Con un gran talento culinario y un estilo de liderazgo propio, Maribel Lieberman ha logrado crear desde cero una empresa chocolatera global cuyo objetivo va mucho más allá de vender productos de altísima calidad: su profundo propósito y legado es ayudar a desarrollar oportunidades de negocio a las mujeres hondureñas en situaciones difíciles, ayudando así al desarrollo social y al crecimiento económico de su país
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Caso MarieBelle. Chocolate de lujo con responsabilidad social
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Business Review (Núm. 309) · Estrategia · Marzo 2021
Maribel Martínez nació en Honduras, un país que continúa afrontando grandes retos políticos, económicos y sociales. Su infancia transcurrió en Jutiquile, Olancho, un pequeño pueblo cuya economía depende principalmente de la agricultura. Muy temprano, con ocho años, Maribel empezó a mostrar su espíritu emprendedor, creando un pequeño negocio de caramelos caseros que vendía a sus vecinos.
Su madre, costurera de profesión, destinó sus ahorros a que ella y sus hermanos tuviesen acceso a la mejor educación posible, y, tras cursar un secretariado bilingüe en Tegucigalpa, Maribel se mudó a Estados Unidos para aprender inglés y estudiar diseño de moda en el Instituto Parsons. Inició su carrera en la industria de la moda en Nueva York, pero muy pronto descubrió que esa profesión no se alineaba con sus sueños.
En septiembre de 1990 se casó con el pintor belga Jacques Lieberman y empezó a desarrollar su afición por las artes culinarias. Su casa de Nueva York se convirtió en el lugar de encuentro de amigos que disfrutaban de los placeres de la mesa. Cada cena era una oportunidad para diseñar una experiencia en la que se mezclaban los sabores y los olores con efectos visuales y texturas. Maribel disfrutaba diseñando experiencias memorables para sus invitados y aprendiendo de cada una de ellas.
En 1995, animada por sus allegados, Maribel fundó su primera empresa, Maribel's Gourmet Cuisine, un servicio de catering donde confluían todas sus pasiones: los sabores, el diseño y la diversidad cultural. Con el tiempo, Maribel's Gourmet Cuisine empezó a tener entre sus clientes grandes marcas, como Christian Dior, Shiseido Cosmetics, Barney's o Saks Fifth Avenue, y a atender las demandas de la misión de Estados Unidos ante la ONU, así como del expresidente Bill Clinton.
Siempre motivada por innovar y reinventarse, Maribel combinó su gusto por el diseño y la cocina para crear cajas de chocolates como regalos promocionales a sus clientes del catering. Rápidamente, sus chocolates se hicieron famosos, y pronto estaba ganando más dinero por las ventas de chocolates que por el servicio de catering.
Animada por estos resultados, y contando con los recursos que geneneraban sus ventas de servicios de catering y, cada vez más, de las cajas de chocolates, Maribel decidió dar un paso más en su aventura emprendedora. Haciendo uso de sus destrezas culina...
Camelia Ilie-Cardoza
Decana de Educación Ejecutiva e Innovación Estratégica, profesora y Chair del Centro de Liderazgo Colaborativo y de la Mujer de INCAE Business School ·
A global entrepreneurial leader, advisor, and non-profit board member with over 25 years of experience in value creation, strategic innovation, and P&L management at organizations in Europe, Latin America, and the USA. Camelia Ilie is Full Professor, Dean of Executive Education and Strategic Innovation, and Chair of the Center for Collaborative and Women's Leadership at INCAE, a leading business school in Latin America. Dr. Ilie leads the digital transformation at the institution through INCAE Online, an initiative designed and launched in partnership with Emeritus, a global leading EdTech player. Presently, more than 7,000 students are taught each year in the areas under her leadership.
She serves as a member of several international boards, such as Chair of the External Advisory Council of the Institute for Advanced Studies of the University of Miami, Member of the Advisory Council for Latin America of the AACSB, Editorial Committee of LID Latin America, and Faculty Affiliate in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration of the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. Trained as an engineer in medical devices and atomic physics, Dr. Ilie held executive and academic positions at international organizations and launched several multi-countries strategic business units with universities, multinationals, and global EdTech institutions leading to business transformation and high impact on the P&Ls. She focuses on consulting and teaching in Leadership development, Change management, Diversity and inclusion for top management and Board teams.
She has developed resilience, cultural awareness, and a global mindset thanks to the opportunity to work with executives and companies from more than 15 countries. was a Visiting Scholar at the Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University. In the Harvard Review for Latin America, Camelia writes the Focus on Women under the Covid-19 column. Dr. Ilie has received several recognitions, such as the Women of the Decade Award in Education and Leadership by the Women Economic Forum Latin America and was part of the Top 100 most powerful women in Central America and the Caribbean list of the Forbes Magazine.
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Guillermo Cardoza
Profesor de Innovación y Gestión de Cambio de INCAE Business School ·
Dr. Guillermo Cardoza is a Full Professor of Innovation, Change, and Competitiveness in Emerging Markets at INCAE Business School. Dr. Cardoza held the Full Professor on management of innovation, business economics, and competitiveness in emerging economies at the IE Business School (1999-2012), where he founded and directed the Euro-Latin America Center.
From 1996 to 1999, Dr. Cardoza was Research Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he undertook research on the management of innovation and competitiveness. He studied at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Business Economics as well as master's degrees in Latin American Studies, International Relations, and Business Administration. Dr. Cardoza also holds a degree in chemical engineering from the National University of Colombia. From 1987 to 1998, he was Executive Director of the Latin America Academy of Sciences and previously worked as an engineer for 3M Corporation. He also has extensive experience as a consultant for international organizations and multinational corporations and has been a guest lecturer and visiting professor in several international fora and academic institutions of worldwide renown.
Dr. Cardoza has published books and articles in specialized journals and is currently doing research on innovation management, design thinking, internationalization strategies, development in emerging markets, and women's progress. During the first semester of 2019, he was appointed as Visiting Fellow at Harvard University, where he co-developed two global projects on Women Social Progress Index and Women Entrepreneurship in Latin America. He is also the director of the Women Entrepreneurship Program focused on helping women develop and consolidate their business ideas.
