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Enrique Arbelaez — Championing Cultural Wealth and Purpose
Enrique Arbelaez is a distinguished serial entrepreneur and business leader who has revolutionized how global brands connect with multicultural markets through data-driven media and cultural intelligence. As the co-founder of Culture+ Group and CIEN+, he has dedicated his career to empowering underrepresented communities while helping Fortune 500 companies transform diversity into a catalyst for innovation and growth.
Having started his journey in the U.S. as a Colombian immigrant, Enrique quickly rose through leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson before launching his own ventures, which now count leading companies like Google, PepsiCo, and Merck as clients. Under his leadership, CIEN+ has been recognized multiple times on the INC 5000 list and as a top 100 healthcare agency. In 2023, he furthered his global impact by founding the Health Equity Forum at the United Nations, reinforcing his commitment to advancing social impact and health equity worldwide
Having started his journey in the U.S. as a Colombian immigrant, Enrique quickly rose through leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson before launching his own ventures, which now count leading companies like Google, PepsiCo, and Merck as clients. Under his leadership, CIEN+ has been recognized multiple times on the INC 5000 list and as a top 100 healthcare agency. In 2023, he furthered his global impact by founding the Health Equity Forum at the United Nations, reinforcing his commitment to advancing social impact and health equity worldwide From Corporate Roots to Cultural Impact.
Arbelaez’s professional journey began at Johnson & Johnson, where he and his business partner, Liliana Gil Valletta, recognized the untapped potential of diverse communities within the American economy. What started as a social group for Hispanic employees evolved into a catalyst for change.
“We started diving deeper into trying to understand, well, what is the business impact that, as a community, we can bring to the business?... There is a massive change because the population growth in the United States is being driven by diverse populations. Not just Hispanic, but also Asian, African American and beyond.”
Arbelaez and his team developed Johnson & Johnson’s first enterprise-wide master plan for inclusive growth, presenting the opportunity of the U.S. Hispanic and Latino market directly to top leadership. This pivotal moment inspired him to expand his impact:
“After we did that, it turned into an imperative of growth for Johnson & Johnson. And we were just hooked. We said, we need to do this for many, many, many other companies... Not only are we going to help the companies grow and create shareholder value, but we’re also going to help the Latino community and other overlooked communities in the United States to thrive.”
Closing the Health Equity Gap
Arbelaez is also a founder of the Health Equity Forum at the United Nations, where he brings together leaders from the healthcare space to address disparities exposed by the pandemic.
“During the pandemic, it became glaringly evident how massive the health equity gaps are... Social determinants of health impact 80% of our healthcare outcomes and longevity. Yet those issues are often unaddressed and impact the most vulnerable and overlooked communities, which in many cases do happen to be diverse communities.”
He believes that closing these gaps is not just a moral imperative but also an economic one:
“If we enable [vulnerable communities] to be able to live healthier lives, the cost of healthcare will come down. Everybody’s will benefit, so that’s one of the major, major things that we’re focused on right now.”
Defining Wealth: Beyond Money
For Arbelaez, wealth is a holistic concept, rooted in joy, purpose, and health.
“I think as a society, we’re leaning too heavy on trying to think that wealth is about money. And I think there is a much more holistic answer of what it really, truly means to be wealthy.”
He encourages others to define wealth on their own terms and offers practical advice:
He adds:
“For me, wealth is about finding joy and purpose in life... Being able to have joy, recognizing that I’m finding... that I have love around me... It’s also about recognizing that you have to continue to fill your senses... Enjoy the days that you are in this earth, because every day is a gift.”
Legacy: The Ripple Effect of Impact
When asked about his legacy, Arbelaez reflected on the meaning of enduring impact:
“I used to think that I wanted to have a legacy that could be remembered for generations to come... that has been about creating jobs, creating flow, and impacting, elevating our communities... But right now, I’m leaning more towards, I just want to be remembered as somebody that just gave a lot of joy and a lot of love to the people around him.”
He emphasizes that true legacy is not about having your name on a building, but about the lives you touch:
“Being able to be in your deathbed and say, look at all the people that came to say goodbye and to give you a hug because they loved you... and to tell stories about you afterwards, because they just miss you and cherish your presence around them because of how you made them feel.”
Enrique Arbelaez’s story is a testament to the power of purpose-driven leadership and the importance of redefining wealth as something greater than personal gain. His work continues to inspire a new generation to build not just financial capital, but also social, cultural, and emotional wealth—ensuring that the flow of opportunity and well-being reaches every corner of our communities.
Disclosure: Please note that the information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.
Having started his journey in the U.S. as a Colombian immigrant, Enrique quickly rose through leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson before launching his own ventures, which now count leading companies like Google, PepsiCo, and Merck as clients. Under his leadership, CIEN+ has been recognized multiple times on the INC 5000 list and as a top 100 healthcare agency. In 2023, he furthered his global impact by founding the Health Equity Forum at the United Nations, reinforcing his commitment to advancing social impact and health equity worldwide
Having started his journey in the U.S. as a Colombian immigrant, Enrique quickly rose through leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson before launching his own ventures, which now count leading companies like Google, PepsiCo, and Merck as clients. Under his leadership, CIEN+ has been recognized multiple times on the INC 5000 list and as a top 100 healthcare agency. In 2023, he furthered his global impact by founding the Health Equity Forum at the United Nations, reinforcing his commitment to advancing social impact and health equity worldwide From Corporate Roots to Cultural Impact.
Arbelaez’s professional journey began at Johnson & Johnson, where he and his business partner, Liliana Gil Valletta, recognized the untapped potential of diverse communities within the American economy. What started as a social group for Hispanic employees evolved into a catalyst for change.
“We started diving deeper into trying to understand, well, what is the business impact that, as a community, we can bring to the business?... There is a massive change because the population growth in the United States is being driven by diverse populations. Not just Hispanic, but also Asian, African American and beyond.”
Arbelaez and his team developed Johnson & Johnson’s first enterprise-wide master plan for inclusive growth, presenting the opportunity of the U.S. Hispanic and Latino market directly to top leadership. This pivotal moment inspired him to expand his impact:
“After we did that, it turned into an imperative of growth for Johnson & Johnson. And we were just hooked. We said, we need to do this for many, many, many other companies... Not only are we going to help the companies grow and create shareholder value, but we’re also going to help the Latino community and other overlooked communities in the United States to thrive.”
Closing the Health Equity Gap
Arbelaez is also a founder of the Health Equity Forum at the United Nations, where he brings together leaders from the healthcare space to address disparities exposed by the pandemic.
“During the pandemic, it became glaringly evident how massive the health equity gaps are... Social determinants of health impact 80% of our healthcare outcomes and longevity. Yet those issues are often unaddressed and impact the most vulnerable and overlooked communities, which in many cases do happen to be diverse communities.”
He believes that closing these gaps is not just a moral imperative but also an economic one:
“If we enable [vulnerable communities] to be able to live healthier lives, the cost of healthcare will come down. Everybody’s will benefit, so that’s one of the major, major things that we’re focused on right now.”
Defining Wealth: Beyond Money
For Arbelaez, wealth is a holistic concept, rooted in joy, purpose, and health.
“I think as a society, we’re leaning too heavy on trying to think that wealth is about money. And I think there is a much more holistic answer of what it really, truly means to be wealthy.”
He encourages others to define wealth on their own terms and offers practical advice:
- Live below your means: “There are people that get in the habit of living up to the max capacity of what they make. That’s a recipe for disaster… When you learn to live well under your threshold of income, it gives you the ability to save and to reinvest.”
- Invest early and for the long term: “Start investing in the stock market early on... The compounding effect... will only be greater and bigger the sooner they start.”
- Work with purpose: “Try to always think about the value you’re bringing to others along the way... When it comes across that you were trying to do this for something greater than yourself, you’re doing it to serve, you’re doing it to bring value to others, then value will come back to you.”
He adds:
“For me, wealth is about finding joy and purpose in life... Being able to have joy, recognizing that I’m finding... that I have love around me... It’s also about recognizing that you have to continue to fill your senses... Enjoy the days that you are in this earth, because every day is a gift.”
Legacy: The Ripple Effect of Impact
When asked about his legacy, Arbelaez reflected on the meaning of enduring impact:
“I used to think that I wanted to have a legacy that could be remembered for generations to come... that has been about creating jobs, creating flow, and impacting, elevating our communities... But right now, I’m leaning more towards, I just want to be remembered as somebody that just gave a lot of joy and a lot of love to the people around him.”
He emphasizes that true legacy is not about having your name on a building, but about the lives you touch:
“Being able to be in your deathbed and say, look at all the people that came to say goodbye and to give you a hug because they loved you... and to tell stories about you afterwards, because they just miss you and cherish your presence around them because of how you made them feel.”
Enrique Arbelaez’s story is a testament to the power of purpose-driven leadership and the importance of redefining wealth as something greater than personal gain. His work continues to inspire a new generation to build not just financial capital, but also social, cultural, and emotional wealth—ensuring that the flow of opportunity and well-being reaches every corner of our communities.
Disclosure: Please note that the information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.
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