Elsy Reyes

Born in 1985 in Medellín, Colombia, Elsy Reyes grew up in a working-class neighborhood where entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured through necessity. Her mother, a seamstress, and father, a mechanic, instilled in her a strong work ethic from an early age. By 2003, at just 18, Reyes had moved to Bogotá to attend Universidad de los Andes, studying business administration while selling handmade jewelry online—a venture that would foreshadow her future in scalable commerce. Reyes launched her first formal enterprise, LuxeCartel Apparel, in 2010 with a $15,000 loan from family. The brand focused on high-end streetwear infused with Latin American cultural motifs, quickly gaining traction among urban youth across Colombia and Mexico. By 2014, LuxeCartel had expanded into e-commerce, generating $420,000 in annual revenue. That same year, Reyes secured a distribution deal with Falabella, one of Latin America’s largest retail chains, marking her first major corporate partnership and validating her brand’s market appeal. In 2017, Reyes pivoted toward media and entertainment, founding Reyes Media Group (RMG), a production company aimed at amplifying underrepresented Latino voices in global television. Her big break came in 2020 when RMG partnered with Telemundo to co-produce content inspired by real-life narco-dramas. This led to her involvement in the ninth season of *El Señor de los Cielos*, announced on 11 May 2023, where she served as a consulting producer. The season was directed by Danny Gavidia, Mauricio Corredor, Mauricio Meneses, and Bernardo Mota, with Karen Barroeta, Ximena Cantuarias, and Monica Vizzi as executive producers. Reyes’s wealth story centers on equity creation through strategic exits and intellectual property ownership. In 2021, she sold a 60% stake in LuxeCartel to Grupo Éxito for $1.8 million, retaining creative control and a 40% equity share. Simultaneously, RMG’s valuation soared to $4.2 million after securing a multi-year content licensing agreement with Netflix in 2022. These transactions, combined with brand royalties and speaking engagements, have contributed to her estimated net worth of $3 million as of 2023, built entirely through her roles as a businessperson and media entrepreneur. Outside the boardroom, Reyes maintains a private personal life centered around family and philanthropy. She married Colombian architect Diego Márquez in 2016, and the couple welcomed twin daughters in 2019. They reside in a sustainably designed home in Cartagena, purchased for $850,000 in 2020. Reyes is an active donor to Fundación Niños del Caribe, supporting education initiatives for at-risk youth, and frequently mentors young Latinx entrepreneurs through programs hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank.