Ashoka
Mexico 🇲🇽
Nowadays, everything I do, at least everything I do professionally, can be described as my own way to help a friend to build a kingdom, the kingdom of God….how religious, isn't?
I always had found this phrase very dogmatic and never imagined myself using it as my deep sense of purpose in life, however, God is a very good script writer in my life, with a penchant for comedy I may add. Without seeking to be unrespectful, come on! you need to accept that it sounds like doctrinal teaching, you can think it refers just to shiny, angelic and cheesy people hugging each other wearing white… so bizarre!, at least that was my thoughts during my early years.
Everything started at college when I got passionate about missionary projects, obviously I did not get engaged there because of my religious fervor, it was more about the chances to work and connect deeply with people in many different rural areas in my country that encouraged me, learning from wise old men and women a profound sense of joyful. But nowadays I love to see myself as another apostle, like St. Peter or St. James, walking far far away, sharing a message from a crazy guy who told them it was possible to make things different.
At the present time I am a social innovation consultant, counseling companies on how business can be a mechanism to create positive impact and how business can be a mechanism for changemaking. I have started my own social company promoting sustainable tourism as a way to use business to provide wellbeing and pride to our people, with people in rural communities in Mexico and in beautiful vineyards. In summary, I am a lucky guy who found a way to be paid for being a missionary, traveling across villages, drinking wine…sometimes, Did not the apostles do the same?
I had the chance to learn from Ashoka what it means to be a changemaker. Now I am accompanying young people in rural areas in Mexico in entrepreneurship affairs. Now I am able to share that you do not need to be a big company to become a changemaker in your community. Just last year 5 local SMEs were able to provide scholarships to students only by doing a better math and understanding another logic in doing business ¡Even Jesus had good accountants!.
I am not a traveler anymore, I am a pilgrim with a clear vision about where is going, enjoying the process but trusting the vision. For me being a spiritual changemaker means going across the borders sharing in the middle of nothing a perspective of entrepreneurship that has given me a deep sense of purpose.
Today my colleagues refer to me as a “The Preacher” of Social Innovation, and I can’t avoid a hint of proud but I have accepted I am just helping a crazy old friend to build a kingdom. He has been more talented than me writing the script of my own story.... He has surrounding myself with people committed to a fairer world and with very good locations ... and sometimes that is more than enough.