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Fundación PANACA facilitators
Our team

A team committed to transformation

Professionals from different disciplines who bring together technical knowledge, methodological experience and a deep calling for social change.

Leadership

Those who guide the model

JB
Jorge Alonso Ballen Franco
Founder and President of the PANACA Business Group

An agronomist from Escuela Agrícola Panamericana Zamorano (Honduras), entrepreneur and a leading figure in Colombian agriculture, with a career devoted to innovation, rural development and transforming the countryside through high-impact productive, educational and business models.

As founder and president of the PANACA Business Group, he brought the PANACA concept to life in 1999, building an ecosystem that combines education, tourism, entrepreneurship, sustainability and territorial development, inspired by the philosophy “Sin campo no hay ciudad®”. His vision has driven initiatives to strengthen agricultural culture, promote animal welfare, encourage the responsible use of natural resources and bring dignity to the work of the farmer.

Through Fundación PANACA he has led training and capacity-building programmes for producers, entrepreneurs, teachers, young people and rural communities across Colombia and Latin America, championing the Learning by Doing methodology.

Order and Cross of Boyacá · 2019
LV
Luis Fernando Vélez
Academic Advisor · Fundación PANACA

An agronomist from Escuela Agrícola Panamericana Zamorano (Honduras), with a degree in Agriculture from Cornell University (United States) and a master's in Agricultural Economics. His distinguished career in higher education, university administration and academic consulting allowed him to contribute significantly to strengthening agricultural training and developing high-impact educational models.

As Academic Advisor he brought his knowledge and experience to strengthening the training programmes, academic accreditation and the consolidation of experiential learning methods.

Fundación PANACA honours and is grateful for his invaluable legacy, commitment and dedication to education. His vision and contributions remain a guide for our mission.

In memory and gratitude
LC
Lorena Marcela Cuéllar Romero
Social Communicator · Executive Director of Fundación PANACA

A social communicator with more than 21 years at the PANACA Business Group, leading educational innovation, human development, institutional partnerships and the design of initiatives for the sustainable transformation of people, organizations and territories.

As Executive Director she guides the design and delivery of strategies, programmes and partnerships that combine experiential education, capacity building, entrepreneurship, inclusion and territorial development. Her expertise in adult learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), education for peace and reconciliation, and the Learning by Doing methodology from Universidad Zamorano (Honduras), has helped consolidate a model of educational innovation with impact across Colombia and Latin America.

Executive Management
Team

The people who make every programme possible

AL
Alexander López Téllez
Certified Public Accountant · Deputy Director of Administration and Finance

A certified public accountant with more than seven years at the PANACA Business Group, where he leads the administrative, financial and strategic work behind the design, delivery and monitoring of publicly and privately funded projects.

His experience covers non-profit administration, financial management, public and private procurement, the SECOP II platform, and the design and delivery of high-impact projects. As a facilitator he has taught financial literacy, project design and public procurement to producers, associations, rural organizations and business owners.

OM
Oscar Andrés Martínez
Animal Scientist · Deputy Director of Training and Projects

An animal scientist specializing in project management, with more than 13 years at the PANACA Business Group leading training, project development and capacity building for sustainable rural development.

He leads the design and delivery of educational programmes for business strengthening, bringing together innovative learning methods, continuous improvement and quality standards. His experience covers academic programmes in agriculture, environment, organizational development and human development, as well as the rollout of the DUAL training methodology.

LB
Laura Alejandra Barbosa
Educator · Community and Engagement Coordinator

An education professional specializing in inclusive education, with experience designing, coordinating and delivering training programmes focused on human development, community strengthening and experiential learning.

She leads graduate support, the training of rural and business leaders, and projects aimed at teachers, young people, communities, entrepreneurs and business owners. Her experience includes teacher training in inclusive education, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and experiential learning methods.

SD
Sebastián Dueñas
Tourism and Hospitality Management · Training Programmes Coordinator

A senior management specialist with more than fifteen years in tourism and five in training. His career has focused on strengthening tourism as an engine of territorial development, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

He leads work with entrepreneurs, business owners and rural stakeholders, using hands-on learning methods to build capabilities, consolidate business models and create projects with real impact. He is known for building partnerships across the academic, public and private sectors.

MG
Mariana Gálvez Sepúlveda
Psychologist · Psychosocial Team Coordinator

A psychologist with seven years in social and community psychology, specializing in designing and delivering strategies for human development, capacity building and all-round well-being.

She leads the planning, coordination and monitoring of psychosocial strategies, bringing together methods that strengthen the educational experience. She has developed individual and group psychological support pathways, along with approaches to keep students enrolled, prevent drop-out and support participants throughout.

IH
Iván Darío Herrera
Psychologist · Coordinator of Development of the SELF

A psychologist with experience in social and community psychology, specializing in human potential and the social-emotional skills that support well-being, personal growth and performance in different settings.

He leads training built on experiential methods, learning by doing and discovery learning, designing workshops and experiences that strengthen leadership, communication, teamwork, adaptability and personal growth. He also leads staff training for the PANACA Business Group.

A team committed to transformation

People who adapt to every territory

Every facilitator supports learning from a human, experiential perspective, building both technical and social-emotional skills. Their experience covers the design and delivery of differentiated education, support for rural communities, organizational strengthening, peacebuilding and territorial development.

Thanks to these people, Fundación PANACA has reached thousands across more than 600 municipalities in Colombia, adapting every programme to the realities and needs of each territory.

Facilitators are also backed by the interdisciplinary team of the PANACA Business Group, which brings technical and operational expertise to strengthen the Dual Training methodology, combining academic knowledge with real learning settings. This ensures training that is relevant, innovative and connected to today's rural challenges.

The Fundación PANACA team in the field
The countryside at sunset
Let's talk

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