John Barker

Co-founder and Director, oversees operations based in Frankfurt Germany.John is Argentine-American, born in the US and has lived many years in the US, Europe and Latin America. Though he was trained as a Surgeon and Scientist he says his true vocation is as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. As an entrepreneur John has started, built and run several successful companies in such diverse areas as medical technology, real estate, import-export, food service and retail. As a philanthropist he has organized and participated in many medical missions and shipped donated medical and educational supplies throughout Central and South America.

In addition he established and runs scholarship exchange programs between the US, Latin America and Europe.In 2007 John joined forces with Irma Yolanda Zuleta to start Precious Hands/Manos Preciosas to apply his entrepreneurial know-how with his philanthropic desire to help artisans make honest livings from their craft. With Irma, based in Guatemala, other partners in the US, and Dr Barker based in Europe, together they are creating important synergies to provide artisans the tools and resources they needto design, create, produce, market and sell their handicrafts directly to customers around the world.John did his undergraduate studies at the University of California in Santa Barbara, earned his Medical Degree at the National University in Cordoba, Argentina and received his PhD at the University of Heidelberg, in Germany. He holds the position of Friedrichsheim Foundation Endowed Professor for Experimental Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Frankfurt, Germany.