Our Team
Michael has over 20 years of experience in the private equity field. He is currently the director of Covis Pharma Sarl, a Swiss-based specialty pharmaceutical company and a Cerberus Capital holding company. He was recently responsible for the partial monetization of Covis's business. Prior to Covis, Michael was a senior operations executive at Cerberus, a private equity fund, where he was responsible for the general management and restructuring of underperforming companies. Before that, he worked for Alixpartners, where he provided advisory services on the acquisition, restructuring, and turnaround of underperforming companies. He has also held various middle management positions.
Michael is also deeply involved in philanthropic work. In 2010, he founded Steps of Hope, a non-profit foundation that aims to help children with cancer and other illnesses and conditions, improving their quality of life, similar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I serve on the Board of the Bolaños Bay Foundation, which helps improve the quality of healthcare and general education for pregnant women and children in Costa Rica. Previously, I was a board member of Juntos Regalando Sonrisas (Together Giving Smiles), a charity focused on bringing smiles and fulfilling the wishes of terminally ill or debilitated children in Medellín, Colombia (2008-09).
Michael received his Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, specializing in Finance. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also studied International Business at Senshu University in Kawasaki, Japan. He currently lives in Miami with his daughter and girlfriend. Michael speaks English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, and Russian.Michael Porter
Founder and Director
Liliana is the International Sales Director for ISG in Miami, a company specializing in real estate sales and marketing in the U.S. She liaises with brokers and international clients of high-net-worth individuals and family funds based outside of Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Panama, and China. Her experience has given her a unique perspective on the Miami and South Florida real estate market.
Through her high profile, she has appeared on CNN and is a regular contributor to various publications, including but not limited to: The Real Deal, El Nuevo Herald, Miami Herald, El Informe de Miami, South Florida Business Journal, La República and Portafolio in Colombia, La Reforma in Mexico, El Mundo, Pulso and Publicidad y Mercadeo in Venezuela, Apertura magazine in Argentina, and Forbes in Mexico, among others. She was ranked as one of the top real estate executives under 35 by Real Deal in 2014.
She has personally done extensive philanthropic work alongside Michael for several years. She serves on the board of directors of Pasos de Esperanza. Liliana speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Liliana currently lives in Miami, and her dedication to helping children with cancer and other illnesses stems from the fact that her mother is a cancer survivor. Therefore, she wants to help create a better life for children with these conditions and lifestyles.
Liliana Gomez
Director
Manuel is the operations manager for the International Real Estate Group. Together with Andrés, he has worked to position this real estate company in the Latin American market. Manuel is in charge of all the company's commercial aspects. Through technology and social media, he makes initial contact with clients and keeps them informed of the various changes in the real estate market.
Manuel studied and received his degree in International Business Administration from the Pontifical Bolivarian University of Colombia. His synergy and excellent teamwork led him to work together at The Solution Group in Miami, Florida.
Currently, Manuel resides in Colombia and has distinguished himself throughout his life for his genuine commitment to serving others. From a young age, he has felt a deep calling to lend a hand in difficult times, motivated by the conviction that a small gesture can transform realities. Today, that calling is reflected in his work as director of the Pasos de Esperanza Foundation, where he leads projects aimed at providing comprehensive support to vulnerable children. Their work not only seeks to meet immediate needs, but also to generate opportunities for growth, education and well-being that allow them to build a more dignified and hopeful future for the children who need it most.Manuelz@pasosdeesperanza.comManuel Zapata
Director
Tatiana was born in La Ceja, Antioquia, and from a young age has felt a deep calling to serve and help others. With training as an administrative assistant, she has developed organizational and management skills that she now puts at the service of our foundation, leading the design, implementation, and monitoring of our programs and projects.
Beyond her professional role, Tatiana has found in the foundation a space where she can contribute not only with her work, but also with her heart. Her greatest motivation is the positive impact that each effort has on the lives of the children we support.
Passionate about children's well-being, Tatiana firmly believes in the power of empathy and solidarity to transform lives. For her, children represent the purity, hope, and love with which we should all see the world. Every day at the foundation is a new opportunity to sow hope, provide support, and demonstrate that, with small actions, we can generate great changes.
Tatiana Rojas
Program Manager
Andrés is the project manager for Grupo Inmobiliario Internacional, a world-class company currently based in Colombia with extensive experience in the U.S. real estate market, particularly in South Florida. He is responsible for interacting with people from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, and Argentina interested in properties in South Florida, providing them with exceptional support throughout the buying process.
Andrés received his degree in International Business Administration from the Pontifical Bolivarian University of Colombia. He has also worked for other internationally focused real estate companies, such as The Solution Group in Miami, Florida.
Andrés currently lives in New York. From a young age, he has always been dedicated to helping others, demonstrating a strong sense of commitment to advocating for the rights of underprivileged children.Andrés Gómez
VOLUNTEER
I currently work in New York City, and from a young age, I've felt a deep passion for helping those most in need, especially those from a country that holds a very special place in my heart: Colombia. Throughout my life, I've had the opportunity to volunteer in various places in South Florida, experiences that have taught me the true value of solidarity and service.
However, the Pasos de Esperanza Foundation holds a unique meaning for me. Not only because it's a family-run foundation, but because the work done there transforms lives in a real and tangible way. Every action, every smile, and every act of kindness is a testament to the power of empathy and unity.
Volunteering with this organization fills me with pride and joy, as it allows me to contribute to a cause that transcends borders and connects with my roots. Colombia, the country my family comes from, is also part of my identity, and supporting the children there who face great challenges is, for me, an honor and a responsibility I embrace wholeheartedly.