Between Worlds
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Between Worlds 〰️
why awakkuna exists
Across academic, museum, and cultural institutions, Latin America is more visible than ever — and yet often remains insufficiently understood.
Existing frameworks are skilled at identifying signals, trends, and emerging behaviors, but they frequently struggle to account for the deeper territorial, historical, and relational systems those signals come from.
awakkuna emerged in response to that gap — offering cultural and territorial intelligence sourced directly from the territories of latin america and designed to support deeper, more grounded engagement with the region.
the chakaruna
In the Andean tradition, the Chakaruna is the facilitator of the organic flow of intelligence between separate worlds, distinct temporalities, and divergent bodies of knowledge.
This is the role Awakkuna's research occupies — not as an observer, but as a bridge.
Moving insights from the territory into institutional spaces with fidelity to the source and accountability to the receiving institution at once.
a life in transition
from capitol hill to the andes
what inspired me to create awakkuna
Born in Colombia and raised in the United States, my life has been a constant movement between worlds.
Living and working across Colombia, the United States, Spain, and Mexico shaped a perspective rooted both in the territory itself and in its global diasporas.
In 2020, I returned to colombia after decades abroad.
What began as a return home became a profound re-encounter with the territory — its creativity, contradictions, memory, and living intelligence.
It transformed questions I had carried for years into a practice of observation, listening, and relationship.
For three decades, I have worked across global policy, environmental conservation, international strategy, and cultural intelligence.
That journey includes twenty years in brand development and thirteen years collaborating with some of the world's leading luxury houses.
Throughout this journey, one question remained constant:
How can cultural knowledge move between communities, disciplines, and institutions without losing the relationships, histories, and lived realities from which it emerges?
awakkuna emerged from that question.
It is a cultural and territorial intelligence system designed to support deeper forms of understanding, interpretation, and engagement with Latin America — an invitation to work with the intelligence of the territory, not simply its image.
This work continues in relationship with the territories, communities, and knowledge systems that inspire it — and with a deep love for Colombia, Latin America, and the cultural richness that continues to shape the region.
Founder, Awakkuna
from Medellín, Colombia — Abya yala
