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We are grateful for the recognition we have received over the past 15 years.
2008 - Best project in natural resource management, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León.
2009 - Reference model in "The role of education for sustainable development in natural resource management, research and international cooperation", UNESCO, Univ Greiswald.
2009 - Reference model in "Conservation and Management of Biodiversity in Tropics", Univ. Göttingen, Germany.
2010 - National award for best project to "Promote Culture in Natural Protected Areas". CONANP.
2011 - Recognition for "Best nature tourism product in Mexico", SECTUR.
2012 - Reference model at the "International Development Design Summit", Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
2013 - High impact social enterprise in Mexico, New Ventures, 2013.
2014 - present. Training Company and Evaluation Entity for Nature Oriented Tourist Guides based on NOM-09-TUR-2002 in Mexico.
2016 - Honorable Mention for Nature Conservation in Mexico, CONANP.
2018 - International Visitor Leadership Program, US Embassy.
2019 - Future Leaders Connect, for public policy design in Mexico, British Counsil.
2019 - Visionaris, high-impact social enterprise, UBS Bank, Switzerland.
2019 - CEMEX-TEC Community Entrepreneurship Award Finalists.
2020 - Silver Winner World Travel Market Latin America Responsible Tourism Award
2022 - Three Global Inspiring Tour Operators Award. Adventure Travel Trade Association.
2024 - Coordinators of the LATAM Responsible Tourism Recognition in the category of Biodiversity Conservation, World Travel Market
La Mano del Mono is an organization that creates partnerships for the regeneration of natural areas and the well-being of their local communities through innovative tourism business models.
Our vision
Rural, indigenous and urban communities live with wellbeing, preserving the natural and cultural heritage on which we all depend, where tourism is a profitable, inclusive and regenerative opportunity for local communities, as well as an accessible, safe and transformative opportunity for visitors.
We combine three objectives:
We promote the nature tourism as a management and conservation strategy for natural protected areas.
We strengthen sustainable livelihoods in local communities living around natural areas.
We inspire and strengthen the capabilities of leaders so that they are agents of change in their own realities.
We are grateful for the recognition we have received over the past 15 years.
2024. Coordinators of the LATAM Responsible Tourism Award in the category of Biodiversity Conservation, World Travel Market.
2022. Three Global Inspiring Tour Operators Award. Adventure Travel Trade Association.
2020. Silver Winner World Travel Market Latin America Responsible Tourism Award
2019. CEMEX-TEC Community Entrepreneurship Award Finalists.
2019 . Visionaris, high-impact social enterprise, UBS Bank, Switzerland.
2019. Future Leaders Connect, for public policy design in Mexico, British Counsil.
2018. International Visitor Leadership Program, US Embassy.
We are members committed to the core values of the community of Social Entrepreneurs that generate systemic changes to take care of the planet, people and their prosperity.
We are ambassadors of the ATTA because in addition to sharing values, we grow together with a community of companies and industry leaders contributing to a collective purpose that amplifies its impact on the adventure travel industry.
We are proud to join the community of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature to share our experience with other regions of Latin America and the world.
We are a united team passionate about the regeneration of our nature and the well-being of its communities. We have extensive expertise in tourism, technology, communication and facilitation. We organize ourselves under the principles of sociocracy and engage in co-design and co-creation schemes to ensure ethical and sustainable results.
Alejo holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral in Argentina, and a Master's degree in Sustainable Tourism from the Universidad del Medio Ambiente in Mexico.
He has been designing, coordinating and facilitating personal and professional strengthening processes for the last 10 years. He has worked in the academic area as a teacher and researcher. He was a business advisor and coordinator of agricultural development. He actively participated in the sports field as a coach-coach of field field hockey. And in recent years he has worked as an operational leader in the cultivation of sustainable destinations.
He is currently Operations and Innovation Coordinator at Mano del Mono, and collaborates as a teacher and consultant at the Universidad del Medio Ambiente.
Contact us: alejo@lamanodelmono.org
Alejo Heymo (Him)
Operations and Innovation Coordinator
Karla is a sustainable tourism planner with a postgraduate degree in environment and development. She has 18 years of experience developing consulting projects for the public, private and community sectors, a trajectory endorsed by the CONACYT Registry of Accredited Evaluators in Sustainable Tourism. Her goal is to co-create initiatives to contribute to safety, wellbeing and sustainability. She has collaborated with specialized firms, as well as in international cooperation projects financed by organizations such as GIZ, WWF, GEF and UNDP. She has also participated in joint initiatives such as the ICSAL project for sustainable consumption in Latin America (UN-UNEP) and the Local Agents of Change in Open Government and Sustainable Development program to territorialize the 2030 Agenda (UNDP-INAI-CSOs). Since 2021, she is Lead Facilitator and Project Coordinator at La Mano del Mono, where she continues to contribute to socio-environmental wellbeing through skills strengthening (Market Ready Model), resilience in destinations and communities, conservation, good practices, as well as nature, community and regenerative tourism.
Contact us: karla@lamanodelmono.org
Karla Rivera (Her)
Lead Facilitator
Cristina has a degree in Public Accounting from the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas. Since her beginnings, she has collaborated with accounting firms, specializing in the tax and accounting area, providing tax advice to companies. Throughout her career, she has played key roles as an accounting assistant in several organizations. Currently, she holds the position of Administrative Leader at La Mano del Mono.
Contact us: administracion@lamanodelmono.org
Cristina de los Santos (Her)
Administrative Leader
Master's degree in Biological Sciences from UNAM and is currently a doctoral student in Sciences for Sustainability and Interculturality at UIIM. For 14 years she worked in the conservation of Mexico's natural heritage, in federal natural protected areas (NPAs), coordinating and developing regulatory and territorial planning instruments and also served as deputy director of NPAs. She has extensive experience in facilitating community and multisectoral participation workshops, as well as in coordinating sustainable community development projects and preparing socio-environmental diagnostics. To this end, she collaborated within the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas and as a consultant with UNDP and GIZ. Since 2022 to date, she is Lead Facilitator in La Mano del Mono, focusing on Market Ready, Impact Measurement and Biodiversity criteria in tourism.
Contact us: ethel@lamanodelmono.org
Ethel Árias (She)
Project leader
Diana is a leading entrepreneur with over 8 years of experience collaborating with a wide variety of organizations, including government agencies, corporations, educational institutions, start-ups and NGOs. As a facilitator, she has honed her skills in leadership, innovation, design thinking and entrepreneurship over the last decade. Her impressive ability to solve complex problems is driven by a positive mindset that has become a cornerstone of her professional brand. She has specialized in topics such as community project management, environmental education, educational technology (EdTech), gender equity, politics and holistic wellbeing. Diana has led and supervised social innovation projects in numerous communities and has played the role of mentor in several projects, guiding them along their entrepreneurial journey.
Contact us: diana@lamanodelmono.org
Diana Lagunes (Her)
Leader in Natura Reserve Operations
Edwine is a passionate communicator with a strong background in marketing, project management and facilitation. With more than eight years of experience, she has collaborated with private organizations and NGOs, leading communication strategies, graphic design and logistical planning. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences and Techniques, a Master's Degree in Literary Appreciation and Creation, a Diploma in Management Skills and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Communication and Corporate Identity. Her ability to organize, create and lead with creativity has led her to work on international projects, standing out for her responsibility, adaptability and strategic approach.
Contact us: edwine@lamanodelmono.org
Edwine Payán (Ella)
Communication Leader
Veneranda has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication with a specialization in advertising and a Master's Degree in Green Business from the Universidad del Medio Ambiente in Mexico.
Professional in communication for more than 10 years, specializing in promotion, dissemination and marketing. Within her experience she has exercised her career in areas such as Public Relations, Alliances, Customer Service, Digital Graphic Art Direction, Green Campaigns, Sustainable Events and Tourism Marketing, in addition to managing strategies in social networks. She also has a certification in Sustainable Events (Alabama, USA), and another in Certified Incentive Travel Specialist by SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence). She holds a Master's Degree in Green MBA (Green Business Administration), and a Diploma in Innovation from the Universidad del Medio Ambiente. She has been an international volunteer with VIMEX (International Volunteers Mexico) in France, Italy and Spain in cultural projects, communities and bioconstruction.
Contact us: veneranda@lamanodelmono.org
Veneranda Mora (Her)
Strategic Coordinator
Alejandro has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences with a major in Graphic Design. He holds a Master's degree in Narrative and Audiovisual Production from Universidad Panamericana.
With a solid experience in the field, he has worked in several Advertising and Marketing Agencies, contributing with graphic and audiovisual proposals for a wide range of brands. His skills have been highlighted in the development of graphic strategies for SMEs in different sectors. During his first professional years, he played key roles as Editor and Style Editor at WikiTribune. He currently works as Creative Designer at La Mano del Mono, contributing his experience and creativity to promote projects that promote social impact and environmental conservation.
Contact us: alejandro@lamanodelmono.org
Alejandro Alcázar (Him)
Creative Designer
Baltasar has a degree in Psychology with a focus on the study and practice of organizations and communities as living systems. He has 10 years of experience working in the facilitation and coordination of diverse projects aligned with a vision of systemic change, related to education, health, social action, art and ecology. From the paradigm of Ecopsychology, she investigates and explores human consciousness, cultures and spiritual traditions, community practices and the link between the different forms of existence on planet earth.
She currently works in La Mano del Mono as a leader in the roles of Human Talent Care and Sociocratic Wellbeing. At the same time, she works as a foot therapist, accompanying people in private practice, from an integral and holistic approach to health. She is a specialist in equine-assisted therapy. She facilitates experiences with experiential dynamics for the encounter and reconnection human-nature.
Contact us: baltasar@lamanodelmono.org
Baltazar Cruz (Him)
Human Talent and Sociocracy
Over the past 8 years, he has participated in successful learning and innovation projects with organizations such as Ashoka, CEMEX, Heineken, Pepsico, Kellogg's, Amway, FEMSA, Sheffield University and Durham University. He is co-founder of Dare2Learn, an amazing learning organization dedicated to developing skills for the future of work. He also founded Visibl_, a social innovation project focused on strengthening competencies and mindsets to generate change. Through Visibl_, he had the opportunity to meet and learn from extraordinary people and organizations such as Ayure, Blooders, Ecocyc, Ecolana, Endémica Social, Innogyzer, Grantsy, Laboratorio Ciudadano, Zona-E, Rutopía, Tec de Monterrey, Sheffield University, UN-Habitat, Unreasonable Mexico, Academia B, Unboxed, Ashoka, Cambridge University and UNDP. All of them, great people and true agents of change.
Contact us: carlos@lamanodelmono.org
Carlos Aguilar (Him)
Reserva Natura Strategic Leader
Mauricio is a professional with 20 years of experience dedicated to promoting social businesses focused on natural and experiential tourism. His work focuses on the conservation of protected natural areas and the welfare of the communities that depend on them. In addition, he has a solid background as a biologist, specializing in education in natural protected areas and in the collaborative design of social business models in areas of high economic vulnerability. As co-founder of La Mano del Mono, the Market Ready Model and Reserva Natura, Mauricio has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to innovation and positive social impact. His influence extends beyond his foundational projects, as he currently holds prominent roles as an ambassador for the Adventure Travel Trade Association, Ashoka Fellow in Latin America, facilitator for the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and member of the Protected Areas Commission at the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Contact us: mmmiramontes@lamanodelmono.org
Mauricio Martínez Miramontes (Him)
Alliances Coordinator
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