Spirit Companion: Capybaras and an Axolotls

Favorite quote: “We agreed that if it wasn’t possible to do it in this world, then we would make another world, a bigger, better one where all the possible worlds fit, for the ones that already exist, and the ones that we haven’t yet imagined.” – Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN)

Nelly has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and during university she worked for the Civil Society & Philanthropy Project. She also volunteered at different NGOs and projects, mainly focused on skills development and mentoring of young people. She’s worked with the public, private and academic sectors of different Latin American countries and delved into topics like education, public policy, and regulatory affairs, economic development, and the environment.

During her various jobs, she realized that technology could increase the impact of her work. She applied to a Technology and Data Fellowship at Data Civica, a local NGO where she learned to code and how to use technology to fight Human Rights violations. After the fellowship, she joined the team full-time and used technology to provide tools against militarization, enforced disappearances, gender violence, and others.

She also organizes and participates in different feminist projects and women in tech communities where she organizes webinars, book clubs, dialogues and other activities for women. In her free time she’s normally taking care of her plants or receiving orders from her cat, she likes to read books written by women. She also like finding new places to eat and collaborating with other women on different projects. She speaks Spanish, English and French.