From Digital Marketing Expert to Entrepreneurial Educator: How Katho Jerez Is Democratizing Digital Knowledge
For more than a decade, Katho Jerez González has been helping entrepreneurs turn digital marketing from a complex, technical discipline into a practical business tool. Through her Santiago-based academy, she has trained more than 13,000 entrepreneurs and businesses.
For many small business owners, digital marketing can feel like a language written for someone else.
The terminology is technical. Advertising platforms change constantly. Algorithms can be difficult to understand. And competing online with companies that have larger budgets can seem almost impossible.
Katho Jerez González built her business around changing that equation.
A digital marketing specialist with more than 15 years of experience, Jerez founded KathoJerez Marketing in Santiago, Chile, in 2014 with a straightforward idea: digital knowledge should not be limited to large companies, technical experts or people with substantial marketing budgets.
It should be accessible to entrepreneurs who simply want to build a better business.
Nearly a decade later, that philosophy has translated into a training model that has reached more than 13,000 entrepreneurs and businesses.
Making Digital Marketing Easier to Understand
Jerez's approach begins with simplicity.
Rather than positioning digital marketing as an abstract discipline filled with technical terminology, KathoJerez focuses on practical skills that entrepreneurs can apply directly to their businesses.
Its training covers areas including social media, digital advertising, e-commerce and online positioning, with an emphasis on implementation rather than theory.
The philosophy is visible in the academy's own communication: marketing is presented as something that can be learned step by step, with tools entrepreneurs can use from the first day.
That includes practical subjects such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, Meta and Google advertising, WhatsApp Business, content creation and the use of artificial intelligence in marketing strategy.
The distinction matters because the company's target audience is not necessarily made up of marketing professionals.
It is made up largely of people running businesses.
Turning the Gap Into an Opportunity
Building that position was not straightforward.
Jerez entered an industry where technology, digital advertising and strategic marketing were often perceived as areas dominated by men and large corporate structures.
As a woman entrepreneur, she says she repeatedly had to validate her expertise and establish credibility while competing with agencies and institutions that had greater resources, larger teams and bigger budgets.
There was another barrier, too.
Many entrepreneurs themselves believed that digital marketing was either too complicated or too expensive.
Instead of treating those perceptions as obstacles that could not be overcome, Jerez made them central to her business strategy.
She created an educational model designed to be accessible, practical and human—one that could help entrepreneurs understand digital tools without requiring a large budget or a technical background.
In doing so, the gender gap and market gap became part of the same opportunity: democratizing digital knowledge.
More Than 13,000 Entrepreneurs Reached
The scale of KathoJerez's journey is reflected in the number of people it has trained.
More than 13,000 entrepreneurs and businesses have gone through its educational model over the years.
For Jerez, however, the number is more meaningful when viewed through the individual businesses behind it.
She points to women achieving greater financial independence, mothers beginning to generate income from home and small business owners using digital strategy to compete more effectively with larger corporations.
That gives the academy's work a broader purpose than simply teaching people how to post on social media.
Its underlying proposition is that digital capability can create economic autonomy.
The company's model has included both open training and tailored in-company programmes, while its online offering has expanded the ability to deliver practical digital education beyond a traditional classroom setting.
Competing Without the Biggest Budget
For Jerez, competing against larger organisations has required a different kind of advantage.
Rather than trying to match agencies on size, the business has focused on accessibility, clarity and practical implementation.
That positioning is particularly relevant for small and medium-sized businesses, where marketing budgets can be limited and owners often need to see a direct connection between what they learn and what they can actually implement.
The company's educational products range from digital marketing programmes to focused courses and practical resources covering content creation, Instagram strategy, artificial intelligence and online advertising.
The aim is consistent: reduce the distance between learning something and using it.
That approach has also helped create a recognisable personal brand around Jerez herself, combining education, mentoring, speaking and digital marketing expertise. Her professional profile notes her work as a speaker, mentor and educator, as well as her involvement with entrepreneurship communities in Chile.
Leadership Built on Action
Jerez's own entrepreneurial philosophy mirrors what she teaches.
She argues that women should not wait until they feel completely prepared before beginning.
Confidence, in her view, is not a prerequisite for action; it is something developed through action.
That belief is particularly relevant in an industry that changes as quickly as digital marketing.
Platforms evolve. Consumer behaviour changes. Advertising tools are updated. Artificial intelligence is reshaping how content and campaigns are created.
For entrepreneurs, staying competitive therefore requires continuous learning rather than a one-time education.
Jerez's model is built around that reality.
Her advice to women entrepreneurs is to trust their vision, invest in strategic knowledge and surround themselves with people who support their growth. She also stresses that competing with larger companies is possible when a business has strategy, clarity and consistency.
Building a More Inclusive Digital Economy
What began as a digital marketing education business has evolved into something broader: an attempt to make digital capability more accessible to the entrepreneurs who need it most.
For Jerez, the mission is ultimately about more than marketing campaigns, followers or online visibility.
It is about giving business owners the knowledge to make better decisions—and giving more women the tools to build businesses with greater independence.
That is why the next chapter for KathoJerez is not simply about teaching entrepreneurs how to navigate the next digital platform.
It is about ensuring they are not left behind when the next one arrives.
In a digital economy where the rules continue to change, Jerez's central proposition remains remarkably simple: knowledge should not be a barrier to entrepreneurship.