One of the things we are reminded of again and again at Estancia Natura is this: none of us builds a meaningful life alone.
Whatever is good here at Spirit Mountain—whatever beauty, warmth, creativity, hospitality, hard work, good coffee, good trails, or good ideas may be found here—has been shaped by a remarkable community of people. We are only as good as the people around us.
And yes, I may be a little biased, but I should probably start with my own family.
Krista, my ‘most favorite’ wife for the past three-plus decades, is the glue that holds this whole thing together. She is a management magician with the rare ability to keep a lot of people moving in the same direction, and somehow smiling while doing it. Without her, we would be a hot mess. That is not poetry. That is simply fact.
Kate is our resident coffee authority. From post-harvest to roasting to brewing and everything in between, she knows coffee from farm to cup—which is fitting, since that also happens to be the name of her consulting company. She brings knowledge, taste, and a deep love for doing things well.
Keren is an organizational and operational wizard, with a gift for positivity that makes hard things feel possible. She has also been my cycling buddy for the better part of a decade and a half, has helped build trails at the farm, and has stood on the podium at Enduro races hosted at Tri Mountain MTB Park. She is equal parts joy and grit, which is a strong combination.
Doug, Kate’s husband, is steadily becoming a master craftsman, and we have high hopes that he will one day be helping build the beautiful homes that become part of the Estancia Natura community. Fingers crossed!
Grant, Keren’s husband, is the quiet one. His wit is dry, sharp, and always perfectly timed. No day is really complete without him. He is also a finance guy and an excellent mountain biker, which means he helps keep me both financially aware and athletically humble.
And then there is our farm team—the true lifeblood of Spirit Mountain.
Several of these men and women have been with us for so long that they feel woven into the land itself. Delvie, our plantation manager, is at the heart of it all. His primary focus may be coffee, but over the years he has become essential to just about everything that happens here. Rosa, his wife, somehow keeps the housekeeping world in order, which is no small feat. Their son, Rodelvie, is quickly becoming Krista’s go-to person for all things hospitality. And Julio—well, nothing happens without Julio. He handles logistics, sourcing, problem-solving, and all the thousand unseen things that keep a place like this moving.
Our architectural and construction team is also family in every sense that matters. Fernando Cantisano found his way to Spirit Mountain long before he ever worked with me in design and construction, and over time he has become something like the son we never had. Regina Aubry, a Swiss-Dominican with a deep love for the mountains, jumps in whenever needed and always brings both talent and heart to the work. Yeisson Ramirez, our civil engineer, is also a key member of the construction team, working alongside Fernando in the supervision of the physical development and construction of the project. His steady presence and technical oversight have become an important part of moving vision into built reality.
There are others whose work helps give shape and soul to this place in quieter but no less important ways. Emmanuel Ortiz is our chief storyteller. As an alumnus of Doulos Discovery School, it means something special to see him now helping tell the story of Estancia Natura and Spirit Mountain. We are deeply grateful for his ability to capture the essence of who we are. Yeudi Ramirez, also a Doulos alumnus, creates the beautiful hand-carved wayfinding signs found across the farm. His craftsmanship adds character, warmth, and a sense of belonging to the land itself.
And then there is Waldo de la Mota, my partner in crime when it comes to building out the mountain biking trails. Together, with a good deal of sweat and perhaps questionable levels of optimism, we have helped shape Tri Mountain into what we believe is the most amazing gravity mountain biking park in the Caribbean.
We are also grateful for the people already gathering around this community as future residents and friends. Ariel and Andrea Contreras, who run a conservation organization, are avid outdoors people with deep convictions about living in harmony with nature. In many ways, they remind Krista and me of ourselves thirty years ago, which feels both encouraging and slightly alarming.
And then there is Tuto Sención, a dear friend of more than twenty years, who is leading the effort behind our sustainable photovoltaic systems. Thanks to his work, Spirit Mountain is able to operate fully off-grid with regard to electricity—Tuto, and the company he represent, TAG, are a major part of the kind of future we believe in.
The truth is, there are so many others who contribute to this place in meaningful ways that it would take a book to name them all. And perhaps one day, we should write that book.
For now, it is enough to say this: Estancia Natura is not being built by one vision alone. It is being shaped by a community. By family, friends, staff, designers, builders, craftsmen, storytellers, conservationists, riders, dreamers, and people who keep showing up with heart and generosity.
And for all of them, we are deeply grateful.
Chad Wallace
