Marelisa Zuniga: Empowering People, Shaping Cultures & Driving Change With Purpose

In a world constantly racing forward, people tend to ignore their mental health, the quiet force behind every decision, interaction, and ambition. Engrossed in chasing milestones, one risks neglecting the inner fortitude that sustains us. Personal growth, emotional well-being, and integral human development aren't luxuries; they are essentials for a balanced life. Promoting these aspects and offering a safe space in the chaotic world, Marelisa Zúñiga, a psychologist by training and a changemaker by spirit, has dedicated her life to empowering individuals and organizations through holistic development.

From an early age, Marelisa was drawn to social impact, organizing personal development activities and fostering opportunities for community growth. With an innate drive to understand people and help them thrive, she pursued psychology as a tool to ignite transformation in others, later expanding her expertise with a master’s degree in organizational psychology in Mexico and now continuing her academic journey with a PhD in psychology and education.

Fueled by a passion for research, continuous improvement, and authentic human connection, Marelisa established CRISALIDA, a pioneering Research and People Integral Development Center. Through CRISALIDA, she integrates emotional well-being, corporate wellness, and youth empowerment, developing programs that equip individuals to live fully, lead boldly, and connect deeply.

What inspired you to establish CRISALIDA? Highlight the underlying idea and vision behind the venture.

Research is a core part of everything we do at CRISALIDA. We have focused on implementing programs that can be measured, tracking the before and after in terms of knowledge, behavior, and impact. We started by addressing stress and psychosocial risks, but quickly expanded to a more holistic model that includes physical, emotional, and mental health, financial well-being, personal productivity, and a sense of purpose. We emphasize measuring impact directly in the field, recognizing progress, and celebrating growth. We gather data from programs, learn from it, and continuously improve.

We further prioritize that HR leaders, managers, and community members are involved in the learning process through in-person programs and the Revitalizate app. We are incorporating AI tools to collect and analyze data for impact reports, aiming to measure change and scale wellness transformation.

Looking back at your professional journey, which key professional milestones stand out? Which core values drive your professional growth?

For me, people development is about giving people the tools to connect with themselves, to be honest about where they are, and take their lives seriously in all dimensions. It's about helping them understand the impact they have on others, be it parents or leaders in companies. The way they show up has a huge impact on the culture and people around them.

At CRISALIDA, we emphasized values like family,

continuous development, and emotional awareness, integrating research, innovation, and data to improve daily practices. These daily practices help us manage our emotions throughout the day, and care for ourselves. We also value human connection, since meaningful relationships are directly tied to happiness and a fulfilled life.

What is your vision and roadmap for CRISALIDA going forward?

CRISALIDA focuses on four key pillars, namely People & Wellness Research, High-Tech Solutions & Digital Tools, Psychosocial Risk Management, and Education & Capacity Building.

In people and wellness research, our goal is to un­derstand and impact key indicators, such as knowledge and practices, across different dimensions of well-be­ing. We need to enrich this work through collaboration with companies, individuals, multinational organiza­tions, and relevant programs.

Focusing on high-tech solutions, our apps and digital programs are designed for both enterprises and communities. We also run educational campaigns aimed at improving public awareness, and we look forward to working more closely with governments. For example, when it comes to tackling global issues like obesity, we ask ourselves: how can we create large-scale campaigns that reach and positively impact as many people as possible? We already have the tools and technology; now it's about putting them to work strategically.

Another important pillar for CRISALIDA is our focus on psycho-social risk. We support institutions in identifying, managing, and reducing these risks. In many Latin American countries, legislation already recognizes the importance of addressing psycho-social risks in the workplace. Our role is to help organizations comply with these laws and improve the well-being of their people.

Finally, in the educational space, we are supporting learning platforms to offer courses on topics like emotional intelligence, mental health, personal productivity, and more. We are currently active in Panama, and our vision is to continue expanding across the Latin American region.

Marelisa Zúñiga, Founder, Crisalida

A psychologist and organizational development expert, Marelisa Zúñiga is the visionary Founder of CRISALIDA, a research and human development center based in Panama. She is also leading the Catalyst Now Panamanian Chapter. With a lifelong passion for personal growth and social impact, Marelisa has built a career focused on empowering individuals and institutions to prioritize well-being, emotional intelligence, and conscious leadership. Having a professional journey spanning over a decade in global corporations with leading roles in human resources, continuous improvement, lean operations, and leadership development, she started her entrepreneurial venture promoting self-care, productivity, and purpose.

She also founded Panama’s Work and Life Balance Network, bringing together over 50 HR leaders to drive cultural change in workplace well-being. Her work is rooted in research, powered by technology, and designed to scale across communities, organizations, and nations.