Laura Paonessa
![Laura Paonessa](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_300px_x_300px_/public/2022-04/laura-paonessa-min.png?itok=5KhDJsM4)
Since I graduated, I’ve worked at NGOs, governments, and multilateral organizations, closing the gap between social entrepreneurship and public policy. In the last four years, I’ve focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. I helped national and local officials design and implement collaborative methodologies, translate vision into reality, leverage technology, and open knowledge to drive innovation into their policies. In my journey, I am guided by the belief that being a leader is being a connector. A leader connects. I contribute as a mentor to different changemakers and women leadership programs to unleash their potential, raise awareness, and build capacities about community engagement and sustainability.