Daniela Linero, Chief Customer Officer at Ontop, explores her inspiring journey from Santa Marta, Colombia, to becoming a trailblazing entrepreneur and leader. She recounts pivotal moments, such as moving to Barcelona for an exchange program and founding her first company, Licify, at just 21 years old in the male-dominated construction industry. In this episode, Daniela reflects on lessons in leadership, courage, and stepping out of her comfort zone. Her story is a testament to the power of determination and adaptability in overcoming challenges and achieving success.
Bio: Daniela is an entrepreneur driven by passion, discipline, and the pursuit of happiness. She found meaning in life by stepping out of her comfort zone. Over time, her focus shifted from chasing money and the extraordinary to building daily habits and aligning her work with purpose.
Daniela is from a small Caribbean town—Santa Marta, Colombia—where she fell in love with the beach, sunsets, and tropical vibes. Her life changed when she moved to Spain for an industrial engineering exchange program in Barcelona. She began her professional journey with an internship at ProColombia in Madrid. Later, she returned to Colombia and founded Licify, where she led investment rounds and became CEO at just 22 in a male-dominated, traditional industry. After two and a half years, she was removed from the role but chose to stay—putting ego aside—and continued working as COO for three more years.
When Daniela no longer felt aligned with the company’s vision, she trusted her intuition and stepped away. She then joined Ontop as a Customer Success Leader, working her way up to Chief Customer Officer, managing global clients for a US-based company that helps businesses hire remote workers worldwide. In doing so, she also fulfilled her ultimate dream of moving back to Barcelona.
Purpose, alignment, and daily discipline continue to shape her journey.
Something Extra: “Being yourself and being vulnerable with your team.”
