Our people

Felipe Arenas Gallo

Consultant

Felipe Arenas Gallo

Location

Colombia

Languages

English, Spanish, Portuguese

A Consultant at E Co., Felipe has extensive experience in the financing, development and management of sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. He has worked across a range of sectors, including transport, energy, water, urban development, nature-based solutions, and social infrastructure, advising infrastructure developers, multilateral and bilateral lenders, global funds, institutional investors, and governments on their portfolios and investments. Felipe stands out due to his multi-lingual written and oral communication skills, as well as his ability to rapidly synthesize complex information and deliver clear, actionable insights to clients and stakeholders. Felipe graduated from Rice University with a BSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is a native speaker of Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

Qualifications

BSc – Civil and Environmental Engineering – Rice University

A Q&A with Felipe Arenas Gallo

In a nutshell, tell us about yourself:

I was born in Colombia and grew up between São Paulo, Brazil and suburban Indiana, USA. The cultural, ecological, and social contrasts that I was exposed to from an early age awoke a strong desire to work in the developing world towards safeguarding our environmental resources, celebrating our cultural wealth, and addressing social inequality.

In my academic and professional life, I have always been driven by the conviction that how we design our cities and infrastructure empowers connection between peoples and creates the very fabric through which our society develops and becomes resilient.

I am an optimist who believes in the best in humans and our ability to connect, be empathetic and help each other in times of need.

What are you most proud of?

Leaving a secure job and comfortable life to drive 75,000km from Alaska to Patagonia on a motorcycle over 18 months.

What are your loves?

Sleeping in a hammock and putting too much cilantro in my food, ideally in the mountains surrounded by family and friends.

What are your hates?

Going deep into nature only to find that no matter how remote the place, there is always human trash if you look closely enough.

Name three things on your bucket list.

Being in a roda de samba (I’m learning to play the cavaquinho)
Taking a long road trip in every continent
Going on as many long hikes as I possibly can

Which book has changed your life?

100 Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez. It’s been a faithful companion at several points in my life. Reading even a few pages makes the world around me feel more magical.