After his first visit to Cartagena, Colombia in December 2016, Akil decided to take a chance and leave his position in Apple, Inc’s Worldwide Developer Relations group after almost a decade. What started off as a sabbatical to relax and explore new opportunities quickly evolved into an all encompassing project — Tiny Village Cartagena. The project was inspired by what made Akil fall in love with Cartagena — the old city’s Spanish Colonial architecture, the culture, the islands and the people. After years of development, Tiny Village Cartagena finally opened its doors in June of 2023.