Faces of Global: Simone Maduro Combines Her Passion for Marketing, Hospitality

Casa Simone is not your typical vacation rental. 

Nestled 20 minutes outside of Panama City, this peaceful oasis surrounded by nature is owned by Airbnb Superhost and 2020 CSU Global alumna Simone Maduro. Maduro uses the skills and knowledge gleaned during her degree program to market her five-star-rated property. 

Maduro explained that she worked in sales for 14 years before aspiring to earn her B.S. in Marketing. “I really went all out with sales, so marketing was the next step for me,” shared Maduro. Her coursework even contributed to the name of her property; “I don’t know that I would have given [the rental] a name, but because of my marketing education, I knew that establishing a brand was important.” Maduro said that her CSU Global instructors encouraged her to create a budget, market to her targeted audience, and have the fundamental principles of marketing guide her decisions.

While the pandemic has limited some aspects of her business, Maduro shared, “In Panama, people have been stuck inside their homes, so they have been renting rooms in other parts of the city just for a change of scenery. Panama is very urban—mostly buildings and apartments—but Casa Simone has a huge garden, which is rare.”

Maduro hopes to grow Casa Simone into a retreat center and sees an opportunity in Panama’s growing market, especially because of her knowledge of the country and its culture.