About me [EN]
Carmen Gerea: Independent Consultant, Growth Advisor, Mentor & Researcher
Specialized e-commerce consultant with 8+ years coaching micro, small and medium enterprises in digital transformation and online business development. Proven track record supporting 3000+ SMEs across Latin America, Central Asia, and Africa through international development programs (UN-ITC), and national business accelerators. Expert in e-commerce platforms, digital marketing, SEO, and online business strategy with extensive workshop facilitation and mentoring experience.
Digital Solutions & E-commerce Expertise (20+ years)
E-commerce Platform Development: Led digital product design for online marketplaces and e-commerce stores.
User Experience / Customer Experience for e-commerce: Assessed, designed, and redesigned over 100 user-friendly e-commerce interfaces and optimized online customer journeys.
Conducted 250+ expert audits on websites, platforms, and apps across various sectors including e-commerce, finance, real estate, healthcare, education, automotive, entertainment, telecoms, and sports.
SEO & Digital Marketing: Advanced expertise in search engine optimization, content strategy, and online customer acquisition.
Omnichannel Marketing and Sales: Specialist in integrated customer experience across multiple touchpoints, with PhD research focus on omnichannel customer journey optimization and cross-channel sales strategy.
Design Strategy & Facilitation
Expert in designing and facilitating Design Thinking workshops, co-creation sessions, and innovation sprints for cross-functional teams (5-50 participants) across public and private sectors, including business accelerators. Remote and in person workshop facilitation and digital collaboration using collaboration boards such as Miro.AI Applied to Design, Strategy & Research
Led comparative benchmarks of generative models (GPT, Claude, Gemini) for digital product design. Strategic advisor for AI integration in organizational research, design, and content workflows. Advanced prompt engineering for interface generation, content creation, and user flow design. Facilitator of AI innovation workshops including vibe coding, and critical reflection sessions.
Professional Background
International Consultant
International Trade Center - ITC (United Nations and World Trade Center joint agency)
Since October 2018
International Consultant for Central America, Mexico, Laos, Ghana, Vietnam, Zambia, and Kenya:
Designed and delivered e-commerce training programs for women entrepreneurs transitioning to online sales for EU and USA markets.
Provided technical advisory services on e-commerce platforms (Shopify, Etsy), digital marketing strategies, SEO optimization, and online payment systems.
Facilitated workshops and mentoring sessions for startup ecosystems and small business incubators.
Developed digital business strategies for micro-enterprises in emerging markets with limited digital infrastructure.
YECO Accelerator (2024): Regional Focal Point for LATAM & Caribbean for a group of 25. Group and individual business growth coaching.
Independent Consultant
Since October 2013
Leading e-commerce, innovation, experience design, and UX/CX research projects for clients in different industries (financial services, creative industry, education, manufacturing).
Working with startups, small businesses, and corporate clients.
Training and Mentoring for innovation teams.
*Initially launched as a startup - UsabilityChefs.com was a platform for remote UX evaluation.
Data & Omnichannel Director, NEW Futures LATAM (Service Design & Future Consultancy)
Head of Remote Contact Channels, Caja Los Andes, Chile (Financial Services)
Head of Internet, AFP Capital (SURA), Chile
Information Architect & E-commerce Senior Analyst, Telefónica (Movistar)
Consultant and owner, BW2. Digital Marketing Consulting, Chile & Canada
Marketing and Web Coordinator, Groupe Germain, Canada
Marketing Coordinator, Project Leader, Intern Maibec, Canada
Trade Mission Coordinator, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
Data - Driven Design Diploma, Universidad del Desarrollo, Executive Training
Design, Innovation, and Digital Banking Course, Universidad de Chile
Education
PhD Candidate - Human - Computer Interaction (HCI), Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Chile
Master in Advanced Design (MADA), Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Chile
Bachelor of Business Administration (BAA), Université Laval, Québec, Canada
Certificate in Tourism Development and Management, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
DEUG Economics and Management, Université Lille 1, France
Behavioral Economics Bootcamp, Irrational Labs
Languages
Romanian: Native fluency
Spanish: Native-level proficiency | Regional expertise across Latin America
English: Advanced professional | International consulting & academic writing
French: Native-level proficiency | European & French Canadian market experience
Publications & Conferences
Applied Research
Gerea, C., Herskovic, V., Rodríguez, M. F., Cajamarca, G., & Gajardo, R. (2023). New Paths in Small Manufacturing: How is Digital Transformation Shaping Collaboration Between Designers and Craftspeople? SAGE Open, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231194191
Gerea C, Gonzalez-Lopez F, Herskovic V. (2021), Omnichannel Customer Experience and Management: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda. Sustainability. 2021; 13(5):2824. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052824
Gajardo, R., Gerea, C., Mollenhauer, K. (2016), Estrategias colaborativas y open-source para la generación de sistemas productivos entre diseñadores y productores,
Conference: Systems & Design: Beyond Processes and Thinking
Gerea, C., Herskovic, V. (2015), Measuring User Experience in Latin America: An Exploratory Survey, Conference: CLIHC ‘15 Proceedings of the Latin American Conference on Human Computer Interaction, Cordoba, Argentina