Gabriela Romero
The first time I heard of the United States was in 1972, before then no one had left Guapan, there was no need leave and we were closed to the other world.
- Rosario, Gabriela’s Grandmother (2020)
Bridging Worlds and Driving Change
Born in August 1987 in Cuenca, Ecuador, Gabriela Romero's life story is one of bridging diverse worlds and cultures. With roots in mestizo and Kichwa Cañari heritage, Gabriela's journey began in the lush Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest and the majestic Andean highlands. At the age of five, her family embarked on a life-changing migration to Washington Heights, NYC, setting the stage for a remarkable journey of adaptation and growth.
As a young immigrant, Gabriela faced the challenge of learning English while maintaining her cultural identity. Driven by the support of her family, she shone through as she excelled academically, earning full-ride scholarships to a New England boarding school (Concord Academy) and Trinity College in Connecticut. This educational journey culminated in a Master's degree in Political Science, with a focus on international relations, policy, and affairs - a reflection of her commitment to understanding and navigating the intricate global landscape.
2007-2015: Championing Economic Growth and Community Development
Gabriela's professional journey began at the Grow America Fund, a New York City-based NGO. There, she pioneered the organization's first security-backed recovery process, securing $5M for the NGO's investment portfolio. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, as organizations were transitioning to digital operations, this achievement not only sustained the organization but also facilitated its shift to new server-based online systems.
2015-2021: Advocating for Diverse Communities
Drawing from her experience as an Andrew Mellon Fellow studying immigrant and human rights, and financial expertise gained in the NGO sector, Gabriela dedicated herself to supporting individuals navigating diverse worlds and bridging gaps. Through her business, Opportunas, she consulted for individuals and organizations on organizational processes, streamlined execution, BIPOC outreach, identity issues, community engagement, and cultural translations. Her unique perspective, shaped by communal and Andean cosmo-vision principles, led to the development of a social-emotional curriculum for BIPOC-majority schools. This curriculum was approved and implemented in two Massachusetts schools from 2017 to 2020, serving over 100 younger students and adults. During this period, Opportunas also supported minority and women-owned businesses, where Gabriela guided and managed processes for business owners to take their ideas from concept to launch. This included a high-vibe emoji app currently on the iTunes store, as well as providing business education in Spanish, designing and modeling structures, and offering cultural translation during meetings—all crucial services for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
2021-Present: Leadership in Conservation and Indigenous Rights
In 2021, Gabriela's expertise led her to the role of Director of Operations for the Andes Amazon Conservation in Ecuador. This position allowed her to leverage her understanding of Western business processes and community-led initiatives to develop a transitionary conservation program entirely led by Indigenous Amazon community leadership. Her responsibilities included creating SOPs and governance protocols, overseeing budgets, collaborating with over 75 communities, and ensuring sustainable program execution across Amazon rainforest nations.
August 2023 marked another milestone in Gabriela's career as she joined Indigenous Commons as a Connectivity Catalyst Guardian Volunteer. In this role, she applies her experience as both a hands-on practitioner and high-altitude strategist to assist in shaping the organization's governance.
Gabriela's focus is on bridging the gap between Indigenous collaborators and Western organizational paradigms, facilitating community-centric processes, and navigating the complexities of cross-cultural interactions.
Nature and Spirit-Based Modalities in Business and Development
Throughout her career, Gabriela has remained true to her core mission: creating spaces where different worlds can intersect. By fostering these connections, she aims to drive systemic change that benefits both indigenous communities and the broader Western-led business sector. Her unique ability to unite diverse elements, rooted in her connection to ancestral arts and introspective nature, positions her as a vital bridge across cultures, driving positive change in an increasingly interconnected world.
She employs Andean cosmo-vision principles in program development, emphasizing the interconnectedness of communities and their environment. In business planning, she incorporates indigenous wisdom, using natural cycles and community-centric approaches to guide decision-making processes. Her design methodologies often draw from biomimicry, adapting nature's time-tested patterns to create sustainable solutions in both conservation and business contexts.