We’re talking with Elena Wason, the Executive Director of Natün, an organization dedicated to empowering rural families in Guatemala through education, health, and community development.

Natün is a majority Maya-led organization that partners closely with Indigenous communities. By centering local leadership and expertise, the organization ensures that programs are tailored to community needs and cultural contexts.

Elena shares insights into Natün's unique approach to fostering sustainable change while respecting and integrating cultural traditions.

We also explore the challenges of balancing addressing machismo and promoting female empowerment and how Natün’s work creates a meaningful impact in the lives of those they serve.

Links:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natunguatemala.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/natunguatemala/
• Website: https://natunguatemala.org/

Today, we’re talking with Isa LaPorte, the Chief Executive Officer of ConnectED, an organization focused on empowering education and future community leaders in Latin America through mentorship, skills development, and community building.

Isa shares the vision behind ConnectED Fellows and its mission to create opportunities for youth to thrive and lead in their communities. We also discuss the importance of mentorship, the challenges young leaders face, and how ConnectED Fellows is fostering a new generation of changemakers in Latin America.

Links:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConnectEDFellows
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connected-fellows
• Website: https://connectedfellows.org/

In this episode, we chat with Elizabeth Clandos, the founder of OlaFiltro, who is bringing potable water to rural communities in Latin America and the Caribbean with affordable, high-tech, low-maintenance filters.

We explore the difficulties plaguing access to drinkable water in this region, the importance of working with the community to perfect your product, and why keeping a positive outlook on the world is okay.

Key Highlights:

• The challenges and importance of safe drinking water in rural communities and easily approachable solutions
• Why affordable pricing is essential for lasting, sustainable impact
• Working with rural communities and meeting them where they are at
• Why the OlaFiltro solution is so effective.

Links:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olafilter/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethclandos/