and the administration staff, that is how they have been able to impact more than 1200 students and more than 300 people in all the educational community. The OYW Summit allowed me to expand my network for the benefit of the project and the organisation.
Expertise
Climate Change, Education, Public Policy, Human Rights, Women's Rights
María del Pilar Aristizabal Pineda
CEO of Academia de Vida
Colombia
Bio
I am a passionate woman, a social communications expert and journalist, who is very dedicated to her personal goal to empower young latinamericans. Through social entrepreneurship I want to reduce the chances of young people who think of committing suicide, as this is the second cause of death in the world amongst this population group. ‘Academia de vida’ creates a space at Manizales’ schools during the school day where students receive a course on how to strengthen socioemotional skills. The program has reduced 100% psychiatric attendance and has reduced 91% of students who attend psychologists due to emotional crises within schools. Today, the program is present in five different schools in the city and is looking to expand inside the country and Latin America. OYW makes possible what seems impossible in the collective consciousness.
Expertise
Community Building, Project Management, Public Speaking / Pitching, Social Entrepreneurship, Teaching and Training
María Paulina Vasquez Rivera
Participant, photographer and occasional logistics coordinator of 'Escuela de Vigías Ambientales' and 'Pan Rebelde'.
Colombia
Bio
I am the daughter of a wonderful woman, with rural heritage, from the mountains, who has conveyed that love for our earth. I want my to contribute with a little bit of love wherever I go and to those who I cross paths with. The ‘Escuela ambiental’ was created with kids from rural areas who wanted to create awareness and sensibilisation about environmental problems. ‘Pan Rebelde’ on the other hand, is an action of resistance and re-existence that suggests being self-sufficient to work towards achieving food sovereignty. The One Young World Summit has created new horizons to become aware of other possible realities.
Expertise
Activism, Community Building, Conservation
María Pilar Santa Isaza
Director of Antioquia Mágica
Colombia
Bio
I am very passionate about the social revolution amongst my generation. Antioquia mágica is a social and touristic project in which the actors involved develop socially, culturally, environmentally and economically. The project recognizes different territories in Antioqueño through a solidary and voluntary tourist proposal, where travellers have the option to understand and become aware of different social and environmental realities in the different communities of Antioquia. These communities have suffered from armed conflict and have been severely affected by different environmental hazards. The One Young World’s Summit was a transforming experience.
Expertise
Activism, Community Building, Sustainable Development, Tourism
Mercy Campaz
Founder of 'Educando a las comunidades afro en el conocimiento de sus derechos'
Colombia
Bio
I am an afro-descendent woman with a great love for my heritage and a relentless desire to continue to work in order to decrease the vulnerability of my ethnic group. The project ‘Educando a las comunidades afro en el conocimiento de sus derechos’ is an educational and cultural project. We work with people who are victims of armed conflict, especially children and women. We truly believe that the main weapon we can grant these victims is education, to reduce their vulnerability. This is why we carry out workshops and we support families, educating them about their basic rights as humans and as part of the afro ethnic group in terms of the national and international legal system. We create spaces to preserve and disseminate cultural practices that help recover from the scars of war and, to strengthen our territorial organisation. We are fighting to reduce vulnerability and create mechanisms to avoid the recurrence of these situations. One Young World inspires because there are many of us working towards making a positive change in the world.
Expertise
Education, Teaching and Training
Mileidy Jiménez
Founder and Public Relations of Paz a Mano
Colombia
Bio
I am a psychologist and feminist, who works towards constructing and strengthening social structures, promoting the acknowledgement of our roots as a symbol of freedom, repairing our historic memory, identity and empowering women. In order to erradicate all forms of discrimination against women and girls, preventing gender based violence based on SDG 5, 10 and 17 and, broadening the window of opportunity, strengthening the international cooperation, governmental and social relations.
Expertise
Activism, Climate Change
Naiza Ochoa Gómez
Social Projects Coordinator of 'Proyecto Chocolate Montes de María'
Colombia
Bio
I am from Monte de Maria, I am proud of my land and certain of the importance education has to change lives. ‘Chocolate Montes de Maria’ is an educational innovation project that teaches and learns about natural science and maths through the transformation of cocoa into chocolate. Annually we impact more than 100 students in schools who are victims of armed conflict in Montes de Maria. This impact is reflected in the improvement of their academic performance and the increase in students who enroll in higher education institutions. One Young World has changed my way of seeing the world, it has allowed me to realise the large number of young people who are fighting for a better future.
Expertise
Agriculture, Business Administration, Business Development, Circular Economy
Oscar Julián Durán Prada
Co-founder of Integridad Ciudadana and Más Educación
Colombia
Bio
I am a young leader passionate about education and very committed to my community and place of origin. I am a lawyer and professor, who currently promotes young leadership in rural areas and the improvement of the quality of education. ‘Integridad Ciudadana’ is a civic group who thinks and acts for the community of San Alberto. ‘Más Educación’ is an organisation that works in favour of education and leadership. Both projects have enabled us to reduce the amount of waste in these communities thanks to the environmental and social awareness created. I believe OYW is the best opportunity to potentiate our skills and connect with other incredible young leaders.
Expertise
Activism, Advocacy, Climate Change
Samuel Share Iguarán Barrios
Co-founder of Bambalinas
Colombia
Bio
I am a social entrepreneur and designer. I studied design from an anthropological perspective, I have experience in development innovation projects with a community and social emphasis. I believe that creative people have the capacity to make a true change in the world. Our project articulates entrepreneurship, we co-design, investigate and co-create services, strategies and wonderful experiences for entrepreneurs in La Guajira through conscious innovation and purposeful creativity. Hand in hand with local agents we have developed community and social entrepreneurial projects in different topics such as gastronomy, tourism, handcrafts, education, food/nutrition, amongst others, helping them achieve their full capabilities as entrepreneurs. One Young World allowed me to connect with young people from all over the world who are doing incredible things. It helped me broaden the way I carry out my projects and reinforce the capacity of collective work.
Expertise
Business Development, Community Building, Circular Economy
Sandry Vannesa Zamudio Narváez
Liaison of 'Juventud Alcaldía Municipal' of 'Plataforma Municipal de Juventud de Sua'
Colombia
Bio
Former Council of the Municipality for Youth, youth activist, philanthropist, speaker at the Heritage and Cultural School of the State of Atlantico, official presenter of institutional events in the municipality of Suan Atlantico and Leader of the ‘Plataforma de Juventud’. This platform has had local and state level impact which has given us the recognition as young leaders by the Atlantico government. We have impacted 976 young people who are members of the platform. Our activities reach the most vulnerable areas of the community through education, culture, sports, entrepreneurship among other activities. We work hand in hand with the Sustainable Development Goals established by the 2030 Agenda. This project aims to promote the confidence of society through efficient administration resulting from a good management of resources and thanks to this work it was possible to formulate Public Policies for the Youth. The 2019 Summit in London of One Young World changed my life. It creates a space to see social initiatives and be part of such an experience allows you to become an influential leader for others. We need to start transforming realities from our own territories while appealing that young people are the true changemakers.
Expertise
Activism, Advocacy, Business Administration, Climate Change, Community Building
Tito Augusto Bocanegra Santos
Director of Jovenes con el Hip Hop
Colombia
Bio
I am someone who believes in change, transforming realities, someone who sees the potential and the value of others and truly believes that the place and conditions under which we are born do not define us or dictate our future. Like we say in Clika “we are fighters”. ‘Jóvenes con el hip hop’ is a project that emerges from the day to day necessity to change our surroundings to combat issues in the community through education, culture, entrepreneurship, music, art, dance. It impacts more than two thousand young people that come from vulnerable and/or local communities and, some of the people we work with in other cities are replicating the initiative. The chance of participating in the OYW Summit is an eye-opener, it strengthens the desire to carry out new strategies and allows you to see all the other people, who like us, want to contribute to make a change and transform realities.
Expertise
Activism, Business Development, Climate Change, Community Building, Business Development
Yehison Rivera Vasquez
Rural driver of 'Pastoral social, fundacion planeta rural'
Colombia
Bio
I am passionate about rural youth and about creating awareness to look after nature by incentivising organic production. The project assists 200 rural families by providing them with support to improve their production through shared knowledge from their individual and community experiences. Always considering the amazonian context, working together, promoting self-consumption and selling the surpluses in order to see rural areas as a place of opportunities. Attending the OYW Summit was a great personal experience. But at the same time it reinforced my desire to keep fighting for youth in rural areas and motivate them to continue to work towards greater opportunities, because we can make our goals our reality.
Expertise
Agriculture, Community Building, Conservation
Programme Sponsors 2020/21
