Mariela Machado Fantacchiotti

Focus Areas: Technology, Innovation, and Social Impact

Mariela Machado is an accomplished executive with nearly two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, social innovation, sustainability, and public policy. She has worked across the private, public, and academic sectors, driving impactful initiatives worldwide.

Mariela holds a dual degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB) in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona, Spain. She also earned a Master’s in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) from UPC and a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) in Development Practice from Columbia University.

Currently, Mariela serves as the Senior Director of Humanitarian Technologies and Tech4Good at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In this role, she leads global programs that harness the power of technology for social and environmental impact across the 190 countries where IEEE operates. She also supports IEEE’s global network of over 500,000 engineers, helping to design best practices, standards and frameworks that guide the application of technology for social good.

Before joining IEEE, Mariela was the Director of Programs at Newlab, a Brooklyn-based social innovation hub focused on scaling transformative technologies through public-private partnerships. She led efforts to expand Newlab’s reach into Latin America, including launching initiatives in Uruguay and Colombia. At Newlab, Mariela managed Innovation Studios, which matched advanced technological research with the needs of corporations, helping them develop new social impact business models. Key partners of Newlab included Verizon, Globant, Ford, NYC EDC, among others.

Mariela also held a senior leadership role at ASME & Engineering for Change, where she supported global technology-for-development initiatives in Africa, India, and Latin America. She built and scaled research programs, managing over 138 engineers, designers, and architects to deliver 72 research reports for 80 clients worldwide. These reports provided critical insights that shaped technology and sustainability strategies for organizations such as the EPA, World Bank, National Renewable Energy Lab, Autodesk, UNHCR, Habitat for Humanity, and Save the Children, among others.

Earlier in her career, Mariela spent nearly a decade in the telecommunications industry, leading the deployment of hardware, software, and AI infrastructure. Her experience includes managing over 36 connectivity infrastructure projects, large-scale IoT deployments, and SMS and satellite TV expansions, giving her a comprehensive understanding of corporate technology operations and high-level program management.

In addition to her professional roles, Mariela is a faculty member at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), where she teaches the course "Emerging Digital Tech for Impact." She also advises capstone projects that explore the intersection of digital technology and policy, guiding students in collaboration with international organizations on projects in countries such as Malawi, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. The latest capstones have included digital transformation in Kosovo for UNDP and AI for climate change for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Mariela’s expertise has been featured in prominent publications and media outlets. She co-authored a report with Jeffrey Sachs on the role of ICTs in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), presented at the World Economic Forum in Africa. Her research on Cuban internet access was highlighted in Foreign Affairs and CNN en Español.

Fluent in five languages—Spanish, English, French, Swedish, and Italian—Mariela brings a truly global perspective to her work, continuously striving to bridge the gap between technology and sustainable development for a better future.

Education

• MPA in Development Practice, Columbia University
• MSc in Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC)
• Telecommunications Engineer, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya and Universidad Catolica Andres Bello.