Catalina María Álvarez

Catalina has more than fourteen years of experience in coordinating public and privately funded programs, aimed at improving economic and social conditions of rural communities in Colombia. Catalina is a founding partner and the current administrative manager of Selva Nevada, an artisanal ice cream company that links with rural communities who supply fruits from environmentally fragile ecosystems. By integrating local farmers in the ice cream value chain, Selva Nevada provides non-timber value to natural forests in the Colombian Amazon and the Choco, Caribbean, and Andean regions. Her responsibilities include creating and maintaining fair cooperation agreements with suppliers, preparing and updating operational plans and budgets, and controlling all financial and administrative activities.

Catalina has an MBA from United Business Institutes in Brussels and a Masters degree in Geography from Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota.

Mentor: Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer, VMLY&R