Sowing Legacies
Foto. Rafael Bossio
"In a present of droughts and deserts, not only due to the climate crisis but also because of the lack of inspiring leadership, seeing so many gardeners of hope in the world reminds us that even if we do not see the fruits or flowers today, the gardens of the future need us"
The invisible can become visible, and the impossible, reality.
I am Paula Moreno, a legacy builder, architect of collective dreams, and engineer of social transformation. I have dedicated my life to challenging inequality and building structures of equity. As the first Afro-Colombian woman and youngest minister in Colombia's history, I learned that profound transformations are born from imagining new futures and charting pathways to make them a reality. For over twenty years, through academia, government, philanthropy, and Manos Visibles, I have worked to impact lives, strengthen leadership, and weave networks of transformation across Colombia and more than fifteen countries.
What Can We Build Together?
I dedicate half of my time to offering the following services:
- Leadership and Strategy: Designing concepts, strategies, and programs to transform realities on a global scale.
- Excellence Consulting: Supporting projects and leaders who aim to build lasting and transcendent legacies, driving systemic transformations in social and cultural spheres through government, philanthropy, or development cooperation.
- Content Creation: Developing ideas and insights on leadership, culture, philanthropy, and diversity.
Ministry of Culture
2007-2010
I served as Colombia’s Minister of Culture for over three years, leading with the vision of A Diverse Colombia: Culture of All, Culture for All.”My tenure focused on creating an open-door Ministry and planting systemic and structural transformations that, nearly two decades later, remain fundamental pillars of cultural management in the country.
Philanthropy
National and International
A pioneer in international cooperation and philanthropy for over 20 years. I founded Visible Hands to drive generational change, transforming diversity into a key agent for nation-building, with Colombia’s largest equity network in partnership with multiple initiatives across the African diaspora. For eleven years, I haveI served on the Board of Directors of the Ford Foundation, where I chaired the program committee, advancing global social justice.
Philanthropy
National and International
A pioneer in international cooperation and philanthropy for over 20 years. I founded Visible Hands to drive generational change, transforming diversity into a key agent for nation-building, with Colombia’s largest equity network in partnership with multiple initiatives across the African diaspora. For eleven years, I haveI served on the Board of Directors of the Ford Foundation, where I chaired the program committee, advancing global social justice.
Stories That Transform
Writer and cultural producer, author of El Poder de lo Invisible (2018) and Soñar lo Imposible (2022), published by Penguin Random House. For over 15 years as a columnist for El Tiempo, I sparked critical conversations on social change. My book Soñar lo Imposible inspired the Caracol and Netflix series María la Caprichosa. My work spans documentaries, films, and music albums, reflecting my belief in the transformative power of culture and storytelling.
Agenda
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
NOVEMBER
- ATRIA Women Who Decide, Mexico City, August 21–23
- Oiga, Mire y Lea Book Festival – Cali, September 4–6
- Lanzamiento ArtsForHumanity – Inglaterra