Patricia Velásquez

Creativity goes beyond films, canvas and photos. It also spurs charitable or philanthropy as well as activism. Patricia Velasquez, an award-winning actress, history-making model an ardent philanthropist, a fervent activist, as well as mother of two, brings a constant creative spirit to all her endeavors whether that's appearing in blockbusters like The Curse of La Llorona or launching Wayuu Taya Foundation, and serving on the UNESCO Board. Whatever the case, she takes huge leaps by drawing from her intuition and carefully paving her personal path. "I view my career like the length of a staircase," she said. "I took every step. It was amazing to do so, because there's been endurance. I just laid my head down and took one step at a time. And then it was done. The metaphor is an evocation of an experience that was a formative one. She was born in Venezuela, but she was raised in France or Mexico. After several years she decided to move to Venezuela. In South America, her parents worked in education and moved their family to a cramped apartment that had no plumbing and no elevators. To ensure that water was available for the unit, Patricia often carried heavy buckets of water up 15 steps. Between studying engineering and intense dance training she aimed to aid the family however possible. She was sought out to model in Milan and her rise to the top of fashion was contingent on a promise to her loved ones. She recalls saying, "When they asked me about going to Italy I replied"If you can pay 30 bucks a month home to Venezuela the cost will be worth itas it will cover the whole cost of water for the building's construction'." Patricia's success was a turning point for fashion when she first brought the attention of the fashion industry to South America. Her "first modeling gig Karl Lagerfeld photographed" was an incredible breakthrough. The model went on to appear in shows in front editorial spreads and was featured in ads for Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Fendi. She was also featured in Oprah's "Supermodel of the World Contest" by Ford Models. She was also featured on the covers of Vogue, Bazaar, Marie Claire and a host of other magazines.