Meet
the Team
At the heart of the Naku Foundation is a circle of guardians, visionaries, and bridge-builders—each committed to protecting the rainforest, uplifting Indigenous leadership, and weaving a new story of possibility.
We come from many paths—Indigenous communities, climate justice movements, storytelling, education, and healing traditions—but are united by one purpose: to walk in right relationship with the Earth and one another.
Our team includes Sapara elders and youth, facilitators, artists, and organizers who carry both ancestral memory and bold imagination.
Together, we work to preserve 900,000 acres of sacred Amazonian forest, support community-led education, and regenerate Indigenous economies rooted in cacao, plant medicine, and reciprocity.
This is not just a team. It’s a movement guided by trust, humility, and the knowing that real change is grown in community.
We invite you to meet the people behind the vision—and to walk alongside us.
Manari Ushigua is a spiritual and political leader, traditional healer, and wisdom keeper of the Sapara Nation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. As Director of Territory and Ancestral Wisdom at Naku Foundation, he guides the organization’s vision through Indigenous cosmology and ecological balance. He is also the co-founder of the Naku Center, an initiative that models a new Indigenous-led economy rooted in forest preservation and cultural resilience.
Successor to a long lineage of Sapara healers, Manari has dedicated his life to protecting both the forest and the spiritual knowledge it carries. His leadership has resulted in the conservation of over 276,000 hectares of primary rainforest, and he has received recognition from UNESCO and CONAIE for his work in cultural preservation and environmental defense. Through his teachings on dreams, ceremony, and forest intelligence, Manari continues to inspire global understanding of the Amazon as a living, breathing being—and a sacred source of life for all.
Shimanu Ushigua is a cultural educator and emerging leader of the Sapara Nation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In his role as Director of Education at the Naku Foundation, he is spearheading the Shimaka initiative—an intercultural educational model rooted in Sapara cosmology, language revitalization, dreamwork, and ecological wisdom. His work bridges ancestral knowledge and modern pedagogy, enabling Sapara youth to learn through forest relationships while preparing them for intercultural leadership. Shimanu’s commitment is grounded in Sapara teachings that emphasize the forest as teacher and the dream as guide—ensuring that Sapara culture continues to thrive in the face of change.
Florencia Fridman is a ceremonial facilitator, educator, and creative entrepreneur dedicated to amplifying Indigenous voices and bridging modern and ancestral wisdom. As Director of Ceremony & Regenerative Economy at Naku Foundation, she leads initiatives that integrate cultural ceremony, regenerative practices, and economic sovereignty to strengthen Indigenous-led climate action.
Rooted in the Mayan tradition of Guatemala and in collaboration with the Sapara Nation of Ecuador, Florencia shares Theobroma Cacao as a vehicle for remembrance, reciprocity, and connection to the Earth. She has guided experiences for Deepak Chopra, Spotify, and Morgan Stanley, using cacao as a bridge between ceremony and collective healing. Florencia is also the co-founder of Cacao Laboratory and founder of Florecer Community, initiatives that merge cacao education and ceremony with models of ecological and cultural regeneration.
Jacob Farris is the Founder and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Naku Foundation, where he leads initiatives that bridge Indigenous leadership, global collaboration, and regenerative development. His vision for Naku emerged after living in Ecuador and working closely with the Sapara people, recognizing the need for an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to cultural preservation, territorial protection, and community resilience.
Guided by a passion for healing, art, and environmental stewardship, Jacob builds partnerships that align resources with reciprocity and long-term impact. His leadership continues to shape Naku Foundation’s growth as a model for cross-cultural collaboration and ecological regeneration.
Roberta Vasnic is an award-winning architect, co-founder of Void Studios Architecture + Research, and Head Architect at Naku Foundation. Her work promotes regenerative and culturally resonant design that bridges Indigenous wisdom with contemporary architecture, advancing environmental justice and community-led preservation.
With ongoing projects in Ecuador’s Amazon and Kenya’s Mara Reserve, Roberta’s focus includes cultural preservation, regenerative economies, territorial management, and Indigenous-led education. Her approach has gained international recognition for creating spaces that honor both people and planet.
Daniela Miranda is a photographer, creative director, and ceremonialist of Mapuche lineage whose work bridges visual storytelling, ancestral wisdom, and environmental advocacy. As Director of Narrative & Creativity at Naku Foundation, she leads the organization’s visual and cultural strategy—crafting narratives that honor Indigenous leadership and the living intelligence of the forest.
Guided by Andean cosmology and her Mapuche roots, Daniela approaches photography as a form of ceremony—an act of witnessing, remembrance, and healing. Her work has been featured in museums, galleries, and international exhibitions, and recognized for its contribution to ethical storytelling, cultural preservation, and environmental awareness.