Maria Fernanda Cabal

Environmental pioneer revolutionizing water access through sustainable filtration systems in Latin America.

Maria Fernanda Cabal is a Colombian engineer and entrepreneur who transformed water access in rural communities through her eco-friendly filtration systems. Born in 1985 in Medellín, she studied industrial engineering at Universidad de Antioquia, where she first encountered the crisis of contaminated water affecting indigenous communities. This led to her 2011 founding of Ecofiltro, a social enterprise producing affordable ceramic water filters.

Ecofiltro's filters remove 99.9% of pathogens using locally sourced clay, eliminating the need for plastic bottles. By 2023, the company had distributed over 1.2 million filters across 15 countries, serving 6 million people. Each filter lasts 3-5 years and costs 20% less than imported alternatives. Maria's 'buy-one-give-one' model ensures every purchased filter provides clean water to a marginalized family.

In Honduras, Ecofiltro reduced diarrhea cases by 85% in communities using their filters, according to a 2021 Johns Hopkins study. The company employs 120+ artisans in Guatemala and Nicaragua, 70% of whom are women. Maria's innovation earned her the Echoing Green Fellowship in 2016 and a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Her recent project, Agua para Todos, trains communities to produce their own filters using locally available materials. This initiative has empowered 300+ women-led cooperatives in the Amazon region. Maria also pioneered the Filter-as-a-Service model, where families pay monthly installments via mobile money, making clean water a sustainable service rather than a luxury.

Collaborations with organizations like UNICEF and the Inter-American Development Bank have scaled her impact. A 2022 documentary The Clay Revolution highlighted her work, inspiring similar ventures in Nepal and Ethiopia. Maria's vision now focuses on eliminating plastic bottle waste in Latin America, aiming to divert 100 million bottles annually by 2025.