Gaby Arenas de Meneses

Gaby Arenas de Meneses is a social entrepreneur, Co-Chief Facilitator, and Co-founder of Catalyst Now—a global movement advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals through social innovation. She holds a degree in Social Communication from Andrés Bello Catholic University and a master’s degree in Communication for Development, with specialized training as a Rotary International Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.

After establishing two companies in public relations and corporate social responsibility, Gaby shifted her focus to social development in 2008 by founding the TAAP Foundation, which has impacted more than 5.1 million people worldwide through innovation in education and the arts for systems change. She has held executive leadership roles at Aid Live Foundation, Tendrel, and Roundglass Learning’s Global Arts and Wellbeing Initiative, while co-founding several initiatives including Colombia Cares for Colombia and The Weaving Lab.

Her work has earned prestigious recognition, including an Ashoka Fellowship (2014), the LEGO Foundation Re-Imagine Learning Fellowship (2014), and finalist honors for the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur Award. Additional distinctions include the Cafam Woman of the Atlantic Award (2017) and Social Woman of the Year by the Women’s Economic Forum (2020).

As a UN Ambassador for the Network for Peace, she champions peacebuilding across Latin America. An internationally recognized speaker and author of The Perfect Imperfect Girl, Gaby has presented at major global forums. She also serves as an invited professor and researcher on social impact at leading institutions across Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Spain, Canada, and Venezuela, contributing to academic discourse on systemic change and social innovation.