"Raising people's consciousness is the way to humanize the world."
Several years ago, Óscar Pérez Marcos was not satisfied with the successes and failures he had harvested throughout his life. Born in Santander, Spain, Oscar had begun working at the age of 16 and commenced an entrepreneurial journey (with mixed results) at age 21.
Searching for more, he embarked on a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, and experienced a critical awakening and inflection point. He discovered what didn’t matter to him, as well as what really mattered: helping others. Having already lived a bit in the United Kingdom and the United States working as a waiter and bartender, as well as having had some corporate experiences in Europe, he undertook a new journey: that of unconditional surrender to others and the discovery of himself through volunteering and service. This journey took him to Ghana, India, Colombia and Mexico.
After his time in Africa, Oscar co-founded HOLA GHANA, a non-profit social project that focuses on designing disruptive experiences, developing personal growth spaces, and promoting critical consciousness for purposes of developing the community’s human service potential and a social transformation. HOLA GHANA works to increase awareness in society through volunteering and unforgettable learning opportunities. He also helped design international volunteer programs and cooperation in Africa, India, Mexico and Colombia.
Now a citizen of the world and a vegetarian who has dedicated his life to change and social entrepreneurship, Oscar considers his purpose in life to be to raise critical awareness, helping people make changes in their lives to transform societies and to design social experiences to develop human potential.
Currently, Oscar lives in Colombia, to where he relocated from Europe in 2013, after meeting his wife while studying in Spain. During his first year in Colombia, he lived in Ciudad Bolivar (Bogotá), one of the largest “megaslums” in Latin America. He now works together with organizations and social leaders to generate actions for change. He is a lecturer, connector and facilitator, and he works as a designer of social experiences through learning trips and experiential education programs.
Oscar was one of the founders of SocialEmprende, the Spanish Association of Social Entrepreneurs, and led La Pola Social in Colombia. He has participated in conferences, mentoring and workshops for important companies and universities. He has collaborated as a teacher at the Universidad de la Sabana, CESA and the Universidad Minuto de Dios, on issues of entrepreneurship and social innovation and life purpose. He is author of A Path to the Soul.
Oscar’s goal is to reach 1 million people around the world to help develop conscious leaders who address global challenges. To that end, he has developed and co-designed The SOCIAL MBA, an MBA oriented to the development of entrepreneurs, consultants and social leaders for a new paradigm that begins with "CO": Consciousness, trust, collaboration and cooperation, meaningful conversations, co-creation, co-design and common good. The SOCIAL MBA is a 100% online and flexible micro-learning methodology, based on daily training blocks of 15-20 minutes. The program is made up of 250 classes (50 success stories), global networking in Spain and Latin America, and the possibility of connecting students with accelerators, impact investment funds, and job exchanges.
Oscar wakes up each day at 4am, and gives over the day’s first few hours for his anchoring practices including meditation. He has adopted a baby girl named Lucia in Bogotá.
Join us in conversation with this spirited and conscious changemaker.
