A certified accountant with decades of experience, Marcia brings a wealth of financial knowledge, precision, and reliability to the Redefine team. Her extensive background in accounting and bookkeeping makes her a trusted resource behind the scenes and an essential part of keeping the financial side of our operations organized and running smoothly.

As Redefine’s Financial Operations Coordinator, Marcia works closely with our Founder across all areas of financial administration. From maintaining accurate bookkeeping and preparing monthly financial updates for homeowners to reviewing payments and ensuring our team and service providers are paid correctly and on time, she helps bring consistency and accountability to the many financial details involved in managing our portfolio of homes.

Detail-oriented, dependable, and highly experienced, Marcia brings both structure and peace of mind to an area of the business where accuracy matters immensely. Her work allows our team to operate with greater transparency while giving homeowners a clear understanding of the financial activity surrounding their properties.

Now based in Mexico, Marcia enjoys spending time with and caring for her mother and sisters, cooking for the people she loves, and life with her little dog Oli —who rarely leaves her side.

For Marcia, taking care of the numbers is ultimately another way of taking care of people, and that sense of responsibility comes through in everything she does.

Originally from Pérez Zeledón and a resident of Uvita since the age of two, Melissa has deep roots in the community she calls home. With several years of professional cleaning experience, she has turned her dedication and love for a job well done into a growing career built around quality, reliability, and care.

Known for her cheerful personality, responsibility, and incredible attention to detail, Melissa takes great pride in creating spaces that feel genuinely clean, comfortable, and cared for. For her, sanitation goes far beyond leaving a home looking spotless—it’s about creating a sense of wellbeing and giving both guests and homeowners confidence that every detail has been thoughtfully handled.

Melissa also plays an important role in bringing Redefine’s Sustainability Commitment into our everyday operations. She prioritizes biodegradable cleaning and household products for the homes, helps ensure recyclable materials are properly separated and delivered to the local recycling center, and works with us to find more environmentally conscious ways of maintaining our properties.

Hardworking, entrepreneurial, and deeply committed to her craft, Melissa brings care and consistency to every home she touches. Her work is an essential part of the Redefine guest experience and of our commitment to caring for the homes—and the environment around them—with intention.

Born, raised, and still based in San José, Monse has always felt a special connection to Costa Rica’s Southern Zone. While city life is home, the South is one of her favorite places to escape to—and working with Redefine allows her to stay connected to the region she loves, including several visits throughout the year.

With years of experience in sales and purchasing, Monse brings a sharp eye for detail, strong organizational skills, and a natural ability to get things done. As Redefine’s Concierge & Operations Coordinator, she helps guests discover and arrange memorable local experiences while also managing many of the important details happening behind the scenes.

From sourcing and procuring items for our homes to coordinating cleaning schedules, supporting our finance desk, and handling essential administrative tasks, Monse plays an important role in keeping Redefine’s day-to-day operations moving smoothly. Her ability to shift between guest needs and behind-the-scenes logistics makes her a versatile and trusted part of the team.

Outside of work, Monse is happiest with her two dogs, caring for her plants, baking, reading, or getting lost in something creative. Art has always been close to her heart, and her curiosity has also led her to teach English to children and study Portuguese.

For Monse, Redefine brings together meaningful work, a love of connecting with people, and an ongoing connection to one of her favorite corners of Costa Rica.

A resident of the beautiful Uvita region, María José brings a strong background in administration, client service, and property-related operations to the Redefine team. Before joining Redefine, she worked as an accounting and administrative assistant and alongside her brother’s construction business, where she gained valuable experience communicating with clients, coordinating needs, and navigating the many moving pieces involved in caring for a property.

As Redefine’s Guest Services Lead, María José is at the heart of our day-to-day guest communication. From helping guests prepare for their arrival to answering questions, coordinating needs during their stay, and making sure they feel supported throughout their time with us, she helps create the warm and attentive experience we want every Redefine guest to have.

Her role also extends behind the scenes, assisting with the coordination and management of our local service providers—an essential part of ensuring the homes entrusted to us are consistently well cared for.

Friendly and sociable by nature, María José genuinely enjoys connecting with people from around the world. Her ability to balance warmth with organization and follow-through makes her a trusted presence for guests, homeowners, providers, and the Redefine team alike.

For María José, great hospitality comes down to being present, paying attention, and making people feel genuinely cared for.

Steven is an innovative entrepreneur, professional chef, and passionate advocate for Costa Rica’s southern tropics. As the founder of Trópico Digital, he’s on a mission to bridge the digital divide—empowering local communities through digital marketing, storytelling, and global connectivity. His work has helped scale numerous local businesses.

After falling in love with the richness of Costa Rica’s culinary and cultural landscape, Steven launched Roots—an immersive gastronomic experience where guests embark on curated culinary journeys to discover the traditions, flavors, and producers that define the region. Through these experiences, he shares not just food, but the deeper stories behind it.

Steven is also quickly becoming a local influencer, capturing hearts with his inspiring and authentic videos that celebrate Costa Rica’s natural beauty, people, and traditions. Whether behind the camera, in the kitchen, or leading strategy sessions, Steven brings creativity, purpose, and passion to everything he does.

Stephanie, or “Tefa”, as we all call her, is a local entrepreneur and all around warrior of a woman.  She was born in San Jose and raised between Tibas and Sarapiquí and came to Uvita in 2015 with a desire to experience a different way of life by the beach. 

She quickly fell in love with the area and in no time found herself working on her first big endeavor in building a unique and beautiful hostel in Bahia.  Her grand opening was in February 2020 and two weeks later followed the total lockdown caused by COVID. 

Despite the hurdles, the hostel is still running and in early 2024 she began her next venture and created TYA – a local handyman service providing expertise in AC installation and maintenance, landscaping, general construction and more – making her a valuable asset to Redefine’s team.

When Tefa isn’t running around town making other people’s lives easier, she’s taking care of her beautifully well trained 4 dogs, going to the gym, attending silks classes, or taking in the natural surroundings at the beaches and rivers. 

José Umaña Quirós was born in Llano Bonito de Leon, Cortes, Costa Rica.  After building his experience over decades of hard work, he finally began his own business in 2019 with a vision of supporting his family and others in his community.  His passion for helping people and promoting sustainable living practices shows in how he creates a cohesive living environment between guests and the jungle as Redefine’s Sanitation Expert. 

Jose and his team are committed to maintaining Redefine’s sustainability commitment by ensuring only biodegradable local products are used and assisting us in managing our commitment to recycling.  Without Jose and his team, Redefine could not meet the high standards we set out. 

Jose is a loving husband and father to three beautiful children.  His many joys in life include his family, his community, and providing a clean and welcoming home to our guests. 

Jose was born in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, but has lived in Uvita for decades.  With more than 30 years of experience in construction in this country, and 10 years experience working in the USA, Jose quickly became Redefine’s go-to for any and all kinds of maintenance requests.

Jose is well known around town as “Gato” and constructed what we consider a landmark here – Gato’s Plaza.  While he doesn’t actually have any cats, he does have 6 dogs!  He loves being a father to his three children, is passionate about his work, and is a man of few words, but always gets the job done. 

Angela is a political scientist from the University of Costa Rica with over a decade of experience in gender equity, community development, and sustainability. After completing a fellowship with the Gender Equality Law Center in New York through the U.S. State Department’s Community Solutions Program, she returned to Costa Rica to lead national projects addressing gender-based violence in partnership with more than 30 local governments.

During her time working in the Southern Zone, Angela fell in love with the Costa Ballena region—its natural beauty, vibrant community, and extraordinary biodiversity. She also recognized a gap: the absence of a formal recycling program and the environmental toll of unmanaged waste. Inspired to take action, she founded AmbiciOsas, a circular economy initiative that empowers local women while transforming recycled materials into community resources.

Driven, entrepreneurial, and deeply hands-on, Angela brings that same spirit to everything she takes on, including opening a branch of Psycho Tuna, a socially conscious clothing brand.

As Redefine’s Social Impact & Sustainability Consultant, Angela has been instrumental in shaping our Sustainability Commitment, developing practical strategies to reduce waste, support local employment, strengthen community connections, and encourage a more conscious approach to tourism.

For Angela, creating positive impact isn’t simply part of the work—it’s the thread that connects everything she does.

Born and raised in Platanillo, Yery is a proud local with deep roots in the Costa Ballena region. His career began in the culinary world, where he spent years as a dedicated vegan chef known for curating mouthwatering menus using fresh, organic, and locally sourced ingredients. His passion for high-quality service and his meticulous attention to detail made him a standout in every kitchen he worked in—and those same traits now guide his work as Redefine CR’s trusted operations lead.

Yery is known for his proactive approach, sharp eye for detail, and ability to coordinate service providers with ease and respect. He’s a much-loved member of the team, admired for his calm problem-solving skills, and often the one who keeps everyone smiling with his sense of humor. Whether inspecting homes, resolving maintenance issues, or ensuring smooth guest experiences, Yery shows up with heart, clarity, and care.

Outside of work, Yery is a devoted animal lover and caretaker to two dogs and six cats. His warmth and ability to build lasting relationships—both with people and animals—make him an irreplaceable part of the Redefine CR family.

Natasha came to Costa Rica in January 2018, diving headfirst into the vibrant world of hospitality, guest services, and hotel management. With a background in finance and international development, she quickly immersed herself in every facet of operations—from coordinating guest experiences to managing local teams—gaining hands-on knowledge of what it takes to build something lasting in the Costa Rican landscape.

In 2021, Natasha launched Redefine Costa Rica with a vision to do things differently. Her mission is not just to manage properties—but to elevate the standard of what property management can be. By centering transparency, proactive communication, local community engagement, and sustainability, Natasha is actively redefining how guests, owners, and service providers experience hospitality in the Southern Zone.

Whether it’s the curated guest experience, the little touches that make a stay feel personal and intentional, or the commitment to supporting local artisans and eco-conscious operations, Natasha brings a mindful, human-centered approach to everything she does.

Redefine Costa Rica is more than a business—it’s a movement to reshape what it means to live, host, and thrive in this stunning region.