History
The idea for Suyo sprung from a 2012 pilot project under Mercy Corps that was led by Suyo co-founders, Matt Alexander and Marcelo Viscarra. The 13-month pilot, which was funded by the Omidyar Network, tested the adoption of a property data platform and mobile communications strategy for property formalization in seven Bolivian communities. Compared to 23 control communities, the seven target communities leveraged the technology to carry out land formalization three times faster and 43% cheaper than traditional methods. The project represented the first step in building a more reliable and affordable property formalization service.
Our Team
Headquarters Office - Medellín
Matthew Alexander
Co-Founder & CEO
Samara Casallas
Head of Product
Laura Lugo
Innovation Coordinator
Carlos Mario Palacios
Director of Services
Catalina Avendaño
Processes and Analytics Leader
Jeisson Ibargüen
Development Leader
Camila Mazo
Lead Diagnostics Lawyer
Fernando Rodriguez
Legal Analyst
Natali Buitrago
Product Director
Anny Jurado
Administrative Assistant
Jenifer Montoya
Services Assistant
Marcelo Viscarra
Co-Founder & Vice President of Government and Business Services
Manuela Zuluaga
Leader of Regional Lawyers
Bogotá Regional Office
Luisa María Acevedo
Legal Director
Luz Maira Herrera
Regional Lawyer Cundinamarca
Jenny Olarte
Administrative Director
Barranquilla Regional Office
Iván Cabrera
Regional Lawyer Atlantic Coast
Tatiana Landazury
Legal Assistant
María Alejandra Orozco
Account Executive
Mission & Social Impact
Suyo unlocks the social and economic benefits of property for low-income families by providing affordable and reliable property formalization services. Globally, over 4.5 billion land parcels are informal, and 140 countries do not have effective property administration systems. Looking specifically to Latin America, approximately 60% of families have not registered their property.
Families living on informal property miss out on numerous benefits that could potentially lift them out of poverty, such as access to loans, protection from eviction and the ability to transfer rights. With the economic boost of formalized property, families are able to make home improvements, send children to school and invest in small businesses.
Research has shown that secure property rights benefit the poor in numerous ways:
-
12% increase in loan approval rates
-
3.8 times more income for women property owners
-
150% increase in annual family income
-
Doubled investments in property improvements
-
Female landowners are 8 times less likely to experience domestic violence
(Source: www.Landesa.org)
Accurate, up-to-date property data also enables governments to plan more effectively and improve social services.
Suyo’s primary customers are low-income families residing in informal settlements in Latin America. Based on our market analysis and model, we aim to directly impact 571,600 primary customers with formal property and indirectly impact 1,420,000 lives with the broader societal benefits of property formalization over the next 5 years.
Employment
Listed below are the current job opportunities available at Suyo. If you are interested in joining the Suyo team, but do not see a job description related to your field, please send your CV and cover letter to and we will contact you once a related position becomes available.
