Rodrigo VARELA VILLEGAS

Description

MEMBER OF THE BOARD – VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PERMANENT COMMISSION ON SMEs DEVELOPMENT

Rodrigo Varela Villegas, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Universidad Icesi (Colombia), where he founded and directed the Center for the Development of the Entrepreneurial Spirit (CDEE) for over 36 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines (USA).

A leading figure in entrepreneurship education across Latin America, he has led international projects with the IDB, UNDP, UNIDO, and IDRC, and served as researcher and regional coordinator for GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor). He is the author of over 250 publications, including two widely adopted textbooks published by McGraw-Hill and Pearson.

Dr. Varela is a White L. Milford Fellow of ICSB, Emeritus Researcher (Colciencias), and recipient of the Best Entrepreneurship Education Program outside the USA award (USASBE, 2010).