I was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1981. I attended a British-Colombian school where I was lucky to learn and play at the same time while also making a lot of good friends that to this day I consider my extended family. I spent 12 years of my life in this place so I'm grateful for the nourishment it gave me as well as the support in my future career. Once I graduated I went straight into Visual Arts School (2 years) and then to Ad School... 

Ever since I had a sense of a career path I wanted to go to Ad School. I saw the TV commercials and thought I could do a much better job. Then I started getting into the psychology of advertising and got really into the topic. I realized that the best school would be to find a job at an ad agency, so rather than studying advertising I decided to study Visual Arts so I could get my hands dirty with the cameras, design software, photography and art direction. I really loved Visual Arts but somehow I felt I wasn't doing enough, so I decided to go to Ad School...

I was always a bit of a geek, I knew how cables worked and I was very much into everything that had buttons on it, I still am. Then the internet came along and it completely changed my life. I was quick to realize how this would affect everything so I decided I needed to participate. Back then I had a job at an Ad agency and they weren't doing anything online, so I went shopping for a new gig and found a really innovative company that was developing websites and creating content for dumbphones. This really opened my eyes and in it I found a passion.

I worked for 2 years in the Digital Agency where I learnt how to be a Project Manager, how to produce content for different devices and how to manage developers and designers. Ultimately I became a Product Designer and started creating product from concept to wireframes to prototypes. These 2 years were crucial in shaping my career in the digital creative industry.

So in 2008 I quit my job and moved to New York. I was looking for THE place where I would find creativity mixed with progressive technology, and after a month of exploring NY I decided this was the place where I wanted to stay and expand my career. 

I didn't have a visa or a work permit so at the beginning I thought it was kind of a crazy dream, but I've always been into making crazy dreams happen so I got my mind into it and by the means of some magical spell after my first job interview I found a really cool job doing what I loved and with the super advantage of getting a work permit!

I started working at this really cool Integrated Marketing Agency, first as the customer support representative for an event they were producing for Oprah, then as the PM for the website where they were selling tickets for the event, and after 6 months I became the Digital Director. I worked there for 7 years and got to work with hundreds of amazing clients from the likes of HBO, ESPN, Amtrak and CitiGroup.

7 years later and with a Green Card on hand I was ready for my next adventure...

I met the Founder and CEO of Prodigy Network, a startup doing crowdfunding for commercial real estate in Manhattan, something that had never been done before so I was really into the disruptive nature of the business. I had also never worked on the client's end so this sounded exciting (payback). I got hired as the Creative Director under the understanding that at a FinTech startup the Creative Director would be in charge of all digital development. 

I worked with the CTO and the tech team on the creation of the new digital product which succesfully upgraded the investment process from 45 days to 5 minutes. I also managed the brand and worked with multiple agencies and freelancers to create communication campaigns. I became close to the CEO and helped conceive two more projects; Fundamental and The Assemblage. 

While working at Prodigy Network I donated my free time to create a crowdfunding project aimed to assist the fundraising efforts of some of the leading scientists working on Psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat mental health disorders. 

This was a turning point in my mission as I got deeply passionate about the mental health crisis and started my research on alternative healing practices. 

For Fundamental I created the digital product, designed the brand and worked with a team to create the content and campaigns. This project happened at the same time we were concieving The Assemblage, which ended up having a lot of things in common.

A community for people who believe in doing well by doing good, housed within 3 buildings in Manhattan and a "sanctuary" in Woodstock, NY. 

I worked with agencies and freelancers to create the brand and narrative as well as the website and marketing material. Here I learnt the importance of finding your higher purpose, your passion, and dedicating your life to it. Once I found it I promised myself I would dedicate all my time to it. 

Mindset was born

I wrote down on a piece of paper how I could be of service to the greater good. 

When I was a teenager I realized that through marketing and advertising I had the power to change an attitude or a behavior. As a young professional I learnt how branding and design affected the perception of anything and how proper communications could touch strong insights to spark passion and movement. With the internet, apps and the understanding of UX I figured this was the right medium to transmit the right message across and create the impact I wanted to create. Once I put all this together I realized I had the power to utilize design, technology and communications to possitively affect the causes that feel most important to my life. I put together a team and created a series of services that can help the projects that need to communicate the right way, and I set up a process to be able to create proprietary product that can cause a transformational impact on mental health and wellbeing. 

Now here I am, working day in day out in finding the right tools to help the projects and people in need. Mental health is still my biggest passion and the subject I study the most. I meditate judiciously and focus my manifesting capabilities in facilitating emotional wellbeing through beautiful digital products. 

So, Hoy may I help you?