ELSA MATEO

I am a Peruvian entrepreneur passionate about transforming the tourism industry through innovation. For more than 25 years, I have built companies, led business transformation initiatives, and developed business models that challenge traditional ways of doing things. My career combines strategic vision, strong execution, and the belief that innovation should create both economic value and meaningful social impact.
In 2006, I founded "Solo Vacaciones", the first travel agency located inside a supermarket chain in Peru. The company raised US$150,000 in private investment, established an innovative business model, and was later acquired in a transaction exceeding US$1 million, becoming one of the country's most notable examples of innovation and value creation in the tourism industry.
Following this successful exit, I held executive leadership positions as CEO, Country Manager, and Commercial Manager for national and international companies, leading business growth, commercial transformation, and expansion initiatives. This stage of my career strengthened my strategic vision and equipped me with the skills to build sustainable businesses, scale business models, and lead high-performing teams.
After my first entrepreneurial success, I decided to launch a new venture in 2019 to solve one of the tourism industry's biggest challenges: simplifying the way people plan their vacations. That vision led to the creation of Kango, a company through which I am redefining how people discover and experience travel.
With Kango, we are promoting a more decentralized tourism model by bringing travelers to destinations with extraordinary potential that have traditionally received limited visibility, creating new opportunities for hotels, restaurants, tour operators, artisans, and local entrepreneurs.
Kango's business model innovates by completely simplifying the travel planning process. Travelers know the fixed price from the very beginning, while the destination remains a surprise until just a few days before departure. Every trip is carefully designed by a dedicated travel advisor who takes the time to understand each traveler's profile, preferences, and needs. In the days leading up to the trip, travelers receive carefully crafted clues that build excitement, before discovering their destination four days prior to departure.
Kango has been recognized with the Innóvate Perú Tourism Innovation Award and has participated in incubation and acceleration programs led by UPC, USIL, and UTP, where the business model was validated and strengthened before its commercial launch.
Throughout my career, I have consistently identified opportunities where others saw established processes, transforming them into businesses capable of delivering both growth and impact. I firmly believe tourism can become one of the most powerful tools for strengthening local economies, creating jobs, empowering communities, and connecting cultures.
Today, my purpose is to establish Kango as a company born in Peru with the potential to expand across the Americas and beyond, demonstrating that Latin American innovation can compete globally and that tourism can become one of the most powerful drivers of economic development, opportunity creation, and cultural connection.