Ana Maria is a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. Before coming to HKS, Ana Maria was a consultant at the not-for-profit company Instiglio where she developed Results-Based Financing instruments in workforce development, community health, basic education in Colombia, Peru, Morocco and Uganda. She was part of the teams that designed the two Social Impact Bonds in Colombia in employability of vulnerable population in Cali, Bogota and Pereira. Before working at Instiglio, Ana Maria was a Summer Research Assistant at Cornell University in the Behavioral Analysis of Beginning Years Lab, where she studied determinants of cognitive skills attainment in infants. Ana Maria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2015) and Political Science (2016) from Universidad de los Andes in Bogota. As a student at Universidad de los Andes, Ana Maria directed the Economic’s student magazine where she wrote articles about quality of education in Colombia and teenage fertility.
Mayra is a second-year student in the Master in Public Administration and International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her work experience started in the Public Management division of Apoyo Consultoria, observing first-hand the inequality and needs of her country. Afterwards, she worked in the public sector at the Minister of Chambers Presidency, overseeing the reconstruction process in the aftermath of “El Niño” phenomenon, and in the Ministry of Education implementing a new policy for rural schools. Her entrepreneurial mindset drove her to found Kira, a social enterprise focus on crowdfunding and delivering survival kits to low-income mothers. Mayra holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico in Lima.
Valeria is a student of the Master in Public Administration and International Development program at Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to coming to Harvard, Valeria worked as a researcher at an economics think tank in Mexico City called “México, ¿cómo vamos?” (MCV), where she was in charge of keeping track of economic indicators at a national and state level, making policy recommendations accordingly, and communicating them to policymakers and the media. Before her career at MCV, she worked as a research assistant to the head of Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Public Health Program at ITAM, one of the most prestigious Universities in Mexico. Her research was mainly focused on the relationship between public health interventions and public finance. Valeria’s main interests are economic growth, public finance and financial inclusion. Valeria is an Economist from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), where she obtained her College Diploma with the thesis: “Dutch Disease in Mexico: the case of Campeche and Tabasco”.
Mayumi is a second-year student in the Master in Public Policy program at the Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to HKS, Mayumi worked in capacity building and service delivery for human trafficking survivors in Southeastern Peru. She has also worked in public sector consulting and federal procurement in Washington D.C. She is interested in socio-economic development and human rights in Latin America with a focus on Peru, rural development, and underrepresented populations.
Soulange is a Master in Public Administration in International Development 2022 Candidate. Previously, she worked as a consultant at the World Bank Group, where she performed economic research and took part in engagements with government counterparts across countries in Latin America. She also worked as Associate in APOYO Consultoria (a boutique Peruvian consulting firm), where she specialized in market assessments from the competition policy and regulatory perspective. Soulange holds a degree in Economics from Universidad de Piura.
Miguel is a first year Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School. Before HKS, he attended medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine and Dartmouth College as a government major. While in College, he was a staff reporter of “The Dartmouth” college newspaper and volunteered in health clinics in Siuna, Nicaragua and Chiapas, Mex. He also studied abroad at the London School of Economics. In medical school, he worked as a Summer Analyst in Mexico’s Ministry of Health between his first and second year and examined the effectiveness of a pilot public-private partnership in the state of Hidalgo. He has also written original research and commentary in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, RadioGraphics and World Outlook: The Undergraduate Journal of International Affairs. Miguel is passionate about national healthcare policy and reducing the gaps in health outcomes for underserved communities.
Andrea is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree at the Harvard Kennedy School. Before starting at HKS, she focused her studies in public health and history. She worked in a Latin American think tank (FLACSO), in the Costa Rican Congress as Chief of Staff to the House Speaker, in the Costa Rican 2018 presidential elections, and most recently, as a co-anchor in Alto Voltaje, a radio show on politics and current affairs. She currently lives in Boston with her husband and dog, Margaret Thatcher.
Luis Carlos is an MC/MPA Student and Journalist. Vélez has been in the field over the last 20 years working as reporter, anchor, and news director. He has served in the US and Colombia. Studied Economics at Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia.