Natalia Montaño's Ejecutiva Magazine Cover Signals Growing Influence of Miami-Based Education Model

The selection of Natalia Montaño, founder of Aguamarina Schools, as the cover subject of Ejecutiva Magazine carries implications beyond a single profile. It places a woman-led educational venture based in Miami at the center of a publication dedicated to female business leadership across the United States and Latin America, and it arrives alongside a separate honor: on October 8, Montaño was recognized during the Top Entrepreneurs of USA Awards 2026, a ceremony organized by Negocios Magazine and Ejecutiva Magazine at the EB Hotel Miami.

The recognition matters because it signals that an academic model developed in South Florida is gaining international visibility. Under Montaño's leadership, Aguamarina Schools has built its approach around the “Kind & Cool” philosophy, which combines academic learning with values, creativity, autonomy, and social responsibility. The network now operates three campuses in Miami—in Brickell, South Miami, and Downtown Miami—and has a presence in Mexico City and Bogotá.

For Miami's business and education sectors, the cover suggests that locally incubated projects can scale across borders. Montaño frames the underlying idea in terms of environment rather than curriculum alone. “At Aguamarina, we believe that children should learn in environments where they feel safe, heard, and capable of leading with purpose. Education is not just content: it is experience, community, and vision,” she said.

The growth also reflects a family enterprise. Her husband, architect Roberto Salazar, is co-founder of Aguamarina Elementary, and her daughter Luisa Salazar is co-founder and director of the school. Luisa also founded the Planet Patrol Foundation, which promotes environmental education and children's leadership through conservation activities and community participation. That structure may help explain how the project has expanded while retaining a stated focus on values and community.

Ejecutiva Magazine's decision to feature Montaño is consistent with its stated editorial mission of highlighting women who transform industries and generate social impact. Her trajectory illustrates how an educational vision can become a business initiative with international reach, driven from South Florida. The full interview and article are available through Natalia Montaño: the educator redefining teaching in Miami | Ejecutiva Magazine.

The announcement also comes through NOTICIAS NEWSWIRE, a distribution channel that circulates such corporate and leadership news to Spanish-language audiences. The broader implication is twofold: for parents and educators, it spotlights an alternative model that emphasizes emotional well-being and critical thinking alongside academics; for the regional business community, it reinforces Miami's role as a launchpad for enterprises targeting Latin America. As Aguamarina continues to expand, the cover serves as a marker of how education-focused ventures are increasingly being evaluated as both social projects and scalable businesses.