LEADERSHIP IS NOT A TITLE

Vice President of Policy and Legislation, Earthjustice, Earthjustice

Raúl García is Vice President of Policy and Legislation at Earthjustice. On 29 July 2025 Earthjustice gave the Futuro delegation its offices for the day, and he sat with each project. He told the authors what their charts could not: people experience injustice before they read about it.

Augustinian Recollect; former head of Colegio San Agustín, Panamá; leadership of the province, Dominican Republic, Order of Augustinian Recollects

Father Pedro Gregorio de Jesús Rivas, OAR, led Colegio San Agustín in Panamá for many years and now serves in the leadership of his province from the Dominican Republic. For years he opened doors for BeNeXT in Panamá, starting with his own school.

Consultant, Efficio

Alistair Pablo Coll Corona operates at the intersection of global management consulting and hemispheric institutional leadership. He serves as a Consultant at Efficio, the world's largest independent procurement consultancy, working from the firm's Mexico City office on procurement strategy, operational optimization, and supply chain transformation. Within the BeNeXT ecosystem, Alistair is among the most consequential alumni in the organization's history: he entered as a project author through the Startup Las Americas track, served two terms as Chair of the Board of Advisors (2020–2021, 2024–2025) and as LATAM Strategic Liaison. A graduate of Universidad Panamericana in Industrial Engineering and Innovation, with additional credentials from IPADE in business management. That an alumnus of Alistair's trajectory now leads a practice at a global consultancy while remaining one of the ecosystem's most engaged alumni, from Mexico City, is not a contradiction. It is the design working as intended.

State Representative, Texas House District 77, El Paso, Texas House of Representatives

Vince Pérez represents El Paso's District 77 in the Texas House. He has advised Futuro project authors, most recently in 2025, and has stood with BeNeXT since its first year.

Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States, 2015–2020, Embassy of the Dominican Republic, Washington (2015–2020)

José Tomás Pérez served as Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States from 2015 to 2020. The Dominican embassy in Washington received Futuro in 2019.

Senior Manager of Policy and Coalitions, National Women's Law Center, National Women's Law Center

Diana Ramírez is Senior Manager of Policy and Coalitions at the National Women's Law Center, where she was one of the Center's first Fellows in Residence. From El Paso, like Hector, she has been at BeNeXT's table since 2012. The Center received Futuro in 2019.

Minister for Legal Affairs, Embassy of Panama in Washington, Embassy of Panama, Washington

Laura Castro is the Embassy of Panama's minister for legal affairs in Washington. In 2019, as chargée d'affaires, she received the first Futuro delegation at the embassy.

Director of Media and Audio, University Medical Center El Paso; sound designer and recording engineer, University Medical Center El Paso

Diego Muñiz, sound designer and recording engineer, is Director of Media and Audio at University Medical Center El Paso. He shaped the sound and production of BeNeXT's first programs, Futuro 2019 among them, and was one of the originators of the vision we execute today.

Strategic Partnerships and National Accounts Leader, Fortune 100 consumer goods company, Fortune 100 consumer goods company

Rafael Hernández leads strategic partnerships and national accounts at a Fortune 100 consumer goods company. He made the introduction that brought PepsiCo in as the sponsor of BeNeXT's launch, and has lent a hand to projects since.

Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez, U.S. House of Representatives

Carlos Paz is Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez. On 29 July 2025 he received the Futuro delegation at the Capitol, told his own road there and walked them through the building.

Founder and CEO, Polydelta, Polydelta

Jay Finch founded Polydelta and leads it. On 29 July 2025 he spent the afternoon with the Futuro delegation on AI, ethics and how to begin: jump in wherever you can.

Emmy-winning documentary producer, Independent

Karen Gaytán is an Emmy-winning documentary producer (Science Fair: The Series). She advised the Futuro MMXXV project authors on telling their stories, and keeps lending her craft to projects that come through BeNeXT.

President and CEO, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

Marco A. Davis is President and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In 2025 he met the Futuro delegation in Washington and asked Hector whether he had prepared them for this. He had.

First Secretary; Director for the Green Agenda, Directorate-General for Global Affairs, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Mexico

Beatriz Eugenia Nava Domínguez is a Mexican career diplomat, today First Secretary and Director for the Green Agenda at the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. She has received Futuro twice: in 2019 at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, and on 31 July 2025 at the Embassy of Mexico, where she served in the consular section. That day she described the consular waiting room as a classroom: people waiting for a passport could be in a class.

Secretary General of the Organization of American States, 2015–2025; Director, Observatory for Democracy, CASLA Institute, Organization of American States (2015–2025)

Luis Almagro led the Organization of American States from 2015 to 2025 and now directs the Observatory for Democracy at the CASLA Institute. The OAS has opened its doors to BeNeXT since 2018. In 2019 he received the Futuro delegation himself, for close to half an hour, and opened on the four pillars of the organization.

Deputy National Political Director, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Analysse Escobar is Deputy National Political Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, after service in the Executive Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President. Before that she was a senior director at the National Hispanic Institute, where she and Hector were colleagues. In July 2025 she led a session for the Futuro delegation on that road.

Co-founder, NeXT; former Chief Community Liaison, BeNeXT Global, NeXT

Adriana Muñiz López, playwright, actor and educator, co-founded NeXT and served as BeNeXT Global's Chief Community Liaison.

Physician, geriatrics and internal medicine, University Medical Center of El Paso; clinical co-founder, Medikah Health, University Medical Center of El Paso; Medikah Health

José Luis Aguirre is a physician in geriatrics and internal medicine and one of the leaders of the geriatrics service at University Medical Center of El Paso. He is the clinical co-founder of Medikah Health.

Emeritus Curator and former Chief Curator, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Institution

Peter Jakab is Emeritus Curator and former Chief Curator of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. In 2019 he received the Futuro scholars at the museum, took their questions and spoke about the Wright brothers, and about what it takes for governments, companies and nations to build together.

Senior Director for Partner Success, The College Board · Founder, Elevare Group Global

Manager, Deloitte Consulting, Deloitte

Allen Tullos is a manager at Deloitte Consulting. Deloitte received the Futuro delegation in July 2025; he sat the session and asked the hard question about organized violence in Mexico.

Co-founder and founding Chief Academic Officer, NeXT; cultural historian, PhD, NeXT

Andrew Hamsher co-founded NeXT and served as its founding Chief Academic Officer. A cultural historian, he introduced the Futuro delegation at the Smithsonian in 2019 and set up the conversation with Peter Jakab.

Public policy and campaign consultant, Santo Domingo; former legislative director for Distrito Uno, Cámara de Diputados, Independent consultant

Juan Luis Contreras advises on public policy and campaigns in Santo Domingo, after serving as legislative director for Distrito Uno in the Dominican Chamber of Deputies. He is BeNeXT's standing collaborator in the Dominican Republic.

Law Team Section Head, Library of Congress; former Head of the Hispanic Reading Room, Library of Congress

Carlos Olave leads the Law Team Section at the Library of Congress and previously headed its Hispanic Reading Room. In 2025 he received the Futuro delegation at the Library.

Federal Deputy, Movimiento Ciudadano, Nuevo León, Cámara de Diputados, Mexico

Iraís Virginia Reyes de la Torre is a federal deputy for Movimiento Ciudadano from Nuevo León, after a term in the state congress. In July 2025 she told the Futuro delegation her path, from caucus adviser to the Chamber of Deputies.

Minister and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Mexico in Australia, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Mexico

María del Rosario Marta Peña Jaramillo is a Mexican career diplomat, today Minister and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Mexico in Australia. In 2019, at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, she led the embassy team that received Futuro MMXIX.

Professional Lecturer, Georgetown University; Academic Director of the Community Scholars Program until 2026, Georgetown University

Elizabeth Velez teaches at Georgetown University and directed its Community Scholars Program until 2026. She taught Hector there; the red-inked essay he still keeps came back from her desk. Georgetown opened its doors to Futuro in 2019 and 2025.

Quixote and Associates, Quixote and Associates

Getsemani Yañez, of Quixote and Associates, has been a founding institutional advisor to BeNeXT since 2012.

Assistant Vice President of Digital Communications, National Immigration Forum, National Immigration Forum

Marcela Aguirre is Assistant Vice President of Digital Communications at the National Immigration Forum, which she joined in 2020. In July 2025 she received the Futuro delegation at the Forum and told her own path there.

Faculty, IPADE, Control and Management Information, IPADE Business School

Francisco Tallabs sits at the intersection of academic rigor and consulting practice. Faculty at IPADE Business School in the Control and Management Information area, he also carries Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training and an alumni connection to PwC. He joined the Author × AI MMXXVI cohort as a senior reviewer, pressure-testing the operational and control assumptions of the projects being built.

Senior Export Manager, CASA, Central & South America, Danone

Gerardo Cardenas leads CASA's commercial and export operations across Central and South America in the FMCG and beverages category. His remit covers sales strategy, market expansion, trade compliance, and supply chain across multiple countries. He joined the Author × AI MMXXVI cohort as a partner mentor, bringing field perspective on what it actually takes to operate a regional business at scale.

Consultant, Efficio (previously Mastercard Advisors), Efficio

Emiliano Tapia is a consultant at Efficio, the global procurement and supply chain firm, having moved over from Mastercard Advisors where he focused on strategic solutions and market opportunities. A CFA Level 1 holder and Bloomberg Market Concepts certified, his instincts run quantitative: market sizing, financial analysis, and execution against decision frameworks. He joined the Author × AI MMXXVI cohort as an invited partner, pressure-testing the consulting and commercial directions of the projects on the floor.

COO at Nextia · Co-founder, hybridge.education / eugenia.ai / inviertete.org, Nextia

Sebastian Mathus is Chief Operating Officer at Nextia and co-founder of four ventures spun from the same operator playbook: hybridge.education (learning), eugenia.ai (AI), nextia.mx (consulting), and inviertete.org (financial literacy). He moves between strategy advisor and full operator, building companies he advises. He joined the Author × AI MMXXVI cohort as a partner mentor, especially valuable to participants thinking about ed-tech and AI-native product.

Strategy Consulting, Monitor Deloitte, Deloitte

Luis de la Mora works in strategy consulting at Monitor Deloitte, the firm's specialized strategy practice, advising clients on long-horizon transformation and competitive positioning. He joined the Author × AI MMXXVI cohort as a partner mentor, contributing the strategic lens that translates a product instinct into a defensible market position.