PAOLO CATELAN, Ph.D., is the Founder and present Director of Sangay Foundation. Italian born, graduated in Theoretical Physics in 1987, has been Scientific Consultant of the Italian Foreign Office between 1988 and 1990, Researcher at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste (Italy) between 1991 and 1993, European Community Research Fellow at Oxford University (UK) between 1994 and 1996, Copenhagen University Researcher (DK) between 1997 and 1999, and Faculty Member at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (USA) between 2000 and 2001. After that, he happily turned down his scientific academic career in order to move to Ecuador to start Sangay Foundation. He lives in Riobamba with his wife Gisselle and their two children, Elena and Elias.