In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Oscar Barrera speaks with Matt Artz about his career as a business anthropologist. The conversation covers Oscar's journey into anthropology through eco-tourism, his pivot to business anthropology, the founding of Antropología Corporativa Consulting, and how he positions the business within the context of the business landscape of Mexico.
About Oscar Barrera
Oscar Barrera, PhD is a Corporate Anthropologist and CEO of Antropología Corporativa Consulting. He is devoted to helping companies to innovate and grow by using techniques, methods and theories from anthropology. He is also a keynote speaker and entrepreneur leading other kinds of businesses. Oscar is based in the city of Veracruz in Eastern Mexico. He received his PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Washington. He has international experience by working and living in 21 countries in Europe, Africa and North and Central America.
About Antropología Corporativa Consulting
Antropología Corporativa Consulting helps companies achieve the transformations they require to grow their business. Whether it is a change in the culture of "how things are done" within the organization or to improve a product or service, Antropología Corporativa Consulting uses anthropological tools to influence human behavior.
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Episode Transcript
Please note this transcript is an automated transcription and may have some errors.
Matt Artz:
All right. Well, thanks everyone for joining today. I'm at arts and I'm with Oscar Barrera today. Oscar is a business anthropologist out of Mexico and the owner of you might have to help me here, but up of motto consulting. And so yeah, please.
Oscar Barrera:
Yeah, actually, I changed my brand now. It's, Antropología Corporativa anthropology. I changed that years ago and yeah, it has to be because it was such a difficult name for people to relate to. So that's what I changed it.
Matt Artz:
Got it. Okay. Well, thanks for correcting me. So I've got that. And so why don't you maybe use that as a jumping off point. Can you give us a little background on, you know, education, anthropology, education, your career, how you started your business?
Oscar Barrera:
Okay. Well, and it started how I became an anthropologist. I actually, when I graduated from college, I just, I majored in tourism studies in planning and development. So I went to the Highlands of Chiapas with the idea of creating a developing project for indigenous peoples in units, communities, and an indigenous village called chermoula subpoint Kamala. So they, the idea that, again, that I have the time, because I was young and naive, I wanted to change the world. I thought that by creating a project and developing projects where indigenous people who develop, create their own infrastructure to cater tourists, I don't know, from room and board or hotels or restaurants, or I don't know, just to great economic options and possibilities for indigenous people to benefit from tourism. I thought that was a very positive contribution that I could make with after finishing thirties in, in university.
Oscar Barrera:
So I came in touch with with a...
