DATA + INNOVATION + POLICY + ENTREPRENEURSHIP
BELÉN SÁNCHEZ
Data Scientist + Policy Advisor + Social Entrepreneur
BIO
I am a data scientist, international policy advisor on economic growth and social entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience. I design evidence-based policies and strategies with appealing narratives and data-centric outcomes.
MY SKILLS
What I Do
DATA ANALYTICS
Let me work with you and facilitate a thorough decision-making process by analyzing data of your interest. I use qualitative and quantitative techniques and processes to identify and analyze behavioral data and patterns.
I use Excel, SQL, and Tableau to spot trends and drive business decisions with real‐world data.
MACHINE LEARNING
I build statistical models — regression, classification, clustering— that generate usable information from raw data.
I use Python and its associated libraries and tools to mine datasets and predict patterns.
STRATEGY AND POLICY DESIGN
Let me bring fresh perspectives, innovative solutions and analytical rigor to solve urgent and complex issues in economic development .
I can help you design and implement initiatives to leverage the power of markets, new technologies and business enterprise models to fuel income growth, create jobs and improve capabilities of businesses.
STORY TELLING AND PODCAST PRODUCTION
Wether you are working on your business pitch, your fundraising strategy or your public narrative, telling your story in a compelling way can help you connect with new people in a genuine and powerful way.
Let me help you to identify the key moments in your life that define who you are and that explain the motivation behind your call for action. If you are inspired, we can even record a podcast to make this process unforgettable.
MY PROJECTS
What I’ve Done
To provide a tangible showcase of my work, I’ve included a portfolio of my most recent projects. Take a moment to explore below, and reach out if you’re interested in learning more about what I have to offer.
LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA TO MAP DISASTERS
Natural Language Processing / Word2vec
When responding to disasters, it is critical to map and identify locations of survivors needing assistance. In this project, I was able to design a model that uses Twitter API in order to collect tweets. Through Word2vec, the model classifies and maps tweets based on how urgent they are.
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GLOBAL ECUADORIAN HUB
Podcast
Listen to the first season of this podcast in which I share the stories and work of Ecuadorian entrepreneurs, professionals and researchers living abroad whose work is truly inspirational.
PREDICTING HOUSEHOLD POVERTY LEVEL IN COSTA RICA
Classifying / Random Forest
This project consists on identifying which households have the highest need for social welfare assistance in Costa Rica.
The project was my capstone project at General Assembly. It was developed for the Inter-American Development Bank who asked the Kaggle community for help with income qualification for some of the world's poorest families.
TO WHICH SUBREDDIT THIS POST BELONGS TO?
Natural Language Processing
We are exposed on a daily basis to a lot of information that we do not necessarily want or need. For instance, we are exposed to spam emails, virtual scam attempts, fake news, and the list can go on and on. Classifying text through machine learning provides an opportunity to tackle this problems and explore potential solutions.
In this project, I use machine learning to classify posts from two different subreddits.
MY EXPERIENCE
CONSULTANT ON DIGITAL AND EXPONENTIAL TECHNOLOGIES
INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
NOVEMBER 2018 - Present
I use my data science, policy and strategy skills to advise to the manager of the Institutions for Development office on digital economic trends and the identification and use of cutting-edge technologies in Latin America.
DATA IMMERSIVE PROGRAM
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
June 2018 - October 2018
Completed and presented 25 labs, 5 prompted projects and 1 capstone project covering real simulations on big data analysis and machine learning concepts such as K-Nearest Neighbors, support vector machines, unsupervised machine learning, random forests, neural networks. Collaborated with teammates for presentation, code review and model design. Shared knowledge with blog posts about python, data science and machine learning.
CO-FOUNDER AND BOARD MEMBER
CORPORATION FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
JULY 2012 - PRESENT
I mobilized a network of actors of the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in Ecuador which currently has 100+ actors from the private sector, public sector and academia. I also advised on the establishment of the first private $2 million risk fund to invest in startups and SMEs innovation projects.
CONSULTANT ON FIRM CAPABILITIES AND INNOVATION
THE WORLD BANK
May 2017 - June 2018
December 2015 - June 2016
I conducted research and policy analysis on science, technology and innovation public expenditure, social enterprise promotion policy and MSME investment. Also designed a business model for a Center for Climate Innovation using behavioral insights. Experience in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
STRATEGIC AND INNOVATION ADVISOR
THOUGHTWORKS ECUADOR
November 2015 - January 2016
Analyzed international open source software markets in Latin America. Analyzed regulations affecting the Software Industry in Ecuador.
INNOVATION AND INDUSTRIAL POLICY ADVISOR
COORDINATOR MINISTRY OF PRODUCTION OF ECUADOR
May 2015 - October 2015
Designed industrial and technological transfer policies to connect local firms with global value chains. Advised on the design of the first $20m public venture capital fund.
HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION UNIT
EMBASSY OF ECUADOR IN THE UNITED STATES
September 2013 - April 2015
Spearheaded strategic alliances with Ivy League Universities. Designed and managed the Grants Program “Start Up Ecuador in USA” to support Ecuadorian entrepreneurs in USA. Spearheaded Ecuador's investment promotion strategy in USA.
ADVISOR ON INNOVATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF ECUADOR
July 2012 - August 2013
Designed guidelines of a trust fund to integrate small farmers at the base of the pyramid into the maize value chain. Implemented the strategy for information, communications and digital promotion in the agricultural sector.
MANAGER OF INNOVAECUADOR
COORDINATOR MINISTRY OF PRODUCTION OF ECUADOR
March 2011 - June 2012
Managed the first public innovation fund and supported over 30 high-growth potential innovation projects. Headed the initiative for articulation of national and regional innovation ecosystems.
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR
GERMAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY IN HONDURAS
January 2010 - December 2010
Conducted the articulation of the National Innovation System in Honduras through a series of public – private dialogues. Evaluated the design and feasibility of an information and technology cluster in Central America.
TECHNICAL ADVISOR
FONDO ECUATORIANO POPULORUM PROGRESSIO
June 2006 - April 2007
Business and technical support to an embroidery indigenous women association in northern Ecuador. Led design and implementation of a fair wage system and coordinated the launch of a new collection of Andean-inspired products.
EDUCATION
DATA SCIENTIST, GENERAL ASSEMBLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAM
2018
Take on real world problems by analyzing data sets for insights and presenting findings using statistics, programming, data modeling, and business knowledge.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
EDWARD MASON FELLOW
2017
Multidisciplinary program, combining rigorous training in analytical methods with an emphasis on policy and practice. Focus on economic complexity, behavioral change, negotiation, innovation and adaptive leadership.
LEIPZIG UNIVERSITY
MASTER IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
2009
Research and practice oriented program that conveys theoretical knowledge, as well as application-oriented findings and practice-relevant experience surrounding the promotion and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF ECUADOR
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT / MAJOR IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
2006
Studied foundational business subjects including accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics, organizational processes, probability, statistics and communications.
LET’S CONNECT
