Juan Manuel Barrientos
Juan Manuel Barrientos Valencia, known in the gastronomic world as “Juanma” and on social networks as @juanmaelcielo, was born in Medellín on June 16, 1983. He is a father, cook, businessman, entrepreneur, lecturer and peace leader with more than thirteen restaurants, bars and a hotel. He is the creator and founder of the Elcielo restaurant chain (Medellín, Bogotá, Miami and Washington, D. C.), as well as La Sere (mediterranean), Cuon (Asian), Kaime (vegan), Elcielo Classic, elcielo Hotel (Medellín), AO (Asian Bogotá), Shibari (bar), El Navegante (bar), Aguafresca (Mexican restaurant in partnership with Chef Édgar Núñez) and Cerdología. Juanma has great influence and thousands of followers on social networks.
He is the first chef in history to lead a Colombian Cuisine restaurant, elcielo Washington, D. C., awarded a Michelin Star in April 2021.
At the age of 34, he was invited as a lecturer by the former president of the United States, Barack Obama, to the World Entrepreneurship Summit, one of the most important entrepreneurship meetings in the world. He even provides advice to companies on creativity and innovation, supporting the redesign of the DNA of important companies.
He has been recognized as the youngest chef in Latin America’s 50 Best for three consecutive times and in 2016 he was part of the exclusive list of The World’s Best Chef.
In addition, Juanma leads the Glocal Food Fest, a gastronomic and cultural event in Medellín that has three editions. Glocal is a platform to highlight those people and products that give life to our Colombian identity from planting to serving the products on the table.
