Jesús Tabares

Grants & Community Manager

"Development is most impactful when it bridges gaps—between businesses and resources, communities and opportunity, and ideas and action. By fostering collaboration, we nurture ecosystems where small businesses and underserved communities thrive."

Jesús is Grants & Community Manager at Caribou, where he supports programs that strengthen the resilience and growth of small businesses and foster inclusive development. Working across initiatives, including Mastercard Strive, he collaborates with grantees to ensure successful implementation of grant projects, connect them to non-grant resources, and build a community of shared learning and collaboration. Over the past decade, Jesús has designed and led projects that align technology, social impact, and sustainable development. He co-authored the first guide on digital careers for youth in Bogotá, Colombia, and brought together public and private actors to improve youth employability across Latin America. Earlier in his career, he served as Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at IBM, developing partnerships to leverage technology for social good. He also founded Fundación Manos por mi Región, where he championed skills-based volunteering for territorial development and social innovation to mitigate brain drain in his native Colombia. Jesús holds a BA in Politics and International Relations from Universidad Sergio Arboleda and an MSc in Interdisciplinary Studies on Development from Universidad de Los Andes, both in Colombia. Born and raised in the Colombian Amazon, he is deeply committed to reducing regional inequalities and building sustainable economies.

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