Dr. Héctor Becerril
Architect and urban planner with experience in development planning, policy analysis, and governance. He is currently a research member of CONACYT in charge at the Autonomous University of Guerrero. Héctor has a Ph.D. in Development Planning from the Development Planning Unit Bartlett, UCL (University College London); a master's degree in urban planning from the French Institute of Urban Planning, University of Paris; and a bachelor's degree and teacher from the National School of Architecture in Lyon, France.
In 2013 while completing his doctorate, he received a grant from UKNA (Urban Knowledge Network Asia) to conduct comparative research on housing policies in India and Brazil at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS). Héctor has work experience in the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, and Mexico and has presented his work at several conferences in the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
Lic. Macarena de la Parra
Degree in visual arts and cultural management from Ithaca: Higher School of Business. Experience as a facilitator in consultation and museum workshops. Painting and engraving specialist.
MA Maria Fernanda Valdes Herrera
Master in Humanitarian Action, Specialist in International Migration, and Bachelor of Human Rights and Peace Management; simultaneously, she has completed courses and diplomas in matters related to human rights at the international level.
She has professional experience in migration, international protection, and child issues within the governmental, international, and private spheres, such as in the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR), in the Saharawi refugee camp in Algeria, and within the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), etc. Today she serves as co-founder of MidesDH Consultoría, where the online Diploma in "Migration and Protection of Refugees" is designed and implemented, and as an independent consultant for international agencies such as UNICEF, GIZ, Save The Children, Main Level, and others.
MA Vania Yael Nunez Varela
Master in International Cooperation for Development at the Dr. José María Luis Mora Research Institute (Conacyt). Specialist in International Migration from the Colegio de la Frontera Norte (Colef) and Bachelor of Human Rights and Peace Management. She has complemented her academic training with different diplomas, workshops, and courses on topics related mainly to migration, discrimination, violence in northern Central America, human rights, and attention to vulnerable populations such as migrants and people with disabilities.
She has worked within the federal government and local public agencies to integrate and investigate files of alleged human rights violations in the CDHCM and the study applications for recognition to obtain the status of refuge in Mexico within COMAR. Within the social sphere, she has collaborated closely with national and international civil society in the care of refugees, displaced persons, asylum seekers, and children at risk.
Ing. Javier Rivera
Civil Engineer from the Autonomous University of Mexico; Diploma in Finance, and Diploma in International Business and Foreign Trade at ITAM; Master's Degree in Senior Management (Executive MBA MEDEX) at IPADE. Has participated in large-scale projects in the construction industry, such as tunnels, dams, roads, and highways. He is a speciallist in Project Finance where he has participated in four investment and financing funds, funds for construction projects, such as highway, energy and oil concessions, carrying out the evaluation, monitoring, analysis, and correction from deviations to the recovery and payment of credits, including technical supervision on site. He has participated as an advisor in highway concession projects, in photovoltaic and wind renewable energy plants, in projects of Pemex contractors, development of oil fields in Mexico and Central America, and evaluation of petrochemical plants.
Lic. Daniel Ehrlich
Founder and CEO of Enûma, he is an expert in the design of business models and social innovation, he has developed several models for CSOs, companies, and entrepreneurs to create projects and programs that generate social and environmental impact. As an example, Daniel designed a company that offers wireless internet, accessible through a prepaid model in grocery stores and stores, aimed at people at the Base of the Pyramid. He is proficient in the business and investment world due to having been a senior associate at NAFTA Fund of Mexico, a private equity fund dedicated to investing in medium-sized Mexican companies with great potential to take advantage of the framework of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Similarly, he has experience in the social field as he coordinated the "Citizen Economy for All" initiative in Ashoka Mexico. In this project, he designed business models for companies that, in partnership with civil society organizations, created positive social impact and, at the same time, financial performances. Daniel graduated with honours from the Bachelor of Economics at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
Dra. Karol Yáñez
Researcher at the Center for Metropolitan and Interdisciplinary Studies (CentroMET) in Mexico. Ph.D. in the Development Planning Unit Bartlett, UCL. Her research focuses on urban resilience, environmental sustainability, and civil society networks that work to build equality and social justice. She won first place in the 2012 Resilient Cities competition organized by Arup and Engineers Without Borders (UK), and she was hosted by the CEPT (Center for Environmental Planning and Technology) in India to conduct a research program on citizens' perceptions of food waste. She has also worked as a consultant for UNDP and UN-Habitat on subjects related to prosperity and sustainability indicators for cities. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience in participatory research methods; and in innovative ways to disseminate research results in documentaries.
Lic. Dhira Cilia Villanueva Hernández
Pedagogue from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has ten years of experience monitoring and evaluating educational and social programs in Civil Society Organizations. She has served as coordinator of the evaluation area in Civil Society Organizations and evaluation specialist in consultancies such as SIA Desarrollo. She was part of the National Academy of Evaluators of Mexico and participated in the organizing committee of the International Evaluation Conference 2021 promoted by ACEVAL, among other instances. She is currently deputy director of Las Panas Cohesión Cocción, a feminist organization that works to counter violence against women and strengthen their economic and emotional autonomy.
Mr. Alberto Ferriz Gómez
Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Business Administration from the Universidad Iberoamericana. Various engineering and project management studies in the USA, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. Diplomas in Road Failures, ITS, and Software Technical Audit and Tolling. Academic at Universidad Iberoamericana, UAEMex, U. Valle de Toluca. Guest Researcher in the Road Safety Network (IMT). Training Specialist (UAEMex - DIDEPA). Collaborator with TECNOPEAJE since 2009 in the field of operation designs, tolling, intelligent transport systems, toll collection points, rest areas, and methodologies. Preparation, design, development of technical annexes related to the operation, equipment, and future projections in federal tenders for high-specification highways, as well as the evaluation of government RFPs. Technical and Toll Audits for SCT concessions. Technical, operational, methodological, feasibility, and road safety's opinion. Analysis and methodological and quality solutions for the Operation, Process, and Specific Problems in Highway Administration.a.
Prof. Prabha Kholsa
Prabha Khosla has a master’s degree in Urban Planning and more than 15 years of experience working in cities with women, communities, local governments, public services, and other urban stakeholders. Her work has focused on urban sustainability, gender equality, and pro-poor planning and governance, women and local governance, water and sanitation, participatory and environmentally sensitive planning, gender mainstreaming, development of training materials on urban and gender issues, capacity building of elected officials, municipal staff and civil society partners on sustainability, gender, governance, water, and sanitation. Prabha has worked with a wide range of organizations and institutions, including associations of local governments, sub-national and local governments, public services, international NGOs, private sector companies, Cities Alliance, UN-HABITAT, IDRC, Gender and Water Alliance, CIDA, ICLEI, women's groups, and local civil society partners. She has managed international projects and coordinated international personnel teams for urban sustainability projects, gender integration in water resources management (IWRM), and action research projects on urban sustainability and women's safety in low-income communities in the context of blind gender infrastructure and urban public services. Prabha has written extensively on the aforementioned issues. She is the author of three books and has written numerous articles and documents for books, magazines, and online publications. Prabha is a member of the Council of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW). She was in the International Consultative Council of the report of world cities of UN-Habitat 2015-16.
Prof. Mercedes Recke Velasco
Master’s in risk Analysis from the University of King’s College London; United Kingdom. Degree in Political Science from ITAM. Consultant specialist in crisis management and reputation. She has worked for more than five years in consulting focused on the design and implementation of communication strategies; He has specialized in crisis prevention and management through risk detection, mitigation, and management for both private and public companies and the government.
Lic. Elisa Hernández
Degree in Economics (Economic Policy track) from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. Consultant in Tecnosistemas y Peaje in social development projects within the new branch of the company called SIA. With experience in evaluation and monitoring subjects of both public and social policies and the internal operation of the company. She also has experience in researching numerous topics in applied economics and different aspects of the research process. She is very interested in the development of behavioural economics, data science, and its use in the several branches of the economy.
Prof. Debora Gildenson
Degree in International Relations from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM), master’s in public administration with a specialty in International Development from Columbia University. She worked in Mexico as a Research Assistant at the Colegio de México and in the administrative and financial area of Corporate Kosmos. Besides, she was a member of the Youth Program of the Mexican Council of International Affairs (COMEXI). In New York, Debora was part of the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (CGEP) team, Consultant for Irupé Paraguay and Head of Finance and Administration of the Qualitas of Life Foundation. She also collaborated with the Board of Directors of the Association of Mexican Professionals and Entrepreneurs Foundation (APEM). She currently serves as Director of Institutional Relations for Education for Sharing, an international organization dedicated to training better citizens since childhood through play. Debora's areas of expertise focus on the administration and development of social organizations, fundraising, and corporate social responsibility.
Prof. Mónica Lafón
Monica has a degree in journalism and political science from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and a master’s in international environmental policy from Sciences Po, Paris. During the CONACYT Fellows Symposium in Europe, she presented a paper on sustainable smart cities at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Analyst in the Delegation of Mexico to the OECD and held positions in the federal government in the field of social communication. Her line of research in environmental education and climate change communication. She works as Director of Special Projects, Memory and Tolerance Museum.
Dr. Luisa Rodríguez Cortés
CONACYT Chair Researcher attached to the Consortium for the Study of Metropolitan Areas (CentroMet). Ph.D. in Anthropology from CIESAS and master’s in political and Social Studies from the UNAM Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. Candidate of the National System of Researchers. She has been a professor of the master’s in political Sociology and Regional Studies of the Mora Institute and the Degree in Social Anthropology of the National School of Anthropology and History. Her work has been oriented to the articulation of political science, sociology, and anthropology to approach social phenomena in urban contexts, particularly in the areas of social exclusion, segregation, and poverty, urban citizenship, the right to the city, and urban social movements and organizations.