Bio

Mario is also the founder of Make it Happy and Vaca Bacana, social ventures dedicated to the prioritization of sustainable happiness in our work, our communities, and our governments. His parents call him “Happy Man” and the media calls him the “Happiness Ambassador."

 

Mario grew up next to an active volcano in Pasto, Colombia. In 2004 he left his country, moved to Boston, and learned English while waiting tables, parking cars, and teaching salsa lessons. A few years of hard work and good faith resulted in a Master’s degree from Columbia University. He has held several positions on Wall Street, worked as a consultant in Boston, and organized anti-corruption programs for the Colombian government.

 

Mario is considered an international ambassador for happiness and an ed-tech activist who has spread smiles across three continents and swapped stories with politicians, former guerrilla combatants, and countless community leaders. His work has touched millions of lives in the private and public sectors. Mario has presented at TEDx events internationally, given a talk at Google Headquarters, spoken before a U.N. panel on happiness, built workshops for socially conscious corporations, coordinated major grassroots activations in the streets of cities worldwide, and mobilized student groups and universities around the globe.

 

As of today, Mario's initiatives have touched the lives of +45 million people in +33 countries.