Tras la Perla by Carlos Vives

What Tras la Perla by Carlos Vives does

Tras La Perla by Carlos Vives is a Colombian citizen initiative (non-profit) founded in 2015 by singer Carlos Vives and Claudia Elena V\u00e1squez to promote the integral development of Santa Marta and the surrounding Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Ci\u00e9naga Grande ecosystems. The organization operates across three pillars \u2014 physical environment, individual wellbeing, and systemic conditions \u2014 delivering programs in water and sanitation infrastructure, education and scholarships, vocational training, cultural identity (notably the 500 Years city brand for Santa Marta's quincentenary), sports, and disaster relief. All programs are offered free of charge to beneficiaries, primarily low-income residents of the Pesca\u00edto neighborhood, amphibious stilt communities in Buenavista, and indigenous territories in the Sierra Nevada.

The initiative does not sell products or services; its business model relies on a combination of own-resource investment from its founders, individual donations processed through a Bold.co payment portal, and institutional grants from development banks and foundations. Core strategic partners include CAF (Banco de Desarrollo de Am\u00e9rica Latina y el Caribe) for the Buenavista sanitation pilot, BID, the Tim Reynolds and The Reynolds Foundations, Universidad del Magdalena for scholarships, Alcald\u00eda de Santa Marta for city-wide cultural programs, and Conservation International, INVEMAR, and Findeter for environmental and territorial development work. The organization is led by Executive Director Isabel Cristina V\u00e1squez, supported by a 20+ person operational team and a board including former Colombian ministers and a McKinsey regional director.

Reach is concentrated in a single Colombian sub-region, but depth is significant: ten years of embedded community presence, two flagship physical community hubs (Casa de los Pesca\u00edtos and Casa de la Danza), four annual Summits since 2015, and measurable outcomes including renovated amphibious houses, mattress distributions, scholarship cohorts, and a registered 500-year commemorative brand identity. The 10-year anniversary in 2025 coincides with Santa Marta's 500th anniversary, anchoring a national-visibility campaign that is the organization's primary fundraising and reputation-building vehicle.

Name

Tras la Perla by Carlos Vives

Legal name

Tras La Perla

Website

https://traslaperla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tras La Perla by Carlos Vives is a Colombian non-profit founded in 2015 that delivers community development, education, cultural, and water/sanitation programs to residents of Santa Marta, the Ci\u00e9naga Grande stilt communities, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, funded by founder contributions, individual donations, and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development and Civic Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Services (Restoration, Wildlife-Safe Operations) (THAAANAH)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Civic nonprofit initiatives
• Educational scholarship programs
• Water and sanitation infrastructure
• Cultural preservation projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The initiative raises funds from individual donors and the general public through its website donation portal (Bold.co payment link). Social media campaigns and the 'Join Now' call-to-action direct supporters to contribute financially.
2. Institutional and Foundation Funding: Tras La Perla partners with development banks (CAF, BID), foundations (Tim Reynolds Foundation, The Reynolds Foundation), and government entities (Alcaldía de Santa Marta) to secure project-based funding for infrastructure, education, and environmental programs. The website notes $1,000,000 in own-resource investment and external resource mobilization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tras La Perla by Carlos Vives is a citizen non-profit initiative that delivers community development programs free of charge to beneficiaries in Santa Marta, the Ciénaga Grande wetland, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Its portfolio spans education scholarships, vocational training, comprehensive sexuality education (Ciclo Vital), cultural preservation and identity programs (including the 500 Years commemorative brand), water and sanitation infrastructure for amphibious stilt communities (Proyecto Cumbiana), and community hubs (Casa de los Pescaítos and Casa de la Danza). All services are funded through donations and institutional grants, with no fees charged to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Tras La Perla by Carlos Vives is a citizen initiative (not a technology product company) that promotes integral development in Santa Marta, Ciénaga Grande, and Sierra Nevada through social programs. The portfolio consists of interconnected community development initiatives including: the Scholarships Program (supporting school, technical, and professional education); Ciclo Vital (comprehensive sexuality education); Job Training and Self-Employment (vocational skills); City Brand: 500 Years (cultural identity branding); Casa de los Pescaítos and Casa de la Danza (community infrastructure); Basic Sanitation Project-Cumbiana (environmental infrastructure); and Craft Decoration Workshops (skills training). These programs work together to address education, culture, economic opportunity, health, and environmental sustainability in the territory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarships Program (Programa de Becas) A scholarship program offering three lines of support: school education, technical and technological training, and professional education, designed to promote access to quality education for youth in Santa Marta. Free to beneficiaries.
• Ciclo Vital (Life Cycle) A comprehensive sexuality education program that strengthens knowledge, attitudes, and responsible practices related to self-care, body, sexuality, fertility, and informed decision-making, implemented at I.E.D Liceo Del Norte school. Free to student beneficiaries.
• Job Training and Self-Employment (Formación para el Trabajo y el Autoempleo) Vocational training program focused on high-demand skills, including eyebrow design workshops, designed to empower female heads of households with tools for self-employment and improved income. Free to participants.
• City Brand: 500 Years (Marca Ciudad: 500 años) A commemorative brand identity project celebrating the 500th anniversary of Santa Marta's founding, encapsulating five centuries of diversity, resilience, and cultural richness through iconic elements such as the bay and Sierra Nevada. Handed over to the city on December 20, 2024.
• Casa de los Pescaítos and Casa de la Danza (Pedagogical Project) Flagship social infrastructure projects providing community gathering, learning, and social cohesion spaces in the historic Pescaíto neighborhood, serving children, adolescents, youth, parents, seniors, and local educators. Free access to participants.
• Basic Sanitation Project – Cumbiana (Proyecto Cumbiana / Hábitat) A pilot sanitation project in Buenavista, an amphibious community in Ciénaga Grande, designing and implementing wastewater treatment systems for stilt houses, with two renovated homes delivered and a third planned in partnership with CAF. Free to beneficiary families.
• Craft Decoration Workshop (Taller de Decoración Artesanal) Free workshop teaching cayenne and fantasy flower decoration for floats and events, targeted at women aged 30-45, with entrepreneurial potential and cultural empowerment objectives. 5 sessions of 2 hours each.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 houses renovated with water and sanitation in Ciénaga Grande stilt village (Buenavista) in partnership with CAF, with a third to be delivered by end of 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• Espumas Santa Fe (Fundación Espumas Santa Fe)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Espumas Santa Fe partnered with Tras La Perla to deliver 80 brand-new mattresses to families in the Pescaíto neighborhood affected by heavy August rains. The mattresses were specially manufactured for this project, demonstrating the company's technical and production capacity applied to social impact.
• Universidad del MagdalenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Universidad del Magdalena partners with Tras La Perla on the Beca Profesional en Deportes (Professional Sports Scholarship), providing higher education pathways for sports coaches and trainers in Santa Marta. This initiative recognizes the trajectory of sports formators and supports their professional development.
• CAF (Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024CAF is the primary development finance partner for Tras La Perla's infrastructure initiatives. Together they developed the Proyecto Piloto de Saneamiento Básico in Buenavista (Ciénaga Grande), designing and delivering household water and sanitation systems for amphibious stilt communities. Two houses were delivered in 2024, with a third expected by year-end. Sergio Diazgranados, Executive President of CAF, stated pride in partnering to find lasting solutions to water and sanitation problems in the stilt villages.
• Conservation InternationalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation International is listed among strategic partners supporting Tras La Perla's environmental and ecosystem protection work in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Ciénaga Grande.
• Alcaldía de Santa MartacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipal government of Santa Marta is a key strategic ally, collaborating on city-wide initiatives including the 500th anniversary celebration. Mayor Carlos Pinedo participated in the brand identity handover event and has expressed support for the initiative's contributions to the city's development.
• Fundación ExesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Exe is listed as a strategic partner supporting Tras La Perla's community and development programs.
• Universidad Simón Bolívar (USM)supportingOthersUniversidad Simón Bolívar is listed as an academic partner providing research and educational support for Tras La Perla's programs.
• Universidad del Magdalena (additional listing)supportingOthersUniversidad del Magdalena is an academic partner providing educational programming support, including the sports scholarship program.
• INVEMARsupportingOthersINVEMAR (Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras) is a marine and coastal research institute listed as a technical partner for environmental and ecosystem research.
• SocyaminorOthersSocya is listed as a local partner organization supporting community initiatives in the Santa Marta region.
• DeemoLabminorOthersDeemoLab is listed as a partner supporting innovation initiatives within the Tras La Perla ecosystem.
• CabildosupportingOthersThe Cabildo is listed as a strategic partner, representing indigenous community engagement, particularly relevant given the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta's significance as El Corazón del Mundo to ancestral communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TECHO: Latin American non-profit building transitional housing and running community development programs across 18 countries. Directly comparable on the housing-infrastructure and community-engagement pillars, though TECHO operates across multiple geographies while Tras La Perla is regionally concentrated.
• Fundación Corona: Colombian foundation focused on social development, education, and citizen participation across multiple regions. Comparable as a Colombian multi-program foundation with cross-sector convening capacity and donor-funded sustainability model.
• Un Techo para mi País (now TECHO): See TECHO above — the pan-Latin American housing and community development non-profit represents the closest functional peer for the Cumbiana amphibious-housing pilot model.
• Fundación Natura Colombia: Colombian environmental foundation focused on biodiversity, water, and habitat conservation. Comparable on the biodiversity and habitat conservation work around Sierra Nevada and Ciénaga Grande, with deeper environmental-only specialization.
• Fundación Carvajal: Major Colombian foundation focused on community development, education, and economic opportunity in Cali and Valle del Cauca. Directly comparable as a Colombian regional foundation working across education, economic empowerment, and community infrastructure with similar program archetypes.
• Fundación Avina: Latin American foundation driving sustainable development through partnerships across environment, citizenship, and economic opportunity. Comparable as a multi-pillar Latin American development foundation leveraging strategic alliances and convening platforms.
• Habitat for Humanity Latin America and the Caribbean: Regional arm of Habitat for Humanity operating housing and sanitation solutions across Latin America. Comparable on the Cumbiana-style sanitation infrastructure work for vulnerable communities, though operating at materially larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Global environmental NGO operating at scale across biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development. Listed as a Tras La Perla strategic partner; comparable on the conservation and ecosystem protection remit in Sierra Nevada/Ciénaga Grande, though operating globally and at much larger scale.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Major philanthropic vehicle funding city-level initiatives in environment, education, and the arts. Comparable on the integrated city-development model (urban environment + cultural identity + citizen wellbeing) and on leveraging celebrity/founder scale, though at vastly larger capital scale.

Emerging players

• Fundación Carlos Slim: Latin American philanthropic foundation with celebrity-founder brand recognition running multi-pillar education, health, and economic programs. Comparable on the celebrity-founder-led foundation structure and multi-pillar community programming in Latin America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/traslaperla?s=21&t=zOvgnmskpJfm_NHxLIHD8g
• Facebookfacebook.com/share/12H98Wogj8L/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/traslaperla
• Instagraminstagram.com/traslaperla/profilecard/?igsh=MXdxOW9hYTFsMzQ0eg==
• TikToktiktok.com/@traslaperla?_t=8qLn3aHOVte&_r=1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tras la Perla by Carlos Vives