Gem McCreary and Doug Nagy, classmates from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, reconnected in 2016 when they began working in Colombia. Both were at leading multinational companies, Citi and McKinsey, and noticed one key similarity within their respective industries: a severe lack of Afro-descendant and Indigenous (ADI) professionals.

In discussions with their co-workers and peers, they realized that ADI professionals had limited access to higher education (especially abroad) and job opportunities in competitive industries like finance, consulting, and tech. Gem also witnessed similar circumstances during his time working in banking in Brazil, where there was minimal ADI representation in corporate leadership and the Latin American startup/tech boom.

Knowing that MBA programs are a major source of talent for unicorn startups, multinational corporations, and leading national companies, Gem and Doug believed that developing an MBA talent pipeline for high-potential ADI young professionals could change the diversity, entrepreneurship, and leadership landscape in Brazil, Colombia, and greater Latin America. In 2017, they came up with the concept for TalentoTotal and set out to raise the number of international Black and Indigenous MBA candidates and provide a pathway towards a more competitive and diverse global leadership landscape.

Today, with a phenomenal core team and an international cadre of elite coaches and mentors, TalentoTotal professionally develops and trains high-potential ADI Candidates to increase the number of diverse leaders in corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, non-profit and multinational organizations around the world.