10 Colombian entrepreneurs who have left a global footprint

The book 100 Colombians highlights several Colombian entrepreneurs who proudly represent Colombia abroad. From a dancer who, with his rhythm and knowledge, created one of the most successful companies in the sports world, to an advertiser who, thanks to his creativity, was named by the publication Advertising Age as the most influential Latino in the media agency industry.

Each in their own way demonstrates that Colombia is full of talent, as dedication, drive, resilience, and charm are what define Colombians and motivate these entrepreneurs to transform the world. They never gave up and, like many successful Colombians, found business opportunities through their passion.

Here is a list of some Colombian entrepreneurs who make us jump with joy and pride.

Andrés Roa Concha

This civil engineer from Javeriana University left the country to make a name for himself abroad. He arrived in New Zealand in 1995, on a scholarship from the University of Auckland, to specialize in Geothermal Engineering.

After a successful career that took him to great heights, working for important companies such as Sinclair Knight Merz Ltd. and Thorburn Consultants Ltd., Roa founded AR Civil Consulting Ltd. in 2003, his own civil and environmental engineering consulting firm. In the last eleven years, he has stood out for his projects in stormwater environmental management in both the public and private sectors in New Zealand.

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Ángela María Tafur Domínguez

Lawyer from Javeriana University and Master in International Law from Cornell University in New York, Ángela María Tafur is the brain behind “Give to Colombia.” What is it about? It is a model of strategic philanthropy that seeks to promote donations from foreigners who, enchanted by the country and its people, support vulnerable populations in Colombia.

In ten years, “Give to Colombia” has raised more than twenty million dollars that have been invested in education, health, economic development, and environmental projects to make this country even better.

Her work has been recognized with important awards such as the Latin America and Caribbean Water Award BID-FEMSA (2014) in the Sanitation Management category and a four-star rating in the Charity Navigator ranking. Another Colombian who makes us proud of our talent.

Alberto “Beto” Pérez

This dancer from Cali began his career as a physical trainer and choreographer for important Colombian stars like Shakira, who is also famous for her hip movements and musical talent. In 1999 he emigrated to the United States, and thanks to his experience as a trainer, he began teaching aerobics with his own routine full of Colombian flavor, currently known worldwide as Zumba.

In 2001 he founded Zumba Fitness LLC, a successful company that sells Zumba videos to get people dancing while exercising, sportswear, and grants licenses to trainers interested in bringing the Zumba fitness program to gyms around the world.

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Javier Andrés Cardona Mora

Business administrator from Externado University, with a master’s in Marketing from EAFIT University. This Bogotá native moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2011; a year later, he opened the company Mobile Strategies, through which, using text messaging services, he offers entertainment and communication to low-income immigrant populations without internet access. This project clearly shows that Colombians always strive to contribute to improving others’ lives.

Mauricio Sabogal

This business administrator from Bogotá served as executive director at Kinetic Worldwide, Nielsen, and Mindshare, part of the WPP group. He is also known as the founder of Omnicom Media Group in Latin America and creator of BPN, a network of agencies present in more than 26 countries.

In 2009 he was named “the most powerful Latino in the media agency business” by Advertising Age magazine, and in 2010 was recognized as “one of the 20 most influential people of the decade in the advertising business in Latin America” by Ad Latina magazine. He has achieved this thanks to his creativity, entrepreneurial ability, and world-changing vision.

Paola Tafur Jiménez

Business administrator from Javeriana University, this Colombian living in Mexico is the founder of SBS Facilitadores. This company designs and facilitates training and human development processes for teams and companies of large multinationals with offices in Mexico. With this, she has optimized the creative processes of major companies that have benefited from Colombian talent.

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Paula Mendoza

Social communicator from Javeriana University, she is one of the most recognized jewelry designers in the United States. Her designs, full of color, texture, and Colombian inspiration, are sold in exclusive boutiques in Australia, Europe, and Latin America due to their high quality standards.

Her team is mainly made up of women heads of households from the La Candelaria neighborhood in Bogotá. “Everything I am doing now is thanks to the infinitely large team I have in Colombia,” she says.

Taro Araya

This Colombian businessman, living in Bangladesh since 2005, is the founder of Miaki, a company that manages information through telecommunications channels such as call centers, text messaging, etc., focused on entertainment, agriculture, and health.

The company has won important international awards, such as the Connected World Forum - Innovation in Mobile VAS and the MIT Portugal Entrepreneur Venture Competition.

Inti Vélez Botero and Daniel Mancini Barón

These young men from Bogotá are the creators of the successful design studio Wanda Barcelona. For their work in paper and cardboard techniques, they have been featured in the showcases of major brands like Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Carolina Herrera, and Cartier, among others.

Their impressive designs inspire joy, calm, and a lot of class. In 2013, invited by the Spanish government, they participated in the Design Fair in New York; and in 2014, they were invited to the traveling exhibition Lady Dior As Seen By. These 10 success stories clearly show that great projects are achieved with good ideas.

Each one is a testament to Colombian talent, innovation capacity, and resilience to adapt anywhere in the world.