The AI Race Latin America Cannot Afford to Lose

Maria Cristina Paris Almea is a Venezuelan economist and finance executive based in Caracas, specializing in corporate and structured finance, capital markets, and capital raising. She currently serves as Financial Planning Manager of Grupo Venemergencia, a multi-entity healthcare and emergency-response group, where she leads corporate finance, treasury, and strategic planning. She has also worked as a fractional CFO for technology companies including Ávila Tek, Ventana Digital and Tilin App, advising on growth strategy, capital structure, and early-stage fundraising.

Much of her track record was built at Grupo Fivenca, where she rose to Partner & Director of the group’s securitization arm. There she led more than thirty structuring and placement mandates across fixed income, equity, and funds, and structured the Venezuelan market’s first securitization of future airline-ticket cash flows—experience that gives her deep grounding in Venezuela’s capital markets.

She holds a B.A. in Economics from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, graduating with highest distinction, and teaches as a professor at both Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and Universidad Metropolitana. Beyond her executive and academic roles, she serves as Curator and Finance Lead of the Caracas Hub of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community. She is also an active mentor within Venezuela’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, advising early-stage founders through accelerators such as Sambil Acelera and Innoven Accelerator on fundraising, financial strategy, business model validation, and investor readiness. In addition, she is a member of The Red Tent Jr., a leadership community that promotes mentorship and professional development for emerging women leaders.

José G. Guerra is a Venezuelan political communications professional and author specializing in civic storytelling and democratic advocacy. He is a contributor to Válvula Política, a digital platform recognized at the NAPOLITANS 2024 Awards in Washington, D.C. as the best political content account in Venezuela.

He coordinated the compilation Voces en Resistencia and authored the chapter “Comunicar para resistir,” documenting journalists and activists who have made digital media a tool for democratic resistance. He also organized “Hablan los candidatos,” a civic debate ahead of Venezuela’s 2023 opposition primaries, and has contributed to the Escuela de Gobierno Mercedes Pulidos as an instructor.

He holds a Master’s in Political Communication and Government from The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM), Class of 2023, and studied Social Communication at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. He is also the author of the novel Hijo de la Revolución (Letralia-FBLibros, 2025).

His work focuses on building the civic narratives and digital tools needed to advance Venezuela’s democratic transformation.

María Alejandra Trujillo is an executive search and talent advisory professional with over two decades of experience in senior leadership recruitment across Latin America. She currently serves as Senior Partner at Kingsley Gate, a global executive search firm, where she advises Fortune 500 companies, family-owned business groups, and private equity firms across the region.

Prior to her current role, she was a Partner at Caldwell and CTPartners, and began her executive search career at Heidrick & Struggles as Project Manager. She also held managerial roles at Grupo El Universal, J. Walter Thompson, and Concept Publicidad.

She holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad Metropolitana and is certified in Hogan Assessment methodology. She is a native Spanish speaker with full professional fluency in English.

Her work focuses on connecting top executive talent with leading organizations across consumer goods, technology, financial services, and industrial sectors throughout Latin America.

Julio Borges is a Venezuelan lawyer, politician, and opposition leader with over two decades of experience advocating for democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela. He served as President of the National Assembly from 2017 to 2018 and co-founded Primero Justicia alongside Henrique Capriles and Leopoldo López.

Elected to the National Assembly three times representing Miranda State, Borges was a key architect of Venezuela’s international opposition strategy, representing the country before the Lima Group and leading diplomatic efforts across Europe and the United States to address the Maduro regime.

He holds a law degree from Andrés Bello Catholic University, a master’s in philosophy from Boston College, and an M.Sc. in Public Policy from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Chevening Scholar at St. Antony’s College.

His work focuses on advancing democratic governance, strengthening regional coalitions, and restoring constitutional order in Venezuela.

Victoria Nogueroles is an international banking executive specializing in correspondent banking, financial strategy, and cross-border operations in Latin America. She currently serves as Director of International & Correspondent Banking at Banco Nacional de Crédito (BNC), one of Venezuela’s leading universal banks.

Prior to her current role, she served as VP of International and Correspondent Banking at BNC, directing correspondent channels across multiple continents and representing the bank in global forums. She has also contributed to Venecápital, the Venezuelan Private Capital Association.

She holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a B.S. from Marymount Manhattan College, with additional executive training at London Business School.

Her work focuses on strengthening Venezuela’s international banking connectivity and advancing strategic financial partnerships across the region.

Eugenia Carmona Aristeguieta is a technology, finance, and strategy professional specializing in fintech, investment, and emerging markets in Latin America. She currently serves as Head of Strategic Finance at Cashea, a Venezuelan Buy Now, Pay Later platform that has reached over 10 million users and approximately 4% of Venezuela’s GDP in annualized transaction volume.

Prior to joining Cashea, she held roles at J.P. Morgan Investment Banking and at Accenture, where she developed expertise in management consulting, corporate strategy, and technological transformation. She has also contributed to investment and advisory work at Edge Growth.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics, with concentrations in Finance and Business Analytics, from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, with additional training in Behavioral Economics and Business & Investments at New York University.

Her work focuses on expanding access to financial services in underserved markets through technology and driving fintech-led economic inclusion across Latin America.

Lorena Somoza is a finance and agroindustrial executive specializing in international financial strategy and private sector development in Venezuela. She currently serves as Manager of International Finance at Empresas Purolomo, one of the country’s leading vertically integrated agroindustrial conglomerates.

At Purolomo, she has led key financial modernization efforts, including the issuance of commercial papers on the Bolsa de Valores de Caracas and the strategic development of a nationwide commercial distribution network. As a third-generation member of the founding family, she brings both institutional depth and a forward-looking approach to the company’s growth.

Her work focuses on strengthening private sector institutions, advancing access to domestic capital markets, and driving sustainable economic growth in Venezuela.

Gabriela de Souza is a global strategy and operations leader with over 15 years of experience driving impact across international development, public policy, and organizational transformation. She has advised executive leadership at a $130 million international organization operating in more than 100 countries, leading initiatives in change management, operational optimization, and risk mitigation across a portfolio of over 270 programs.

Her career spans both high-level strategy and field-based implementation, having designed and managed initiatives across Latin America. This dual perspective enables her to combine systems thinking with on-the-ground insight, delivering solutions that are both strategic and contextually grounded.

Known for her political acumen and cross-cultural fluency, she excels at navigating complex stakeholder environments, building trust, and forging partnerships across sectors. She brings strong negotiation skills and a proven ability to align diverse interests around shared objectives in sensitive and fast-evolving contexts.

She is particularly focused on roles at the intersection of public policy, impact strategy, and corporate social responsibility, where she can help organizations scale sustainably, navigate regulatory landscapes, and drive measurable, long-term impact.

Tony is a Caracas-based Venezuelan journalist and political scientist. He graduated cum laude from Boston University with a double major in Journalism and Political Science and also holds an MBA from IESA in Caracas. He has written about politics, economics, society, and the environment for leading international outlets, including Bloomberg, Politico, The Economist, Foreign Policy, GZero, Americas Quarterly, and others.

In September 2025, Tony founded Ecosistema, a rapidly growing digital media outlet focused on business, economics, technology, and society in Venezuela. Within five months, the platform gained tens of thousands of monthly views and 50,000 followers, fostering conversations on underreported topics. Ecosistema publishes content in both Spanish and English.

Tony’s bilingual newsletter on the country, Venezuela Weekly, is widely read by Venezuelan observers abroad and key stakeholders within Venezuela.

He is a former editor at Caracas Chronicles. He was also a journalism professor at Monteávila University and has conducted freelance research and consulting for international organizations, academic institutions, media outlets, and foreign governments.

He was vice-curator of the Global Shapers Caracas Hub and part of the under-30 delegation at the 2025 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.

Gabriela is a driven professional with over ten years of experience building strategic global partnerships and advancing social impact initiatives. At the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), she contributed to the development of numerous partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, foundations, and governments—including Google, Meta, Mastercard, Amazon, Fundación Real Madrid, and the governments of Germany and the United Kingdom—helping mobilize over $100 million for sustainable development across Latin America and the Caribbean.

She has also served as Social Innovation and Sustainability Advisor for Grupo Corimon, supporting operations across Latin America. Previously, Gabriela was Global Admissions and Enrollment Manager at IE University, where she was promoted to lead the flagship International MBA program, exceeding targets through innovative strategies and stakeholder engagement. Gabriela later joined the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), managing partnerships with private sector leaders such as Mastercard, Telefónica, and SpaceX.

Gabriela holds a Master’s in International Relations from IE University and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Miami. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.

Gabriela currently serves as Director within her family business group in Venezuela, overseeing operations across Corimon C.A., Vencerámica, and Alice Neumáticos de Venezuela, bringing a global perspective to advancing business performance and sustainable impact in her home country.