In a world where leadership is often measured by individual achievement, Catalina Cajías Jaya stands as proof that the most profound impact comes from lifting others. As Director of the Women Economic Forum Ecuador, international strategist, and architect of global impact networks, she has spent years building alliances that connect leaders, institutions, and nations around a singular vision: a world where women occupy decision-making spaces with purpose, coherence, and transformative action.
Her work spans continents, from India to the United States, Mexico to Colombia, and her native Ecuador. Yet what distinguishes Catalina is not merely her geographic reach, but her philosophy of leadership itself. She leads not from ego, but from echo, as she describes it, measuring success by what resonates in others long after any interaction ends.
“I firmly believe that leadership today is no longer driven by ego, but by echo,” Catalina reflects. “By what we leave resonating in others, in teams, and in the world. That is the essence of the collaborative leadership I practise and promote.”
THE PATH: BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN WORLDS
Catalina’s journey to becoming one of the most influential voices in Ibero-America on women’s leadership was shaped by a global education and an unwavering conviction that meaningful change never happens in isolation. Her academic path led her through four countries—the United States, Mexico, Argentina and Spain. She specialised in International Cooperation at Nebrija University and in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment at the University of Salamanca, further complementing her studies with International Affairs and Diplomacy. Most recently, she obtained a certification in International Project Management.
Each experience reinforced a fundamental truth that would guide her career: leadership exercised with purpose becomes a force for collective transformation.
The pivotal moment came through an encounter with an extraordinary woman who recognised something in Catalina’s vision. “You have everything it takes to represent your country,” she was told. “Let’s go to India.”
That invitation in 2018 launched an international journey representing Ecuador in India, where her connection with WEF Global was born. After three years participating alongside international delegations, the dream crystallised in 2021 with the creation of WEF Ecuador, a chapter that now reaches 17 countries and has earned recognition as one of the most representative in the world.
“Being a pioneer in bringing the Women Economic Forum to Ecuador was the result of believing in the potential we have as a country and as a region,” Catalina explains. “Today, more than a role, it is a life mission: to represent a network of leaders who believe in expansion, synergy, and collective impact.”
REDEFINING LEADERSHIP: FROM EGO TO ECHO
At the heart of Catalina’s philosophy lies a reconceptualisation of what leadership means in an interconnected world. She defines collaborative leadership as the capacity to inspire, support, and trust, with a crucial distinction: its aim is not to generate followers, but to empower multipliers who expand a shared vision.
This approach draws from humanistic management and regenerative leadership frameworks, recognising that in a globalised world where knowledge alone is insufficient, true power emerges from the union of people working toward purposes larger than individual interests.
“Collaborative leadership integrates voices and talents, encourages cooperation, and transforms competition into synergy,” she observes. “Global challenges can only be addressed through conscious collaboration, building sustainable and human-centred solutions together.”
This philosophy extends to her conviction about Human-to-Human alliances. Early in her international forum experience, Catalina discovered that empathy and genuine collaboration create more impact than any protocol. The insight transformed her understanding of business relationships.
“When we speak about B2C or company-to-company relations, we often forget that organisations are structures, but what truly drives them is people,” she explains. “Titles are necessary at an initial stage—they reflect technical competence—but they are not the only essential element in a professional. Accumulating degrees does not unite hearts, but empathy and creating value does. Every project I lead seeks to leave a legacy built with humanity, purpose, and a global vision.”
CONFRONTING CHALLENGES: WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN LATIN AMERICA
Latin American women face structural challenges that Catalina addresses directly through her work: inequality, wage gaps, and limited representation in leadership positions. Yet she identifies the greatest obstacle as cultural, the persistent paradigms surrounding what it means to lead as a woman.
WEF Ecuador tackles these challenges on multiple fronts. The organisation works to ensure more women occupy decision-making spaces by raising visibility and creating opportunities for training, mentorship, and cooperation. Public-private alliances, academic scholarships for professional development, and certification programmes in innovation open pathways and strengthen purposeful leadership.
“We know that women often lead without the recognition or resources they deserve,” Catalina acknowledges. “That is why we promote initiatives that not only support individual women but transform the systems around them.”
The results speak to the effectiveness of this approach. Ecuador has moved from 50th to 16th place globally on gender equality metrics according to the World Economic Forum, now ranking second in the region. This progress stems from an entire ecosystem of effort, supported by legislation like the Violet Law, though Catalina is quick to note that the global economic inclusion gap remains at approximately 274 years.
BUILDING GLOBAL NETWORKS: THE ARCHITECTURE OF IMPACT
Creating high-impact international collaborations requires what Catalina describes as alliances woven with soul and purpose. The foundation rests on shared values, with true impact emerging when each alliance becomes a bridge uniting causes with action.
“The most powerful connections arise when people come together for a purpose greater than their own goals,” she explains. “When coherence, transparent communication, and a common vision exist, collaboration transcends borders and leaves a lasting legacy.”
Cultural differences, rather than presenting obstacles, serve as gifts in this framework. Each culture contributes a unique perspective, and that diversity transforms forums into spaces of genuine global connection. Intercultural sensitivity not only enriches alliances but makes them sustainable and authentic.
The tangible results of this approach over five years demonstrate the power of purpose-driven network building: 478 high-level speakers sharing knowledge and experience, 2,107 in-person attendees from 17 countries, digital reach of 308,400 people across 27 countries, and media coverage valued at USD 3.4 million spanning English, Portuguese, and Italian markets.
TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITY
Perhaps nowhere is WEF Ecuador’s impact more visible than in its educational initiatives. The organisation has awarded 224 scholarships in STEM, e-commerce, innovation, and undergraduate through doctoral studies. A collaboration initiated in Costa Rica enabled 375 Bootcamp scholarships in digital marketing, finance, e-commerce, and innovation through Latin America’s top business school.
Educational exchange programmes have impacted 1,000 young people, 500 from Ecuador and 500 from India. Four hundred youth have received certification in Human Rights, while 420 children in vulnerable rural areas have benefited from dental health and playful learning programmes.
During WEF 2024, collaboration between leaders from Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, and the United States resulted in over 50 fully funded academic scholarships for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies, alongside 10 professional certifications in innovation.
“These alliances show that when borders dissolve, knowledge multiplies and transforms lives,” Catalina observes.
AMPLIFYING VOICES: STRATEGIES FOR EMPOWERMENT
Central to Catalina’s mission is amplifying the voices of leaders, though she draws an important distinction in methodology. “Amplifying a voice does not mean speaking for others,” she clarifies. “It means creating spaces where they can be heard.”
Through the “Vamos Más Alto” initiative and WEF’s international stages, she highlights leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers transforming their realities from within their communities. The approach champions meaningful storytelling, recognising that when stories are shared with truth, they inspire, mobilise, and spark action.
“That is where real empowerment emerges,” Catalina notes. “When someone thinks, ‘If she did it, I can do it too.’”
Strategic visibility and connection platforms like WEF Ecuador and Vamos Más Alto give voice to those transforming quietly, promoting networks that elevate and share best practices, insights, and tools that have proven effective.
MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION
For emerging women leaders, Catalina teaches that leadership begins within oneself. Her mentorship and human development processes centre on purpose, self-confidence, and expanded awareness.
“One cannot inspire others without first learning to transform their own life,” she explains. Drawing from a book she co-authored, now available in airports across Mexico, she shares her framework of four golden circles: intellectual, financial, physical, and spiritual prosperity.
“When these pillars are integrated, inner balance is achieved, along with the ability to flourish within one’s environment and understand others with empathy,” she teaches. “Those who know themselves can lead with authenticity, and that is where true leadership lies.”
Her advice to young Ecuadorian women aspiring to become global leaders carries both challenge and encouragement: “Believe in yourselves before anyone else does. Do not wait for external validation to begin; walk towards the deepest passion held in your heart. Trust your voice and your ability to open doors and windows where there were only walls, to tear down barriers, build bridges, and discover new paths.”
PURPOSE-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP IN THE MODERN ERA
Catalina emphasises the importance of purpose-driven brands, helping leaders reconnect with the fundamental “why/so that” behind their work. When purpose is understood, every decision gains meaning. She guides transformation processes that integrate human values, sustainability, and results.
“Purpose is the new value proposition,” she teaches. “When purpose drives action, impact becomes inevitable.”
This extends to her view on balancing profitability with purpose during international expansion. Rather than seeing these as opposing forces, she views them as complementary. Purpose-driven companies generate trust, loyalty, and reputation, which translate into economic sustainability.
“When social impact and financial success meet, growth stops being merely a goal and becomes a legacy,” she observes. “When economic success is accompanied by social impact, leadership becomes truly transformative.”
SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: THE HEART OF CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP
For Catalina, sustainable human development forms the core of conscious leadership. A leader who does not evolve internally can hardly generate real progress for others. Leading sustainably means cultivating empathy, ethics, and purpose, creating wellbeing not only within organisations but throughout society.
She points to essential conversations now gaining prominence across Latin America: Consciousness, Wellbeing, Happiness and Purpose. Consciousness, Wellbeing, Happiness and Connection. Consciousness, Wellbeing, Happiness and Meaning.
“These pillars represent the essence of modern leadership,” she affirms. “Without human development, there is no real progress. Leading means caring for people, for the environment, and for collective wellbeing. It means integrating profitability with responsibility, strategy with sensitivity, mind with heart. It is, in essence, advancing towards Humanistic Management.”
ECUADOR’S ROLE IN GLOBAL WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
Under Catalina’s leadership, Ecuador has emerged as a vital connection point for Latin America in the global ecosystem of women’s empowerment. She describes her country as symbolising resilience, creativity, and human vision.
“From here, we have demonstrated that empowerment has no borders and that we can serve as a bridge between continents and cultures,” she explains. “At WEF Ecuador, we have shown that a small country can make a significant impact when it leads with purpose. Today we are considered a regional benchmark.”
The forum functions as a living platform for connection and growth, providing spaces for international cooperation and business network expansion while creating opportunities for women to elevate their leadership, strengthen purpose-driven brands, and actively contribute to economic and social development.
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Looking ahead, Catalina acknowledges that the traditional measure of economic success, growth, is being challenged by a world demanding something more: regeneration, restoration, and care.
Her vision for the next five years centres on continuing to elevate impact and consolidating Ecuador as a regional reference in women’s leadership. WEF Ecuador will continue fostering initiatives that strengthen human development, collaboration, and innovation.
“Looking forward is not a slogan,” she declares. “It is a way of living, choosing, and leading.”
THE LEGACY: INSPIRING A GENERATION
When asked about the legacy she hopes to leave, Catalina speaks of a force more powerful than electricity: willpower. It is the essence that makes the impossible possible.
“My legacy will be having inspired a generation of women who understand that the future has a new author: each one of us,” she envisions. “A legacy of purpose, cooperation, and hope; of leadership that transforms, inspires, and connects.”
Her aspiration reaches toward future generations who will look forward with faith in their roots and clear global vision, understanding that every decision, every step, and every act of courage leaves an imprint that transcends history.
Her closing message carries the weight of conviction: “Looking forward is more than moving ahead; it is choosing with purpose. Every woman reading these lines should remember that she does not need permission to transform her story; she only needs willpower, faith, and action. The future is not inherited: it is built. And when a woman dares to take a courageous step, that step becomes a path for many more.”
INSPIRATIONS AND INFLUENCES
Catalina draws inspiration from both local and global sources. Locally, she is moved by anonymous Ecuadorian women who sustain homes, communities, and dreams. Globally, leaders like Dr Harbeen Arora Rai, founder of WEF Global and recognised among the 100 most influential people in the world, whose vision of global sisterhood has created impact across more than 150 countries, guides her path.
This blend of grassroots inspiration and global vision captures the essence of Catalina’s leadership: deeply rooted yet boundlessly expansive, humble yet transformative, individual yet collective.
