Alfredo Harp y María Isabel Grañén

Alfredo Harp Helú is deeply in love with Mexico, and particularly with Oaxaca, a region to which he feels a strong emotional connection and where he currently lives. He is well-known for his generosity; every day, he wakes up early, thinking about how he can help others. His vocation for service emerged at a very young age, when he decided to establish several foundations bearing his name, whose goal is to promote education, culture, health, sport, and environmental care. His work is born out of love and comes from the depths of his heart; he works as part of a team and has decided to enjoy every project undertaken by his foundations while he is alive. His motivation stems from a passion for promoting a more dignified and humane life for the Mexican population. Today, the results are tangible; the fruits of his labour have led to a more compassionate community, with greater opportunities, vibrant in sport, conscious of its heritage and culture, and respectful of different ways of understanding the world.

For her part, María Isabel Grañén Porrúa is a PhD holder and researcher in art history, as well as president of the Alfredo Harp Helú Oaxaca Foundation. She specialises in 16th-century books and engravings from New Spain. Given her concern for written heritage and her love of books, she founded and chairs the civil association for the Support of the Development of Archives and Libraries in Mexico (Adabi), which has earned the institution international awards for its work in preservation and conservation, including programmes to safeguard architectural and artistic heritage and indigenous languages, as well as a determined drive to promote reading. At the forefront of this work, the couple exemplifies a shared commitment and vision: he pursues it through philanthropy and sport, while she does so through culture, art, and books. Their collective work has left a profound mark on Oaxaca and Mexico, where both tirelessly champion projects that