Ana Aguirre Uriz

Director of Open Government and Good Governance

Director of Open Government and Good Governance at Eusko Jaurlaritza – Basque Government where she works with transparency, civil participation, accessibility, frame development for impact measurement in transparency and accountability… all things that enable the Government and the citizens to work more, better and more clearly together.

She graduated from the Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (LEINN), and has devoted her career to the cooperative environment, specially worker cooperatives, and cooperative development (local and global) at TAZEBAEZ S.Coop, where she was a co-founder, worker owner and team entrepreneur. For years she has lead the line of cooperative development, international development and platform and digital cooperatives, as well as being part of the TravellingU – LEINN International team in the international development.

She’s served in various roles at the International Coooperative Alliance since 2015. She first was part of the founding of the YECN Young European Cooperators’ Network and later served as vicepresident for Europe at the Youth Committee, before becoming president of the Youth Committee and becoming the youth representative at the ICA Global Board.

She is a firm believer in applied democracy, participation and shared ownership, wealth distribution and the parallel development of global and locally enrooted growth.

David Fernández Puyana

Ambassador & Permanent Observer of the UN-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) to the United Nations. Chief Diplomatic Officer, Cahero Family Office.

Dr. David Fernández Puyana is the Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the the UN University for Peace to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Vienna, and the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He chairs the Geneva Multilateral Center, which is a diplomatic initiative led by the Shanghai University on Political Science and Law, and UPEACE Geneva. He cooperates with the Foundation Peace without Borders, Geneva Institute for Leadership & Public Policy, the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance, and the Diplomatic Institute “Doctor José Gustavo Guerrero” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador. He is co-founder of the UNESCO Chair on Peace, Solidarity and Intercultural Dialogue at the University Abat Oliba CEU (Spain).

María Ortíz Pérez

Executive Director of Leadership Initiatives

María Ortiz Pérez is a seasoned executive with over two decades of leadership experience spanning international organizations, think tanks and the private sector. She has built a reputation for advancing large-scale initiatives with diplomatic and political acumen, that unite governments, corporations, and civil society to address pressing global societal challenges.

She currently serves as the Executive Director of Leadership Initiatives at the Aspen Institute’s Center for Leadership, where she oversees strategic planning, operations, and partnerships. Prior, she was Managing Director of the Institute’s Energy & Environment Program, where she secured significant corporate and philanthropic support, launched global initiatives that convened international thought leaders and decision makers, and designed innovative management practices to foster talent growth and organizational alignment.

Prior to Aspen, Ms. Ortiz Pérez spent over a decade with the United Nations, where she rose to the role of Deputy Chief of Staff at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. She managed operations for a 500-person, multi-country organization, advised senior officials on UN system reform, and spearheaded initiatives that deepened regional collaboration on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Earlier, she led conflict-related projects in the Middle East, including managing a multimillion-dollar project in Iraq and convening high-level officials to reflect on democratic transition following the Arab uprisings.

Her career began in economic development and public policy, including leadership roles at the Pioneer Institute in Boston and the City of Somerville, Massachusetts. She also worked in the private sector for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH), helping open the Mexican subsidiary.

Ms. Ortiz Pérez earned her Master’s in Public Administration from Suffolk University, graduating as Valedictorian, and holds a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard Kennedy School.