By: Nic Abelian
Catalina Restrepo, founder of Bee A Company, is harnessing her extensive experience in finance, corporate strategy, and cross-border entrepreneurship to create a strategically developed business ecosystem for Colombian companies seeking to explore opportunities in the U.S. market. Based in California, Restrepo brings a unique blend of cultural understanding, financial expertise, and firsthand entrepreneurial experience to her mission: supporting Colombian businesses in navigating the complexities of entering the United States by bridging cultural and market divides. Bee A Company is Restrepo’s current initiative in a career that has emphasized fostering economic opportunities through cross-border collaboration.
Restrepo, originally from Colombia, has cultivated a career in business leadership. She began her entrepreneurial journey with the founding of a hotel in Colombia in 2017. Through this venture, she observed the valuable impact that cultural understanding and immersion can have on business success. She later served as CFO and Country Manager for a Colombian firm with operations in the U.S., gaining a clearer perspective on the challenges and possibilities associated with cross-border business dynamics. With Bee A Company, Restrepo is now focused on guiding established Colombian companies and equipping them with the insights and resources that can support a meaningful presence in the United States.
Photo Courtesy: Catalina Restrepo
Bee A Company specializes in assisting Colombian entrepreneurs in addressing barriers to entering the U.S. market. This includes support with regulatory frameworks, operational strategies, and cultural adaptation. Restrepo’s personal and professional background enables her to offer informed, experience-based guidance. With a perspective rooted in both Colombian and U.S. business practices, she connects entrepreneurs with relevant networks, potential investors, and business resources. By facilitating U.S. investment in Colombian businesses and encouraging cross-border collaboration, Bee A Company aims to contribute to economic engagement between the two nations. This mission reflects Restrepo’s belief that “understanding and respecting cultural differences is not just an advantage but a necessity.” By acknowledging cultural differences and encouraging mutual appreciation, Bee A Company seeks to use these differences as a strategic asset rather than a challenge.
What distinguishes Bee A Company is Restrepo’s experiential insight into both cultural and commercial adaptation. With more than a decade in finance and corporate strategy, she relates to the types of hurdles entrepreneurs often face when entering new markets. Her familiarity with Latin American business practices and U.S. expectations allows her to provide a strategically grounded approach that blends empathy with practical experience. This form of support extends beyond conventional consulting and includes actionable steps designed to help entrepreneurs manage challenges and aim for steady growth.
Restrepo’s work is guided by a commitment to support Colombian entrepreneurs who may have innovative ideas and offerings but limited experience with international expansion. Bee A Company seeks to offer these businesses a pathway toward entering the U.S. market, providing a foundation for sustainable development and long-term collaboration. With her perspective as a Colombian woman and entrepreneur in the United States, Restrepo emphasizes the importance of cultural literacy and adaptability as key elements of business development.
Photo Courtesy: Catalina Restrepo
Bee A Company also encourages investment and partnership opportunities that are designed to create value for stakeholders on both sides of the border. By building these connections, Restrepo is helping to cultivate a business environment that values global thinking and cultural exchange. This collaborative ecosystem supports entrepreneurs and investors in accessing new networks, sharing resources, and exchanging perspectives—all of which can help inform strategic decisions and open up potential opportunities.
Bee A Company represents a progressive approach to cross-border business development. It promotes a business model in which the flow of ideas, culture, and resources is viewed as a driver of adaptability and shared growth. In a global economy that continues to evolve, Restrepo’s work highlights the growing importance of cultural understanding and cross-border collaboration as contributors to economic innovation. Her company reflects the view that businesses operating across borders can play a role in building a more inclusive and interconnected economic landscape.
To learn more about Bee A Company, visit their website (currently available in Spanish) or connect with Catalina Restrepo on LinkedIn.
Published by: Liz SD.
