Carolina Hervas is the founder of Bolis Sabor Nativo, an Amazonian venture transforming native fruits from Ecuador’s rainforest into frozen treats that celebrate the region’s biodiversity, culture, and traditions. Through each product, Carolina is demonstrating that the Amazon’s natural wealth can create sustainable economic opportunities while supporting the people and communities who care for the forest. By bringing authentic Amazonian flavors to consumers, Bolis Sabor Nativo offers a new way to experience the region while highlighting the value of protecting the ecosystems where these fruits grow.
Working closely with Kichwa farmers in Pastaza Province, Bolis Sabor Nativo creates markets for native Amazonian fruits while strengthening local livelihoods. By sourcing locally, the venture helps generate economic opportunities for farming families and encourages the continued cultivation of diverse native species. For Carolina, building a successful business is inseparable from preserving the cultural traditions and biodiversity that make the Amazon unique.
Like many entrepreneurs, Carolina faced the challenge of turning a promising idea into a sustainable and competitive business. Her participation in PachaEmprende, Fundación Pachamama’s bioeconomy acceleration program, marked an important turning point in that journey. Through technical assistance, business training, mentorship, and seed capital, Carolina was able to formalize her operations, strengthen her business model, and build the foundation for future growth.
The program supported several key milestones, including registering the Bolis Sabor Nativo brand, obtaining necessary sanitary certifications, strengthening production processes, and improving commercial operations. One important investment was a commercial freezer, which allows the business to properly preserve its Amazonian fruits and maintain consistent product quality. PachaEmprende also helped improve the venture’s sales space, creating a stronger connection between the physical experience and the identity of the Bolis Sabor Nativo brand.
Today, Carolina’s vision extends beyond local markets. She hopes to industrialize Bolis Sabor Nativo, expand production capacity, and bring its Amazonian flavors to new points of sale across Ecuador. As the business grows, she sees each new customer as an opportunity to create greater demand for native fruits and strengthen the livelihoods of the families who cultivate them. Her ambition is not simply to build a successful company, but to demonstrate how entrepreneurship can contribute to a healthier, more prosperous Amazon.
For Carolina, the growth of Bolis Sabor Nativo is inseparable from the wellbeing of the rainforest and its people. She believes that every product can help preserve Amazonian culture, create better economic opportunities for Kichwa farming families, and demonstrate the value of keeping forests standing. Her story is part of a growing bioeconomy movement across the Ecuadorian Amazon, where entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways to turn the region’s extraordinary biodiversity into sustainable livelihoods.
“Thanks to Fundación Pachamama, BID Lab, and AFD, today I can say that Bolis Sabor Nativo is becoming known while helping protect our rainforest through its native fruits, preserving our culture and supporting Kichwa farmers in the province of Pastaza.”
Carolina’s story demonstrates what becomes possible when entrepreneurship is rooted in place. By creating economic value around native Amazonian fruits, Bolis Sabor Nativo is helping connect conservation, cultural identity, and community wellbeing. It is one example of a larger vision for the Amazon—one where the forest’s greatest value lies not in what can be extracted from it, but in what can flourish while it remains standing.