Luis Velasquez, Graduate Student in SIPA MIA - International Finance Economic Policy

Which program/department are you in?

SIPA MIA - International Finance Economic Policy.

Which country (or countries) do you come from?

Peru.

How long have you been in the U.S.?

I have been living in New York City since I started my undergraduate program, and now my graduate studies, both here at Columbia. 

Tell us about how your past experiences led you to Columbia.

Since the early age of 18 (as the youngest ever government consultant in Peru), I've worked on over 500+ civilian and educational voice empowerment programs impacting over 1.2 million people. I’ve also co-founded & served on top board positions of over 24 NGOs across the most vulnerable low-income region areas hit by terrorism, forced migration, and lack of education and business opportunities earnings. My experience as a consultant earned me the honor to represent Peru and, most recently, the USA as an official envoy in over 65+ top tiers' international conferences, special events, and summits, as well as a TEDx speaker and Conference Guest Speaker in over 30 opportunities (during the past nine years). 

Tell us a bit about your projects while at Columbia.

While studying undergraduate degree here at Columbia University, I worked as an advisor and private consultant lead for both Public (Congress, state, fiscal councils, and Rural Communities in Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Germany, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam) and private (British Council in coordination with the European Union, IMF, APEC, ABAC), as well a worked as a hired development and project advisor for fortune 500 across the Globe (Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Boston Consulting Group, KPMG, Google, Microsoft, to name a few). Nonetheless, most of my earnings from before Ivy (around $2.6 Million) have been invested since 2019 as a private investor, in the over 130+ projects started independently, impacting over 550,000 citizens and 27,000 Worldwide Youth Leaders with over 30 of them being direct to mitigate the hit of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When I recall all the over 1.2 million people and over 47 cities and rural communities and revisit them (back when COVID and the political situation was better), I've helped not only to acquire stability in such delicate areas that conflict zones are but also regained hope in the future. I believe my resilience and disruption of the consultancy and educational systems across the US have helped set a standard in this post-covid era.

What will we see next from you?

All while being a full-time student at Columbia over these past years, alongside peers from Harvard, Yale and Oxford, we have expanded into more than 19 countries across the Americas, achieving and establishing salvation funds and advisories for SMEs reaching $6.5 Million and $850k in educational scholarships for students hit by COVID-19. This Fall, we plan to expand into the European Market as well as opening several opportunities for SIPA students as I was recently appointed President of the SIPA Consulting Club.

Life has paved my way into disrupting consultancy and education for the most needed in underprivileged areas, all of this keeping a low profile. Nonetheless, during this current crisis, colleagues, friends, clients, and my almost 300+ current employees have always asked, “When is the time to go public?” I believe it's now and there is no better place to do it than at my Alma Mater.

Connect with Luis on Linkedin or check out his website! You can also follow his projects on Instagram.

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