Hello, I'm Federico Perez

—Scaling Conservation, Finance

and Policy for Planetary impact.

Based in
United States 🌎
biography

Bio

Since 1994

Federico Perez

Federico Pérez is a Colombian entrepreneur and conservation strategist dedicated to driving holistic environmental impact. He is the Founder & CEO of Selvitas, a social enterprise scaling forest conservation across Colombia and producing impactful media to catalyze systemic change. Through his leadership, he has pioneered innovative solutions at the nexus of finance, policy, and community-driven restoration.

Federico is currently pursuing a fully funded joint Master of Environmental Management at the Yale School of the Environment and a Master of Public Policy in Global Affairs at the Jackson School. He draws on his background in development economics (Michigan State University) and supply chain management (MIT) to craft scalable, cross-sector approaches to climate resilience.

Acknowledged as an IUCN Young Changemaker, One Young World Ambassador, and U.S. Department of State Young Leader, Federico’s work has shaped public policy through engagements with the International Trade Centre and high-level multilateral initiatives. He also serves as a board member of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (Latin America branch), working to advance global environmental and sustainability initiatives. Whether championing reforestation with local communities or shaping policy at the highest levels, his mission is to bridge science, finance, and policy for lasting global impact.

updates

Upcoming
Documentary

I’m excited to share my work producing The Jaguar Expedition, a documentary exploring how habitat fragmentation and climate extremes threaten jaguars and the ecosystems they represent. Set in Colombia’s tropical forests, the film follows scientists, Indigenous communities, and conservationists working to restore wildlife corridors and balance conservation with human livelihoods.By protecting jaguars, we safeguard entire ecosystems. This film highlights real solutions in motion offering a vision for coexistence.

🎥 Watch the trailer here

updates

Yale
University

Now in my second semester at Yale, I’m pursuing a fully funded joint Master of Environmental Management (Yale School of the Environment) and Master of Public Policy in Global Affairs (Jackson School). This dual degree bridges environmental science with high-level policy and governance— aligning with my mission to drive systemic change in conservation, sustainable finance, and global environmental policy. So far, I've engaged with world leaders, policymakers, and conservation pioneers, deepening my expertise in climate finance, biodiversity governance, and impact-driven environmental leadership. The goal? To craft scalable, cross-sector solutions that empower local communities and redefine conservation in the 21st century.

updates

UN 
ECOSOC

Thrilled to share my recent experience as a delegate and speaker at the ECOSOC Youth Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. I was honored to present at the rostrum during the "SDG 17 - Working with Youth as Full-Fledged Partners: Youth and the Future of Work" session and the "Innovate and Lead" side event, alongside ECOSOC's President, H.E. Paula Narvaez.

During these sessions, I shared insights from my successful collaboration with the UN's International Trade Centre and its youth platform, the Ye! Community. We are dedicated to empowering young leaders to catalyze significant impact through entrepreneurship, especially in our collective efforts to address climate change.

The passion displayed by the participants was truly inspiring. The real value of such forums lies in genuine engagement—connecting with like-minded individuals and entities, and finding effective ways to contribute. These experiences underscore the importance of creating platforms that offer more than just speeches; they must foster meaningful collaboration and impact.

my principles

Purpose

Driven

Guided by a deep sense of purpose and a commitment to making a meaningful, positive impact on society and our environment.

Innovation

Technology

Constantly seeking out innovative ways to address critical global challenges and find creative solutions to problems.

Collaboration

Empathy

Collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders, including other entrepreneurs, community, organizations, and government agencies, to achieve my impact goals.

Scalability

Systems Thinking

Committed to finding solutions that can be scaled to achieve broader impact and foster sustainable change.

leadership

Social Enterprise World Forum

Role: Youth Advisory Board

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

Role: Board Member, Latin America Branch

Amazon Investor Coalition

Role: Colombia Ambassador

World Economic Forum

Role: Member, #GenerationRestoration Youth Hub.

YOUNGO - UNFCCC

Role: Member, Finance and Markets Working Group

Center for International Forestry Research

Role: Latam Projects Team

UNCTAD

Role: Founder and Director, Youth Action Hub Colombia

International Trade Centre

Role: Advisor, Ye! Community

speaker
COP 16

UN CBD
Colombia 🇨🇴

UN General Assembly

ECOSOC
USA 🇺🇸

Bloomberg

Zero Summit
Brazil 🇧🇷

United Nations Climate Change Conference

COP28: Panelist at 6 events
UAE 🇦🇪

UNDP: Youth4Climate

Powering Action
Italy 🇮🇹

One Young World

Cross-Sector Collaboration to Tackle the Climate Emergency
Northern Ireland 🇬🇧

Jackson Wild Summit

Wild Conservation Stories
USA 🇺🇸

Ruta N

Innovators Technology Showcase
Colombia 🇨🇴

Institute for Global Economics & Woori Financial Group

Sustainable Finance for a Better World Conference
South Korea 🇰🇷

International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN Leaders Forum
South Korea 🇰🇷

Universidad Cooperativa

Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summit
Colombia 🇨🇴

fellowships
Perplexity

Perplexity Business Fellowship
Online 🌐

Jackson wild

2023 Summit Fellow
USA 🇺🇸

one young world

Ambassador and Summit Fellow
UK 🇬🇧

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

Re.Generation Future Leaders Fellowship
Monaco 🇲🇨

Yale school of the environment

Three Cairns Fellow
USA 🇺🇸

United States Department of State

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Fellow
USA 🇺🇸

Royal Academy of Engineering

Leaders in Innovation Fellow
UK 🇬🇧

Westerwelle Foundation

Young Founders Program Fellow
Germany 🇩🇪

Global Leadership Institute

Fellow - Harvard Adaptive Leadership Model
Israel 🇮🇱

scholarships

Yale School of Global Affairs

Full Scholarship & Stipend:
Master of Public Policy in Global Affairs

Yale School of the Environment

Full Scholarship:
Master of Environmental Management

Georgetown University

Global Competitiveness Leadership Program

INSEAD

Leading with Impact in Times of Change

Oxford University

Youth Climate Training Programme

Harvard School of Govenment

Social Innovation + Change Initiative: Power and Influence for Positive Impact

Colombian Government

Colfuturo Graduate Education

MIT

MIT Professional Education Designing Product Families

University of Chicago

Digital Marketing

Esade & Banco 
Santander

Professional Development

MIT 

MIT Professional Education Leading Digital Transformation

Michigan State University

Presidential Scholarship

awards

Corantioquia

Generacion BIO+

Organization of American States

53rd General Assembly Youth Delegate

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

2022 Young Changemaker

Hyperledger & Accenture

First prize at the Hyperledger Global Forum Hackathon