About Mariana

Mariana is currently the Director of Conservation Design at Conservation International where she leads the creation of CI’s future innovation center and oversees the infusion of human-centered design and creative confidence across the organization. She was named recipient of the Lui-Walton Innovators Fellowship in 2023.

Mariana has more than 10 years of experience as a leader in social and environmental innovation, spanning non-profits and the private sector. She began her career at IDEO.org, where she focused on solving complex global humanitarian issues. Over the years, she has led teams in collaboration with IDEO, WildAid, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, General Electric, Who Gives a Crap and many others.

She was part of the founding team of The International Rescue Committee's innovation department, The Airbel Impact Lab, before branching out to apply human-centered design to conservation issues. As a result, she founded Design for Wildlife, an organization created to integrate human-centered design with global wildlife conservation challenges.

Mariana has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Art Center College of Design, USC Marshall School of Business, and has been a guest lecturer at various institutions, including Berkeley Haas School of Business, Stanford University, Microsoft, and IDEO. She has also been a speaker at The North American Congress for Conservation Biology, showcasing her work in wildlife conservation.

Over the years, she has won numerous awards, including the Art Center College of Design Young Innovation Alumni Award, and her work on water scarcity was showcased at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Institute. She was named a Global Design Fellow by IDEO.org and a TED Resident in 2018 and 2019.

Mariana was born and raised in Colombia but now lives in Los Angeles with her son, Atlas, her husband, Danny, and numerous foster animals that pass through their home.