The Team

Economist with over 12 years of experience in sustainable development policy. Extensive knowledge of policy research, evaluation and development on issues related to social protection and social inclusion. Proven ability to draw from expertise gained in various settings to conceptualize, develop and translate research questions into evidence based-policy recommendations and guidance. Demonstrated experience in programme and project management, and in building partnerships with government officials, academic institutions, and other development partners.

Heerad Sabeti is one of the world’s leading experts in the Fourth Sector. He is the Head of the World Economic Forum’s Fourth Sector Development Initiative, and the CEO of The Fourth Sector Group. As a serial entrepreneur and systems thinker, Heerad is devoted to pursuing systemic solutions to complex social, environmental and economic challenges. For over 25 years, he has been a driving force behind numerous national and international initiatives aimed at accelerating the fourth sector’s development. He co-founded The B Team, a platform of global business leaders and experts dedicated to the vision of a world in which the purpose of business is to drive social, environmental and economic benefit. He has served as an advisor to governments, foundations such as the Clinton Global Initiative, corporations and NGOs on cross-sector partnerships, sustainable economic development, and leveraging entrepreneurship and innovation to address societal challenges.

Sandro is an Associate Professor of Strategy at Insper and at the Federal University of Bahia (on leave), in Brazil. He is the deputy chair of Insper Metricis (social impact assessment center). His research focuses the interactions between firms, governments, and nonprofit organizations. He was a CAPES-Fulbright Visiting Professor at NYU-Wagner (2013-2014). He is a board member of the Public and Nonprofit Division (PNP), Academy of Management (2017-2020). He has been publishing in leadong Management and Public Administration journals such as Journal of Management Studies, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Long Range Planning, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, International Public Management Journal, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Public Choice, Public Money and Management, among others. He is currently co-editing a special issue on value creation in the context of public and nonprofit organizations, Strategic Management Journal (with Anita McGahan, Joe Mahoney, and Matt Potoski).

Adrian holds a PhD in Economics from Universidad de Santiago and Master Policy Management from Georgetown University. He has broad experience on international economy, private sector development and entrepreneurship. He has worked as a policy maker for more than 12 years, and he has plenty of experience in designing and implementing entrepreneurship and innovation programs in the Spanish Public Sector. As a researcher, he has worked for the think tank Elcano Royal Institute and the Woodrow Wilson Center, as well as for ESADE Business School. Also, he has experience as a public policy consultant for the Interamerican Development Bank (IADB) and the European Commission.

Alejandro Pacheco is the Strategic Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and a World Fellow at Yale University. Previously, he served as Project Manager for the Government of Haiti’s flagship early recovery and reconstruction program, as a Private Sector Specialist for UNDP El Salvador and Belize, and Country Adviser for Argentina, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Venezuela for UNDP. Alejandro has an long experience in working with the private sector in Latin America, and has supported the creation and implementation of public policies in developing countries with impact on thousands of micro, small and medium sized enterprises. Originally from Spain, he’s lived in more than ten countries on four continents and speaks five languages. Alejandro has a business degree from the University of Madrid and Masters or Specialist degrees in Finance (Universidad Carlos III) and Humanitarian Aid (Universidad de Comillas).

Mildred is the Head of the Business School at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Cuernavaca, México, where she works since 2008. She previously taught Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Business and worked as a consultant at the business incubator of the university, where she provided advice to young entrepreneurs and start-ups. Her research interests are solidarity economy, social entrepreneurship, social innovation and sustainability.

Mildred graduated Cum Laude from Tecnologico de Monterrey University (Mexico) with a B.A. in Business Administration (2004). She received a Master in Business Administration (2008) and a Master in Humanities with a major in Applied Ethics (2013), both from Tecnologico de Monterrey. Mildred just finished a PhD in Human Rights at the University of Deusto, Spain. Her thesis focused on Solidarity Economy and Ethical Finance in the Mexican context.

Paula is a professor in undergraduate programs, certificate programs for professionals and within the Chilean government capacity-building organization, CORFO, for entrepreneurs and social innovators. Currently, she is conducting a study on the entrepreneurial talent of indigenous Mapuche entrepreneurs in Chile. She is also carrying out research on the monitoring and evaluation systems for criminal mediation for the Juvenile Social Rehabilitation Service. Paula Miranda has written and studied other social topics, including the way in which third and fourth sector organizations relate to social innovation, entrepreneurship and social services.

Paula Miranda is a member of the OCULAB-Laboratory of Social Innovation in Visual Disability, UC Board of Directors / Researcher, and Deputy Director of the Continuing Education, Communications and Extension Department at UC School of Social Work.

Sybil holds a Doctorate in Development Studies from The Center of Development Studies of the Central University of Venezuela.  She works as a researcher/professor at the Internet Institute, leads the development of the Research Center and collaborates in several lines of research such as entrepreneurship and innovation with impact in the Andean Region, social networks and new organizational practices. Previously, she was a professor of Graduate programs at the Central University of Venezuela and UNEFA. Sybil has also been Director of the TEBAS-UCV Research Center and worked at the prestigious research Centers CIPOST and CENDES UCV. She was credited as Researcher from the National Program for Promoting Investigations Observatory of Science and Technology (ONCTI) in Venezuela.

As part of her lines of research, Sybil Caballero has worked as formulation and evaluation consultant for multilateral organizations such as IDB, CAF and the World Bank. Since 2013, Sybil Caballero is the Director of Venture and Fellowship Program at ASHOKA Andean Region.

María Eugenia is a Research Assistant at the Centro de Estudios Urbanos y Regionales (CEUR) of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). She is also a professor of economics at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and the Universidad de Belgrano, where she has been a faculty member since 2006 and 2011, respectively. She completed her Ph.D. in Economics at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Her research interests lie in the area of Social Economy, Innovation and Bioenergy. She has worked in several projects commissioned by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the National Government of Argentina.

Carlos is the CEO of IES-Social Business School. He is the former President of the Board and founder of ESLIDER-PORTUGAL – National Network of Civil Society Leaders, member of the Board of EUCLID-NETWORK – European Network of Civil Society Leaders. Previously, he was General Coordinator at UDIPSS-PORTO. He has also worked as Associate Researcher at INSEAD and Assistant Researcher at Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Porto Regional Center. Carlos is a Professor in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Economics at the School of Economics and Management of the University of Minho.

Ricardo is of one the IES-SBS founders and a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Nova School of Business and Economics. His current research focuses on understanding how entrepreneurs learn and how this impacts on personal and firm performance. An educator at heart, Ricardo was the inaugural winner of LUMS Significant Contribution to Student Learning Award (voted by students and staff). Based on his research, Ricardo often runs workshops with entrepreneurs designed to improve their practice. Educated in three different countries, Ricardo is an active and enthusiastic mentor of social and commercial entrepreneurs across the world.

Filipa joined the IES-SBS team in 2015. She has professional experience in the public and private sector, most recently working as Policy Advisor in the European Parliament, for the Committee on Economy and Monetary Affairs, where she followed developments in European economic and financial crisis and its effects in Portugal. She previously worked in the area of Business Development for Critical Software Brasil, she taught Microeconomics at the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics, and worked for Deloitte Consulting, in the area of S&O. She has a degree in Economics from the Católica University of Porto and a Master’s degree in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics.

César is a Professor of Social Economy and Public Policy, Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods at La Salle University of Bogotá. He received a Ph.D. and an M.A from the University of Valencia (Spain), and a degree in Economy and Management of Cooperatives Enterprises and Non-Profit Organization from the University of Bologna (Italy). Dr. Sánchez Álvarez’s current work focuses on application of social and solidarity economy to rural and urban development policies. He often examines this field by implementing qualitative and quantitative research, with the goal of producing evidences for public policy decisions.

Diana is an economist with more than 10 years of experience in the analysis of the labor market, especially in the application of the project cycle and public policies in this field. Diana graduated from the University of Torino (Italy) with a Degree in Public Policy and Social Change. She also holds a Degree in Economics with a major in Political Science from the University of the Andes (Colombia).

Rebeca Grynspan is the Ibero-American Secretary General, the Chair of the Ibero-American Fourth Sector Project, and the Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Fourth Sector Development Initiative. Prior to that, she was Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Vice-President of Costa Rica, and Deputy Secretary General of the UN and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. As a recognized leader in promoting human development, she has greatly helped to focus the attention of the world and Latin America on critical issues such as the reduction of inequality and poverty, gender equity, South-South cooperation as tool for development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, among others. In 2017 she was recognized as one of the more influential leaders in Latin America by Forbes.

Sérgio Lazzarini is Professor at the Brazilian Insper Institute of Education and Research and a leading expert on Impact Investment in Latin America . He has authored a number of books and papers on business strategies in emerging markets and the ways to improve the relations between private companies and the public sector. Sergio has been a consultant to several firms and organizations such as OECD, IDB and World Bank, and his research was cited or interviewed by prestigious news sources such as The Economist, New York Times, Financial Times, Forbes, and BBC. He holds a PhD in Business Administration from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University.

Ana Sáenz de Miera is the director of Ashoka Spain, the co-director of Ashoka Europe, and the responsible for coordinating Ashoka’s activities in Latin America. She has been working in social entrepreneurship for more than a decade, connecting people and finding support to advance the development of a global and innovative sector that allows social enterprises to thrive and act as changemakers in society.

Sebastián Gatica is an Adjunct Professor in Innovation at the Universidad Católica de Chile and an expert in Social Enterprises and Social Innovation. He has worked as a consultant to a number of local and international organizations, including the Inter-American Development Bank and the Chilean Fourth Sector Enterprise Commission which was launched by Chilean Economic Minister. He holds an MSc and a PhD from University College of London.

Ms. Leire Pajín in the Director of International Development at ISGLobal, and an Associate Professor at the Universities Carlos III and Complutense of Madrid. Prior to that, she was Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality in Spain, Policy Advisor to theUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Secretary of State for International Cooperation & the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). Leire holds a BA in Sociology and a Master in Business Management, with a specialization in corporate social responsibility and the SDGs in the private sector.

Javier Solana is a Lecturer in Commercial Law at the University of Glasgow and an expert in the intersection between Law, Philosophy and Economics. His research is focused in understanding the role that Law can play in shaping finance and in promoting sustainable economic development. Javier holds a BA in Business Administration and law degrees from Carlos III University of Madrid (LLB, MPhil), Harvard (LLM), and Oxford (DPhil). Previously, he worked as a Legal Intern at the World Bank in Washington.

Raúl Oliván is the Founder of Zaragoza Activa, one of the leading hubs of social and civic innovation in Ibero-America, with more than 400 enterprises and 3.000 events in its portfolio. Raul is an expert in social entrepreneurship, circular economy and public policy, and has worked extensively with Latin America. He publish regularly in El País and other media outlets, and currently works as the General Director of Participación, Transparencia, Cooperación y Voluntariado at the Aragón Government (Spain). Raúl holds degrees in Social Services, Public Relations and Marketing.

Rachida Justo is Associate Professor of Social Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Management at IE Business School. Her research, which focuses on social entrepreneurship and women entrepreneurs, has been published in several books and book chapters as well as Top-tier international journals. She has also received several awards such as the “Best Women’s Entrepreneurship Paper Award” from the Academy of Management, and the “Outstanding Award for Best Doctoral Dissertation” from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Rachida is currently the Academic Director of BBVA Momentum, an accelerator of social enterprises that operates in 5 countries. Previously, she served as a member of GECES, an Expert Group of the European Commission on Social Entrepreneurship and has produced several policy reports for the OECD and the Spanish ministry of diversity.

Federico Seineldin is the co-founder and director of Njambre holding, one of the leading hubs of innovation in South America that in the last years has co-created and scaled social and environmental impact innovation companies impact such as Arbusta, MamaGrande, Teqxac and Umana. Federico was one of the first promoters of the Corporate Social Responsibility movement in Argentina, and throughout his life he has co-founded several enterprises, social movements and organizations. Federico was recognized as a global entrepreneur by Endeavor Foundation and Avina Foundation.

Leonardo Quattrucci is the Policy Assistant to the Head of the European Political Strategy Centre and an expert on social entrepreneurship and civil innovation. In 2016, he was nominated by Forbes Magazine among the 30 Under 30 ‘top young leaders’ in European policy. He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Oxford.

Rocío Arango is a  Social Intrapreneur, and one of the leaders of RutaN, a pioneering unit of the Administration of Medellín that coordinates the innovation programs and social entrepreneurship projects of the city. Rocío has been working for more than ten years in generating strategies and implementing solutions to deal with the greatest social and environmental challenges of our time. She holds an MBA in Project Management and a BA in Political Science.

Luis Fernando Pizarro coordinates all the legal aspects of the initiative and the relation with certain B-corps of the region.  Before joining the project, he worked on the design and development of CSR assessment methodologies, as well as on the preparation of strategic social responsibility maps for companies of different sizes and business lines in Latin America. Luis Fernando Pizarro holds a Law Degree from the University of Chile, and a Master in Law and International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid, and now he is undertaking a Master in Governance and Human Rights at the Autonoma University of Madrid.

Macarena Soto is a journalist, photographer and video producer with experience in Latin America. She works with Agencia Efe and several newspapers and magazines from both sides of the Atlantic. She holds a BA in journalism from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a Master from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Felipe trabaja como investigador en el Proyecto Cuarto Sector. Con anterioridad, Felipe se desempeñó como periodista de investigación en Radio Ibero de la Universidad Iberoamericana en Ciudad de México. Asimismo, cuenta con experiencia en diversas organizaciones ligadas al Cuarto Sector: Restauración Ecológica y Desarrollo  A.C., un proyecto de conservación y sustentabilidad en los canales de Xochimilco, Ciudad de México; y Focus, empresa B dedicada a la consultoría de proyectos educacionales en Chile. También, formó parte del equipo de finanzas corporativas y banca de inversión de Société Générale en Santiago, Chile. Felipe estudió Ingeniería Comercial con mención en Economía, en la Universidad Católica de Chile.

Juan Diego is a lawyer and academic interested in how companies can solve social and environmental problems. He is currently the academic coordinator of the international research project “Creation of a roadmap to regulate purpose-driven companies” sponsored by the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and UNDP. He holds a law degree from the University of Lima and a Master in Law from Harvard Law School, where he specialized in corporate responsibility, purpose-driven companies and the Sustainable Development Goals. He is also the author of several publications on for-benefit organizations, particularly on the U.S. Benefit Corporation legal model and its Latin American version: la Sociedad de Beneficio e Interés Colectivo (B.I.C.).