Emely Condor is making waves in social entrepreneurship as the CEO and Co-founder of Saphi, a social enterprise dedicated to revitalizing the Quechua language (an Indigenous language spoken by the Quechua people, primarily in the Andes region of South America) and preserving Peruvian cultural identity. Saphi embodies Emely’s profound commitment to social impact and cultural preservation.
While founded in 2020, the idea for Saphi was born from a childhood experience that left a lasting impression on Emely. During a trip to Cusco with her mother, Emely encountered Quechua-speaking women and was amazed that there was a language and cultural heritage in her country that she knew so little about. “That moment in Cusco sparked a curiosity that never left me. I wondered why I had never been exposed to Quechua and how I could learn more,” Emely recalled.
This early curiosity evolved into a mission when Emely reconnected with her university friends, Patricia Flores and Fiorella Pretell, and founded Saphi with the goal of revaluing Quechua and making it accessible in today’s world. Saphi offers a range of services, including Quechua teaching programs for individuals, businesses, and government organizations, translations, and educational products. Its network of certified Quechua-speaking teachers supports these efforts, contributing to Saphi’s impact on more than 37,000 people across Latin America, the United States, and Europe.
Under Emely’s leadership, Saphi has achieved notable milestones, including enrolling more than 2,800 students and translating nearly 98,000 words. “Our goal is not just to teach Quechua, but to foster a deeper connection with our cultural heritage,” Emely said. “Each class, each translation, is a step towards preserving and celebrating a vital part of our identity.”
In 2023, Emely and Saphi received significant recognition by winning UPC’s Protagonistas del Cambio Award, an accolade that honors young leaders who contribute to sustainable development in Peru. “Being recognized by Protagonistas del Cambio is a tremendous honor and validation of our work. It motivates us to continue our mission and expand our reach,” Emely said.
Beyond her role at Saphi, Emely serves as a Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, D.C. Her work involves strategic planning and public policy, including leading efforts to bridge the digital divide in education across Peru.
Emely has also been recognized by Georgetown University (Washington D.C, USA) as a high impact leader to represent Peru in their exclusive Global Competitiveness Leadership Program (GCL) in 2023, and represented Peru at the World Bank Group Youth Summit in 2024.
Reflecting on her work with Saphi, Emely said: “The impact we’ve seen reaffirms that our approach is working. It’s about connecting with people through their own cultural heritage and empowering them to reclaim it.”
Through Saphi, Emely is not only preserving Quechua heritage but setting a standard for integrating cultural preservation into social entrepreneurship. Her work continues to inspire and is set to make a tangible difference for thousands of Quechua speakers across the world.
