Celestina Ábalos is an indigenous entrepreneur who runs a tourism business in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Quebrada de Humahuaca, in Jujuy province, northern Argentina. She manages a tea house called Casa de Celestina. The purpose of her business is to share her community’s culture and knowledge of medicinal herbs. She had the business idea when Quebrada de Humahuaca was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and she saw many people become more interested in their culture. When tourists come to the Casa de Celestina, she welcomes them, introduces them to the use of medicinal herbs, talks about the local food, and prepares dishes together with them. Then, she guides them on a visit across the valley.

The pandemic hit her business very hard. The reservations she had were cancelled and the little savings she had went to feeding her family. In 2021, she started giving online talks at universities and NGOs, and she was invited to take part in a virtual SIYB workshop. Celestina was very motivated to improve her entrepreneurship skills and develop a business plan to be able to access loans and subsidies. After participating in the SIYB training, she acquired new tools to scale up her business, including how to make a business plan, estimate costs, prepare a budget and inventory, and manage social media business accounts. With that, she was able to recover and improve her business.