OUR
TEAM
Meet the Colmena Lab team
DIRECTOR
FABIO VÍQUEZ
COSTA RICA
Media specialist, public relations expert, and strategic communicator with over 15 years of experience in the development of projects and campaigns for advocacy, visibility, and positioning.
Fabio has extensive experience working on projects related to climate change, biodiversity, forests, human rights, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in Central America, Mexico, South America, and Asia. Co-founder and director of Colmena Lab.
PROJECT DIRECTOR
VIOLETA SÁNCHEZ
ECUADOR
Expert in digital communication and communication for development with over 10 years of experience working with grassroots organizations, NGOs, governments, and businesses, developing communication projects.
Violeta has extensive experience working on projects related to climate change, biodiversity, forests, human rights, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in Central America, Mexico, and South America. Producer and host of Late Latinoamérica, co-founder and project director at Colmena Lab.
DIGITAL AND CONTENT STRATEGIST
DAVID PINTO
ECUADOR - FRANCE
Social communicator with a focus on Literature, specializing in data management with experience in the development of projects and communication campaigns for social impact.
He has worked on issues related to the environment, climate change, sustainable production and consumption, food sovereignty, Indigenous Peoples' rights, technology, and innovation. Writer, poet, and professional guitarist. Currently serving as Content Strategist and Coordinator of Digital Production at Colmena Lab.
DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION
ROQUE RIVAS
ECUADOR
Communicator with a history of creating digital content and managing online communities. Specialized in social and environmental causes, he has experience in content strategy design, social media management, multimedia creation and editing, video production and post-production. Co-founder of the digital media outlet BN Periodismo.
TRANSLATOR
JOSÉ MIGUEL PINTO
ECUADOR
Polyglot, linguist, copywriter, and professional translator of Spanish, English, and French. José Miguel specializes in translating communication products, events, and documents related to human rights, Indigenous Peoples' rights, climate change, sustainable development, rights of nature, and politics.
TRANSLATOR
LARISSA MEHL
BRAZIL - ARGENTINA
Translator, copywriter, and researcher with over 7 years of experience in the development of social research, culture, communication, and translation projects. Larissa holds a degree in International Relations from Centro Universitário Curitiba (UNICURITIBA) in Brazil, and a master's degree in Latin American Studies from the National University of Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina.
TRANSLATOR - EDITOR
MARCELA HERNÁNDEZ
GERMANY
Translator, editor, and interpreter with over 15 years of experience, particularly with international organizations and working groups advocating for Indigenous Peoples' rights, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation. Marcela professionally edits in English and Spanish, but she also has proficiency in German, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
VIDEO DIRECTOR
JEAN-PIERRE OLIVARES
FRANCE - ECUADOR
Videographer and photographer with 7 years of experience in France and Ecuador, specializing in audiovisual production for organizational projects, institutional campaigns, and events. Possessing skills in direction, photography, editing, and post-production, Jean-Pierre, with a background in film and photography, has worked on projects for internationally recognized clients and directed several short films. His focus revolves around environmental projects, reflecting his passion for nature and its interconnectedness.
MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION SPECIALIST
ERNESTO ÁVALOS
EL SALVADOR
Audiovisual producer with 30+ years of experience in news, documentaries, and content creation for international media outlets like CNN, CBS, NBC, Univision, ZDF, and Televisión Española. Former Telesur correspondent and contributor to PBS and National Geographic documentaries. Expertise in scripting, video editing, and sound design.
JOURNALIST
ALBERTO ÑIQUEN
PERU
Alberto Ñiquen is a Peruvian journalist specializing in climate change, sustainable development, and Indigenous Peoples. Throughout his career, Alberto has published articles in national, regional, and global media. Additionally, he is a member of specialized networks such as The Climate Reality Project, Parents for Future Latam, Parents for Future Global, and a former editor of La Mula.Pe.
JOURNALIST
LUCY CHAU
PANAMA
Poet, writer, researcher, teacher, and Panamanian activist, contributing to the creative team at Colmena Lab. As an activist, Lucy has been instrumental in creating artistic spaces for new forms of protest in defense of human rights and freedom of expression.
WEB DEVELOPER - TE
SEBASTIÁN BARRE
ECUADOR
Expert in Frontend and Backend design and development with over 10 years of experience in both commercial and non-profit organizations. Sebastián is skilled in handling SQL and NoSQL databases, Docker, Pantheon, Wordpress with Timber, Pug, Compass, Gulp, Node.js, Flutter, PHP, among others. He has built and configured servers on platforms such as Digital Ocean, AWS, GCP, among others.
Sebastián has extensive experience with well-known national agencies such as Geeks, Ximah, and Monogestor. He has also collaborated on international projects with Colmena Lab and Verndale.
MUSIC PRODUCER AND COMPOSER
CAMILO SÁNCHEZ
ECUADOR
Musician, performer, composer, and sound producer with over twelve years of experience in creating and producing sound products in corporate, artistic, and non-governmental contexts. Through music and production, Camilo crafts sound and literary narratives across various fields, including politics, activism, advertising, and Latin American cultures.
Camilo has extensive experience in the technical production of podcasts, sound experiences, leitmotifs, soundscapes, brand voice, brand songs, radio spots, and similar products.
ADVISOR
ANDRÉS TAPIA
ECUADOR
Graduate in Biological Sciences from the Central University of Ecuador, Master in Biodiversity in tropical forests from the International University Menéndez Pelayo in Spain. He has several scientific articles on the environment written and published in indexed journals, press releases, journalistic articles, and written communications in national and international media, as well as authoring and co-authoring books on wildlife and socio-environmental conflicts.
Community Communicator with a technology degree from the Folk High School of Härnösand, Sweden. Communication Leader of CONFENIAE for two consecutive periods from 2016-2019 and from 2020 to 2023. Director of Radio La Voz de la Confeniae 99.1 FM, audiovisual producer with nearly 40 productions and co-productions with various film, video, and audiovisual collectives.
ADVISOR
RAMIRO BATZIN
GUATEMALA
Coordinator of the Integrated Natural Resource Management Program with Indigenous Peoples in Central America (CICA/Sotz'il), representative on the National Climate Change Council, and member of the Indigenous Climate Change Table in Guatemala. Additionally, he is part of the Indigenous Council of Central America, acting as a focal point for the Convention on Biological Diversity, and a member of the Global Council of IUCN.
As a consultant, he contributes his expertise in Indigenous traditional knowledge and risk management, among other areas.
FINANCIAL ADVISOR
GEOVANNIE FEDULLO
COSTA RICA
Specialist in financial and accounting operations, auditing, corporate governance, business strategy, board meetings, family business enterprises, and portfolio management.
Geovannie has devoted much of his career to developing services aimed at facilitating the management of administrative processes that provide added value to small, medium, and large companies seeking continuous improvement in their operations. This serves as a means to facilitate the creation of value in their productive operations.