Enterprise, Leadership and Guardianship in Ecuador’s Amazon

Women are shaping the future of the Ecuadorian Amazon with great resolve. The particular kind of power evolving in this region does not shout, it does not posture. It endures.

It is perhaps no coincidence that this movement is unfolding in Ecuador – the first country in the world to have granted constitutional rights to nature, legally recognizing Pachamama, Mother Earth, as a rights-bearing entity. In a region where rivers sustain communities and territory defines identity, this legal philosophy is not abstract, it is lived.

In three distinct yet interconnected expressions, we wanted to share stories of women building enterprises, redefining leadership, and defending territory,  with the backdrop of one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. A place whose long-term stability matters globally.

Sinchi Warmi: Brave Woman 

When I sat down to speak to Melissa there were sounds of children playing and birds singing in the background. What unfolded over the next hour was a steady, unwavering account of nearly two decades of awe inspiring perseverance and, ultimately, success. 

In a remote region of Ecuador’s Amazon, 20 women disrupted what life was meant to look like for them, creating bridges to pathways that wouldn’t otherwise exist. 

Their vision was simple and clear: a lagoon deep in the forest where they would farm fish and serve visitors at their own restaurant. In 2005, they set out on what would be a long and demanding road. Melissa explained that the idea was born out of very real needs and limitations. With no formal education or opportunity for experience in her community, the only option people could imagine was migrating to the city to work as domestic employees, or for women to remain, caring for their households. 

The first few years were the most arduous but despite abuse and oppression, the women continued forward. They were denied support by their government, who deemed them a ‘bad investment’. With nothing available externally, they turned inward, utilizing their skills earning what little income they could producing earrings, necklaces and traditional clothing. The most important factor that kept the organization from dissolving was the leadership of women in the face of such adversity. Through the eventual support of an international NGO, the construction of their restaurant – and later, lodge – began. 

The structure was like a communal house — a maloca, Melissa tells us. A place that welcomes many people, with four exits symbolizing the elements: water, earth, sun, and space. “It was exactly the kind of space we wanted.” It was a true extension of them. 

After construction, the group worked for an entire year, 7 days a week, without any income. These women still had responsibilities at home, and participating in this project often put them at risk. And yet they worked with the mindset that this was theirs – it belonged to them and to their children. 

They had come together to create change through minga — collective work with a single purpose, a shared mission and vision. At the end of that year, the women sat together. Side by side they spoke, cried and chanted: We are Sinchi Warmi. We are brave, strong women. This belief pushed them forward. 

It would be 3 years before the first tourist arrived. “We were beginners in every aspect of the business,” Melissa says. “We are not beginners anymore.”

Over the years, the women poured everything they had into education and training. Professionals came internationally to train them in things like administration management, and culinary skills. 

Today, Sinchi Warmi is a community of more than 70 people – 18 families of women, men and children. They can host up to 35 guests in their lodge, welcome 60 diners in their restaurant, and gather upwards of 100 people in their maloca for cultural activities.

Their rooms are simple but they offer a space where travellers feel at home, like part of a family. There is no television, no internet but every beam carries a story and creates a resting place within their paradise. 

Everything here was built with their own hands and minds. They offer colorful and abundant meals that come exclusively from the chacra (their cultivated land). The lead chef specializes in modern interpretations of ancestral food. Through continuous training, he has come to deeply understand their crops and create innovative dishes that use less oil, flour, fat and rely less on rice.

Cultural activities are an experience you “live” rather than observe. Never performative. Days might include learning medicinal plants with a child eager to explain their uses, or gathering at 3 a.m. for a Guayusa ceremony — an ancestral, energising tea ceremony where gatherers share and interpret dreams as well accept cleansing through specialized plant preparation. Guests take part in herbal medicine, plant purification, nettle therapy, tobacco rapé, and night walks into the forest.

What has emerged at Sinchi Warmi is a circular model. As it feeds back into itself, it grows stronger – funding improvements, supporting families, strengthening education, and anchoring governance in collective leadership. At its heart is a commitment to protect and uplift their children – and their children’s children still to come.

I close with Melissa’s words, because they deserve to be heard;

“Lack of support from the government actually helped us empower ourselves. It pushed us to value our culture, our language, and our project even more. If we had given up when no one wanted to support us, we would not be here today telling our story, and we would not have seen change among the women here in the Amazon.

Through perseverance, consistency, and innovation, we have reached the ears of many women in other communities. We have become spokespersons. We have stepped into different territories to say that women must change – we do not have to be submissive. We have abilities within us that allow us to grow, improve, and change the mindset of our communities. I always say: we are rich in our knowledge and in our territory. The only thing we need is for women, men, and families who share one dream to unite — and we can achieve it.

Our larger dream is to travel outside the country, share our project internationally, and work directly with people abroad.”

Women-led luxury enterprises

Up until recently, there were no true luxury lodges  in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The luxury available, of course, was the destination itself. 

I sat down with the founder & managing director of a female led business we work with and discussed how conservation and elevated hospitality can coexist and fund the future. Her business owns and operates several boats in the Galapagos as well as the Luxury Eco Lodge deep within the Amazon. As planners, we see time and time again their ability to acutely listen, tailor and deliver – exceeding travellers expectations of luxury off the beaten track. 

Purchased in 2022, they took their time to enhance the entire property and experience. From interior design, gastronomy, through to guest experience. And it wasn’t until their due diligence was done, that they started promoting themselves as a luxury option in 2025. 

When asked why they chose to focus their efforts in the Amazon, it seemed a no brainer: it was the magic, mysticism and energy of one of the most biodiverse region in the world. But what struck me the most was their responsibility to the ecosystem they now operate in; to the communities, environment and wildlife. For them, this was not a choice, it was a responsibility that must be upheld. Given they were female led, they too had a task in changing the mindsets of local communities but it seems that they now work symbiotically. The lodge’s efforts in the local communities are plentiful, vast and ongoing with the future in mind. They know if they invest in wildlife preservation, there will be plentiful land for all to experience well into the future. They know if they invest in the local community, the children of this area will be the same individuals to one day operate the lodge at every level. As we saw with Sinchi Warmi, we once again witness a circular model that gains strength as it feeds into itself. All with the mindset of doing what is right. 

Travel to the lodge takes the better part of a day via plane, car, motorboat and finally canoe. Tucked just off the Napu river, the lodge sits next to a natural amazonian lagoon, not man made, and so just like the cultural experiences here, none of the wildlife experiences are contrived. 

The feminine touch is felt throughout, by way of enhanced experiences. The main actor, of course, is the Amazon. The beauty of which is better experienced than explained. There is adventure in being homed in a property deep in the Amazon, in the middle of such a vast forest. Allowing those, curious at heart, to traveller deeper. Only to flop into the fold of luxury at the end of the day. 

When asked about their vision as a female led company the managing director said this: the main purpose is not to profit, it’s for the positive impact that you can leave in the destination you are working in. As a fellow B Corp company, this legacy hits home for us here at Trufflepig. 

Ivonne explained that this life wasn’t handed to herself and her business partner; they studied hard and their parents made sacrifices to allow them their education. “Knowing how you have to sacrifice to achieve dreams makes us understand how you can, and must, turn around and support other people” It is clear how enthusiastic and happy they are in sharing all that they have achieved. “We are working in 2 fragile environments (Galapagos & Amazon) and we can do more than just follow the rules and the law. We want to conserve and protect – for our generation and the future”. 

Yuturi Warmi 

Further along the Napo River basin, another group of women stands in a different form of resistance.

Yuturi Warmi – “Conga Women” in Kichwa, named after the conga ant known for its fierce territorial defense – emerged in 2020 when 35 women united to protect their land and river from escalating mining activity. Farmers, homemakers, artisans, students – all self-appointed guardians of the forest.

Both legal and illegal mining operations have expanded across parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon in recent years. Independent scientific research has identified elevated concentrations of toxic metals in sections of the upper Napo River basin, and environmental and human health implications.

In response, these women began multi day patrols by foot, documenting encroachments with cameras and drones partially funded through the sale of their artisanal crafts. They file legal complaints on behalf of nature herself – invoking the constitutional rights granted to ecosystems in Ecuador. 

The sector of the river that Yuturi Warmi protects remains clean and safe for fishing despite high concentrations of metals in areas of the river surrounding their protected section. For them, the forest is inseparable from daily life and protecting it is essential. They also work on the basis of responsibility. 

In 2022, their enforcement efforts led to the seizure of illegal mining equipment and a court ruling recognizing violations of nature’s rights, as well as mandating restoration and reforestation measures.

They speak of teaching their model to other communities and expanding protection networks led by Indigenous women.

You can read more about The Legal Protection of Pachamama, as well as The Moth’s commitment to protecting the more than human-world. Listen to the song co-composed with the Los Cedros cloud forest itself (given the land is a legal entity, it profits from the song being streamed on Spotify). Learn how in the face of all these incredible efforts touched on today, the current Ecuadorian government is attempting to backtrack hard won environmental victories.