Juan Sebastián Valencia

Colombian engineer who developed affordable prosthetic limbs for children in Latin America

Juan Sebastián Valencia is the founder of Pie de Palito, a Colombian nonprofit that designs low-cost pediatric prosthetics using 3D printing technology. Born in 1992 in Medellín, Valencia's engineering background and passion for social innovation led him to address the high costs of traditional prosthetics - often unaffordable for families earning less than $2/day.

Valencia's team developed the 'Piedecito' prosthetic, a customizable limb costing just $100 compared to traditional $5,000 models. The design uses lightweight, durable materials and allows for easy adjustments as children grow. Since launching in 2016, the project has provided over 12,000 prosthetics across 15 Latin American countries, with 85% of recipients being children under 12.

In 2019, Valencia pioneered the 'Bionic Leg for All' initiative, creating a modular prosthetic system adaptable for different disabilities. This innovation won the Rockefeller Foundation's Resilience Prize, securing $500,000 to expand operations. His 'Open Prosthetics' initiative shares designs freely through an online repository, enabling global replication.

Valencia's work has been featured in National Geographic's 'Innovation in Action' series and inspired similar projects in Kenya and Vietnam. He was named one of Time Magazine's 50 Most Influential People in 2020. His memoir 《Step by Step: Building Hope for Disabled Children》 details the challenges and triumphs of his mission. Learn more about the technical details in his TED Talk here.