Two decades ago, Tanya Aritao’08 arrived in Santa Ana as one of UWC Costa Rica’s pioneer students. Today, as global Head of Portfolio Development at The Earthshot Prize, her career stands as a powerful testament to how early roots in experiential learning can grow into world-changing impact.
Tanya’08 beautifully embodies the heart of our mission: cultivating in young people the passion and ability to serve humanity and our planet—learning from nature and from each other for a lifetime.
A 15-Year Journey: Grounded in Equity and Systems Thinking
Tanya’s’08 path reflects a 15-year career dedicated to shaping strategy, investment, and innovation across complex climate and social development challenges. Throughout her leadership across diverse global sectors, she has advanced social entrepreneurship and inclusion by expanding financial inclusion for migrant workers, championing worker well-being, and building capacity in vulnerable communities. Her commitment to academic and strategic mastery led her to earn an MBA from the University of Oxford, where she deepened her focus on systems thinking to map and solve interconnected global challenges. Grounding this strategic problem-solving in creative intuition, Tanya also maintains an active artistic practice, exploring themes of conservation, biodiversity, and the human relationship with nature.
Scaling High-Impact Solutions at The Earthshot Prize
Tanya’08 oversees a global cohort of breakthrough climate and environmental organizations, spanning high-growth ventures, grassroots non-profits, and city governments. She works directly with senior leaders to accelerate solutions that repair and regenerate the planet through key strategic pillars: organizational resilience, unlocking global investment. And connecting innovators with strategic partners, funders, and networks to scale early-stage solutions into global operations. And with on-the-ground acceleration, from visiting reforestation initiatives like Acción Andina in Peru to co-designing new financing strategies for planetary restoration.
Living the Values of Empathy and Reciprocity
The values that defined campus life in Santa Ana—Empathy, Reciprocity, and Accountability—are not just theoretical concepts. Tanya’s’08 journey reminds us of what happens when early idealism meets a commitment to lifelong service.
The Legacy Continues Across 1,645 Alums
As UWC Costa Rica celebrates 20 years of living history and a global community of 1,645 alums learning for a lifetime and leading for change, stories like Tanya’s remind us of what is possible when young people are empowered to thrive with purpose. Inspired to empower the next generation of changemakers? Consider supporting our mission through the Philanthropy & Scholarship Fund today.