Taking on the leadership of IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, is not simply another step in my professional career, but rather the arrival at a long-awaited destination. I do so with the conviction that this is a unique space from which we can unleash —in a bold and transformative way— innovative, sustainable, and resilient development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

My vision for IDB Lab is for it to be a driver for novel approaches and fresh thinking to deliver results that improve lives. This means going the extra-mile and working alongside innovators to guide them and turn their ideas into real, tangible solutions for the region. In this new phase, discipline and focus will be essential to maximizing our impact.

Digital Transformation with a Human Purpose

Digital transformation is our strategic direction. We are facing a megatrend whose impact is so profound that it would be unwise not to organize our strategy around it. We must harness this force for the benefit of the majority, not just a privileged few.

With the right design, the right capital, and strong governance, we can use technology to transform and create incentives that benefit communities from the ground up.

More Than Capital: The Intangible Value of Partnership

While financial resources matter, they are not our primary contribution. Our true value lies in the rigor, expertise, and proven track record of the IDB Group —the leading multilateral development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, supporting private-sector-led development with global reach. By supporting early-stage entrepreneurship, fostering the development of new technologies, and activating innovative markets, we have earned the trust of entrepreneurs, organizations, and investors, turning their dreams into viable businesses and solutions that address the challenges faced by millions of people.

The companies we support should never feel constrained by geography. Their potential should extend well beyond where they started. By creating the right environments—regulatory, financial, and institutional—we can help innovations born in the region grow, scale, and generate impact both within and beyond national borders. 

A Culture of Innovation Without Fear of Failure

If we say we want to innovate, we must be willing to take risks—and remain consistent and accountable when those risks don’t lead to immediate success. Fear of failure is one of the greatest barriers to innovation. My goal is to consolidate a culture of trust at IDB Lab where the team feels supported to experiment, take calculated risks, and learn from failures in pursuit of great opportunities that can improve the quality of life in our region.

Risk-taking is not meant to be chaotic. It is a practice that relies on professional skills, thoughtful analysis, good methodologies and robust control mechanisms, all of which we are well established within our institution.

The key factor that will determine this strategy’s success is our mindset. We must recognize the influence we hold and use that power to open doors—because that is one of our greatest institutional strengths.

A Message to Innovators: Bring your Ideas and Solutions

To innovators and entrepreneurs throughout the region, the main message is that IDB Lab is more ready than ever to support you, thanks to the renewed commitment of our donor countries, which have ratified a plan to boost our financial capacity. 

Don't stop dreaming, come to us with your ideas and solutions. We will support you in transforming them into action, working shoulder to shoulder with external partners, the IDB, and IDB Invest, to maximize your scale and impact.

At the end of the day, we have committed our careers to the belief that things can be better. The task is ambitious but straightforward: ensure our shared effort actually produces development.