From rural and grassroots organizations, these 27 leaders now join the Foundry.

Meet the leaders transforming rural life in Colombia’s Caribbean. From rural and grassroots organizations, they now join the Aceleradora Regional de Liderazgo community of Multipliers.

Each year, Acumen Academy’s Fellowship in Colombia supports leaders who are dedicating their energy to addressing the challenges of poverty and building a world based on dignity.

In 2024, this commitment grew with the launch of the Acumen Leadership Accelerator: a hybrid, regional program designed to strengthen the leadership of individuals who are transforming their territories. Our goal is to cultivate the competencies, character, and community to stretch to new levels, build moral imagination, listen deeply, reckon with their sense of identity and amplify their impact.

The inaugural cohort from Colombia’s Caribbean is a group of 27 leaders from rural areas and grassroots organizations, with diverse paths and missions. From advancing peacebuilding, gender justice, and youth leadership, to protecting cultural and environmental heritage and creating community-driven economic opportunities, these leaders are transforming communities in Atlántico, Bolivar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena and Sucre.

Over this 9 month Program of workshops and immersive in-person gatherings, they came together to learn collectively, deepen their moral leadership, and support one another as peers to amplify their work as leaders within their local communities.

As the program comes to a close, participants are recognized as Multipliers. They join The Foundry, Acumen’s global community of leaders and builders, where they get the support they need to continue learning, connecting, and expanding their impact and leadership across Colombia’s Caribbean.

We invite you to explore their work and stories as we celebrate this milestone of program completion; and signal a new chapter for this promising cohort of leaders in the Caribbean.

Alejandra is the Scientific Director of Fundación URAKU and co-founder of Fundación Red De Escuela De Música Del Caribe. She develops processes focused on the promotion, protection, and conservation of environmental heritage, as well as the creation of protective environments around music with an environmental emphasis. She leads the Slow Food Biodiversity and Food Community in Muntí, Cesar, and coordinates the Mission CoCo: Knowing to Conserve Group, part of Roots & Shoots, an educational program of the Jane Goodall Institute. She also serves as a university professor and researcher.

Alexander is the Co-Founder of the Paz a la Bien Corporation and currently serves as a Youth Councilor. Through the organization, he promotes social leadership, strengthens civic participation, and advances peacebuilding and community development initiatives. He is a youth specialist with over ten years of experience in social processes, has advised public policies, and has participated in spaces such as Youth Platforms, Peace Councils, and networks of social organizations. His work contributes to transforming excluded territories into more just, equitable communities committed to peacebuilding.

Andrea is the legal representative of Fundación C.R.E.A.R. Mujer Afrovíctimas in the municipality of Becerril, Cesar, and an active member of the Women and Human Rights Advisory Council. Through her community leadership, she promotes opportunities for organizational development, entrepreneurship, and psychosocial support, strengthening the self-esteem and autonomy of women in vulnerable situations. Through the training and accompaniment processes she leads, many women who were once broken by violence, discrimination, and lack of opportunities now find hope, personal confidence, and the possibility of building a dignified collective life project.

Carmen Patricia is the Executive Director of Asociación Fomento al Desarrollo Social (FODES) in Cartagena. She accompanies community processes guided by the conviction that every life has value and deserves to be seen, heard, and restored. Through the Integral Development Centers, she leads initiatives that integrate education, emotional well-being, and active faith, walking alongside children, youth, and families in contexts of inequality. Her leadership is rooted in service, with a clear purpose: to live compassionately, sow hope, and transform the territories of the Colombian Caribbean through faith.

Elina is a community leader and mother of three. She lives in a dispersed rural territory that she also understands as a space of connection and calm, from which she carries out her social, political, and productive work. Together with six women, she co-founded Asociación GAMEL, through which she supports and empowers rural women through training processes with a business-oriented approach, highlighting women heads of household and young people with leadership and conflict-resolution skills. From Arjona, Cesar, GAMEL women and youth focus on transforming dairy products into  yogurt and cheese, promoting opportunities and collective well-being.

Elis Jacobo is the Director of Transformación Turística Comunitaria, focused on working with communities that have demonstrated tourism potential based on their scenic, cultural, environmental, and social assets. Through training programs, he strengthens local capacities so that communities become protagonists of their own economic and social development. His work centers on valuing territorial resources and promoting sustainable tourism experiences that connect communities with visitors, fostering responsible tourism and community-driven development.

Elmer is a social and youth leader from the municipality of El Carmen de Bolívar, in the Montes de María region. Since 2004, he has been supporting community-based processes, and in 2014 he co-founded the organization Jóvenes Provocadores de Paz, through which he works with young people affected by the armed conflict on conflict resolution, peacebuilding, leadership, and environmental issues. In 2017, he participated in the Generation of Change program of the United States Institute of Peace, an experience that further strengthened his leadership. He currently coordinates a participatory action research initiative with youth from his community.

Jamer is the Director of Jadao, a family-owned fashion accessories brand specializing in beaded designs, founded with his mother and brother in Valledupar. He leads the design and artisanal training processes with women and youth from his community and is a photographer specialized in fashion and product photography, responsible for defining the brand’s visual identity. Under his leadership, Jadao has become a distinctive brand from the Colombian Caribbean, present at national fairs and international venues, demonstrating that fashion can be sustainable, conscious, and a generator of real opportunities in the territory.

José Ignacio is a social leader and environmental builder from the municipality of San Martín, Cesar. He holds technical training from SENA in pig production, cattle management through good environmental practices, and is certified  as an eco-trail and nature guide. He is a seventh-semester Law student and has participated in green economy forums and training in agricultural tourism. He supported the formation of ADEL Sur del Cesar and founded Corporación Ecoturismo San Martín, from where he promotes alternative tourism as a strategy for sustainable economic development in the territory. 

Juan Gabriel is a youth and community leader in Puerto Libertador and the Founder of Fundación Tejidos Integrales de Paz. He promotes processes focused on recruitment prevention, civic participation, and capacity building among rural youth, Indigenous communities, and vulnerable populations. He has supported initiatives in education, leadership, and peacebuilding in territories historically affected by armed conflict. His work creates real opportunities for young people in southern Córdoba to transform their territories with resilience and hope.

Luisa is the Director and Co-Founder of Corporación para el Desarrollo y Fortalecimiento Social (CORDEFORS). She actively participates in youth advocacy spaces and integrates her work as a psychologist with community impact processes through the Giros de Experiencias Training School. She supports initiatives focused on strengthening social fabrics and promoting participation, access to opportunities, and territorial development, fostering youth leadership and social transformation.

María Andrea is a multidisciplinary artist and the Founder of Fundación El Caribe Hace País, an organization dedicated to democratizing access to the arts and strengthening cultural processes in the Colombian Caribbean. Through artistic creation and cultural management, she promotes projects that connect tradition, territory, and new narratives, fostering training, community participation, and collective creation. She holds an MBA in Arts Innovation from the Global Leaders Institute (GLI). Trained in Classical Voice at Universidad del Norte, she integrates music, performance, and cultural activism as tools for dignity, access, and social transformation.

María Cecilia (Chechi) is the Director of Fundación Rostro. She supports processes that guarantee the right to quality education for children and adolescents through the promotion of reading, writing, and oral expression, as well as violence prevention and the strengthening of civic participation. Together with the Fundación Rostro team, she leads a reading club in the municipality of Sincé, Sucre, with a psychosocial and territorial approach that encourages new generations to remain in their communities and contribute to local development.

Merly is a native of Cartagena and the Founder of Fundación Tucultura, as well as a promoter of sustainable cultural tourism. For more than 17 years, she has worked to ensure that the Afro-descendant and Indigenous history of Cartagena and the Caribbean region is recognized and valued through the creation of routes and experiences that connect communities and visitors with cultural and natural heritage. Her work strengthens community participation, the cultural economy, and education for sustainability, generating lasting social, environmental, and economic impact and inspiring others to value and protect their cultural roots.

Michael is a psychologist with postgraduate training in social and community-based intervention. He serves as a university coordinator and lecturer, with experience in academic and research production. He supports educational processes with an intercultural approach, focusing on historical memory and community mental health, and promotes the strengthening of social fabric in territories affected by armed conflict. He is a member of the Comité de Asuntos étnicos e interculturales del Colegio Colombiano de Psicólogos s and, on a voluntary basis, leads initiatives through Fundación Ser y Tejer in Bolívar and Magdalena, integrating environmental education and social healing from an ethical, community-centered perspective.

Natalia is a leader committed to social impact and community empowerment through a gender-focused approach. She has experience in strategic planning, logistics development, resource management, and program implementation, and has led national and international partnerships as Executive Director of Fundación Hilo Sagrado. Through this organization, she works closely with Wayúu communities in Colombia across three core pillars: education, economic empowerment, and sustainable development, advancing initiatives that connect ancestral knowledge with global opportunities.

Natalia is a cultural manager passionate about audiovisual creation with and for children. She has worked as a coordinator and programmer at festivals focused on this field and has served as a facilitator in audiovisual creation processes for children and youth audiences. She is the creator of ¡Dale Play!, a program that promotes the use of audiovisual media as a pedagogical tool and supports the development of children and youth audiences in the Caribbean region. Her work is guided by a strong belief in the value of cinema as a means for learning and strengthening critical thinking in childhood.

Nidia is an Indigenous Zenú leader from the  Cabildo Escobar Abajo. She completed her education in Indigenous institutions within her territory and has received training in community-based tourism, Indigenous leadership, cultural entrepreneurship, environmental sanitation, tour guiding, solidarity economy, and human talent management. She also holds technical training as a pharmacy assistant and a diploma in occupational health and safety. She currently leads the Artesanías Chima entrepreneurship initiative and is involved with Fundación San Efraín, where she works with young people to strengthen community well-being and development.

Nil is a human rights defender and environmental specialist. He is the  Co-Founder of the Asociación Juventud en Movimiento de Morroa, from which he promotes positive change in the environmental, political, and economic conditions of the Montes de María subregion. He works on the implementation of programs and projects focused on protecting the recharge zones of the Morroa aquifer, conserving tropical dry forests, promoting the rights of women and youth, and strengthening Montemariana identity.

Roberto is an educational and social leader with more than 20 years of experience in the design, implementation, and monitoring of public policies and development plans focused on children, adolescents, and families. He currently leads the Library, Culture, and Disability program at Comfasucre, where he promotes reading, inclusion, and cultural engagement across the territory. He is a philosopher and a trained educator, mobilizing communities through education, social innovation, and transformative leadership.

Rosmira is a fashion designer and artisan with a degree in Ethnoeducation from the University of La Guajira. She is originally from Riohacha, La Guajira, and is recognized for her strong dedication to service and social commitment. She has dedicated much of her life to supporting people from diverse cultures, genders, and social contexts, guided by the conviction that service is a way of life. Her personal motto is: “Those who do not live to serve are not fit to live.”

Sofía is a political scientist and educator. She is part of Vive la Cumbre, where she leads educational experiences for climate action grounded in an awareness of interdependence with nature. She is passionate about socioemotional education and relationship management through deep connections. She also leads a project in which young people from Dibulla, La Guajira, recognize the value of their territory through journeys across the Caribbean, strengthening socioemotional skills such as leadership, self-awareness, and teamwork.

Steven is a youth studies specialist, passionate about social causes and a leader in initiative-building. He has experience in public affairs, organizational training, postgraduate training in organizations, and international studies in political marketing. He has created and led transformative initiatives in the Atlántico region, connecting cultural management, civic participation, and social leadership. He identifies as a cultural manager and a promoter of meaningful conversations, convinced that dialogue is a key tool for social transformation.

Tatiana is the LBT Duo from the Special Instance for Women for a Gender Approach to Peace and a member of Caribeñxs, a transfeminist organization based in Montería, Córdoba, from which she exercises political and social leadership across the Caribbean region. She is a facilitator of participatory methodologies, a guardian of collective memory, and a defender of territory and the rights of people with non-hegemonic sexual orientations and gender identities. She is a graduate of the University of Córdoba and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Peacebuilding at Universidad de los Andes. She currently works as a project evaluation professional at the Rural Development Agency.

Vanessa is the Social Programs Coordinator at Unbound Cartagena and a social worker with a specialization in international cooperation. She supports community-based processes with families, youth, and women in both rural and urban territories, strengthening society through education, youth leadership, and sustainable projects. She leads a team of 12 women who support more than 3,500 families, promoting capacity-building, participation, and access to learning opportunities. She has experience in public policy, project management, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and socio-cultural facilitation, contributing to human development grounded in dignity, and a pedagogy of love, creativity, and adaptive leadership.

Vianeys is the Director of MUVAL Mujeres Valiosas, a nationally recognized organization that promotes the economic, social, and cultural autonomy of women in vulnerable situations. She leads empowerment processes with women peace signatories, migrants, internally displaced women, and survivors of violence, strengthening their capacities through employability, entrepreneurship, training, and collective leadership. She has led initiatives such as the Las Letras de Ellas festival and has received multiple recognitions for social and business innovation, including Cartagena con Valores, Fondo Emprender, and the National Award for Business Merit. Her work has benefited more than 7,500 women across the country.

Wilfrido is an Indigenous leader from the Zenú people and serves the community through the Zenú Indigenous Council of Membrillal in Cartagena. His work focuses on defending ancestral territory and supporting processes that enable families displaced by the armed conflict to rebuild their lives in urban contexts. From Cartagena, he promotes strengthening cultural practices such as agriculture, pig farming, and handicrafts, with the purpose of preserving Zenú heritage and fostering the economic sustainability of Indigenous families in the Caribbean region.

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