Accion Inspira
International
Foundation
EMERGING LATIN AMERICAN LEADERS 2026
Written by Sonia Castillo
The Emerging Latin American Leaders 2026 recognition celebrates a new generation of changemakers who are redefining leadership across Latin America and the Latino diaspora. This year, we received nominations from the U.S. Latino community, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia. The range of countries and initiatives reflected a region that is creative, resilient, and deeply committed to solving its own challenges.
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Finalists and honorary mentions were selected through a rigorous multi-phase review process led by external reviewers from the Ashoka network and young leaders from the United States and India. Each leader was evaluated based on measurable impact, innovation, long-term vision, ethical leadership, and commitment to community-centered change. From many of inspiring stories, 10 finalists and 5 honorary mentions emerged as this year’s cohort.
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Below are the 2026 honorees, presented in alphabetical order.
Finalists
Adrian Martinez
MEXICO, 20
At just 20 years old, Adrián Joav Martínez Meza is reshaping inclusive education through Wilibots, a robotics-based learning initiative designed to support both neurodivergent and neurotypical students in shared classrooms. By combining 3D-printed robots with neuroeducation strategies, Wilibots strengthens executive functioning, collaboration, and emotional regulation in students who often feel left behind by traditional systems.
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Piloted in public schools, the program has led to visible improvements in participation and engagement, especially among students who previously struggled to connect with academic content. Adrián’s work reflects a belief that technology should deepen human connection, not replace it, and that inclusion begins with thoughtful design.
ANGEL
SÓOLIS
MEXICO, 25
Angel Solis founded Kukulmat.mx as a community-led initiative rooted in Indigenous knowledge and intercultural dialogue. The project works directly with communities to co-create educational workshops and learning spaces that honor ancestral wisdom while building modern skills in science, technology, and leadership.​
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Reaching more than 2,500 participants across several Mexican states, Kukulmat.mx strengthens cultural identity alongside innovation. Angel leads with humility and shared decision-making, ensuring that communities remain at the center of their own development and future.
Coral Lisbeth Guareño Sánchez is empowering students in the Dominican Republic through Leadership Lab, a youth-driven initiative focused on STEM education and civic engagement. She founded a STEM Club, created a student newspaper that reaches more than 500 peers, and organized robotics workshops to expand access to technology learning.
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Her team earned first place nationally in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow with an IoT-based water sanitation solution designed for rural communities. Coral combines scientific excellence with social responsibility, showing that innovation becomes powerful when it directly responds to real community needs.
cORAL
gUAREÑNO
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 18
Evelyn Guadalupe Pinot Campos is leading grassroots climate action through Urban Pollinators, an initiative that restores biodiversity in urban spaces. She established the Ts’unu Pollinator Corridor, connecting 20 pollinator stops, and coordinated the planting of more than 2,000 native trees while engaging over 5,000 students in environmental education.
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By transforming neglected spaces into thriving ecosystems, Evelyn makes climate resilience tangible and community-driven. Her leadership shows that environmental change begins locally and grows through collective care and participation.
EVELYN
PINOT
MEXICO, 20
After experiencing personal loss, Larissa Thomas Martins de Siqueira founded Letras da Mente to promote emotional literacy among Brazilian youth. Through reading circles, creative writing workshops, and guided dialogue sessions, the initiative has reached more than 2,000 young people across the country.
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Thousands of books have been distributed, and participants report increased confidence, belonging, and emotional awareness. Larissa’s leadership is rooted in authenticity and courage, transforming personal healing into a movement that strengthens resilience at scale.
lARISSA
tHOMAS
BRAZIL, 16
LEONARDO
SOUZA
Leonardo Souza Flores founded Instituto G&G at age 15 to address a quiet but powerful barrier in public education: low expectations. His organization provides mentorship, leadership training, and scholarship preparation to help students see and pursue opportunities that once felt out of reach.
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More than 700 students from 22 Brazilian states have participated in the program, collectively securing millions in scholarships and expanding their academic pathways. Leonardo’s work demonstrates that changing mindsets can open doors that systems alone often keep closed.
BRAZIL, 22
Luiza Vieira Caleia created the Girls Biology Olympiad to confront gender inequality in science education. The national competition is designed to empower girls to deepen their knowledge of biology and develop research proposals that address environmental and health challenges in their communities.
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The first edition reached more than 1,000 students across Brazil, including many from rural and public schools. Luiza’s leadership builds structured pathways for girls to lead in science, strengthening representation in a field where their voices are essential.
lUIZA
VIEIRA
BRAZIL, 18
Maria Eduarda Rocha de Oliveira founded OBMLibras, the first Math Olympiad in Brazilian Sign Language, to ensure deaf students have equal access to academic competition. After learning LIBRAS herself, she built a fully accessible national platform centered on linguistic inclusion.
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Today, OBMLibras serves thousands of deaf students, providing recognition, medals, and educational opportunities in their first language. Maria Eduarda’s leadership turns inclusion into action, creating spaces where academic excellence is truly accessible.
mARIA
EDUARDA
ROCHA
BRAZIL, 22
Milca Palomino founded Amoxtlic in response to the educational disruption caused by the pandemic. The initiative combines offline-access learning applications with in-person workshops to serve students in low-connectivity communities, particularly in Guanajuato.
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By designing solutions that adapt to real infrastructure limitations, Amoxtlic ensures continuity in STEM and environmental education. Milca’s approach is practical and community-focused, proving that access to learning should never depend on perfect conditions.
MILCA
PALOMINO
MEXICO, 18
Misael Vázquez Hernández leads Infancias Seguras, an initiative defending the rights of children and adolescents in contexts of violence and exclusion. He became the youngest member to join Amnesty International Mexico’s General Assembly, helping institutionalize youth participation in national advocacy spaces.
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Through collaboration with government agencies and international organizations, he works to strengthen policies that protect young people. Misael’s leadership challenges systems that overlook youth voices and builds pathways for meaningful participation.
MISAEL
VAZQUEZ
MEXICO, 17
Honorary Mentions
Lucia
castillo
MEXICO, 20
maria
galia
Kademian
ARGENTINA, 22
Lucia Castillo Jaime leads Onda Regia in Monterrey, using cumbia music as a tool for peacebuilding among children exposed to violence. Through structured workshops that combine music education and emotional support, the program has directly benefited more than 200 children and culminates in public concerts that bring together over 1,000 community members. Her work turns culture into a vehicle for healing and strengthens identity in neighborhoods facing adversity.
María Galia Kademian Mansur serves as Chair of the Americas’ Youth Advocacy Team, coordinating 25 youth leaders from 16 organizations across the region to advance youth participation in policy and peacebuilding. Under her leadership, the coalition produced a flagship report amplifying youth perspectives on rights and social cohesion, earning international recognition including the Youth Carnegie Peace Prize in 2025. Her work bridges grassroots advocacy and global institutions, elevating youth voices into decision-making spaces.
Melñanie
Godinez-
Cedillo
UNITED STATES, 25
nATALIA
mORENO
PERU, 19
Melanie Godinez-Cedillo created the Morehead-Cain Global Fellowship to expand access to elite academic opportunities for high-achieving international students. She secured $3 million to launch the program and built a global university network, bringing 12 fellows from six countries to a fully funded experience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her leadership opens pathways for talented students to access world-class education and long-term global networks.
Natalia Andrea Moreno Salas founded Libros con Sentido to strengthen literacy and educational access in underserved communities across Peru. Her book donation campaigns have delivered more than 2,000 books to 12 schools, while workshops and talks have reached over 9,000 beneficiaries. She also developed a low-connectivity virtual library with more than 270 titles, expanding access to learning in regions with limited internet infrastructure.
sARA
dIAZ
MEXICO, 17
Sara Díaz Reséndiz founded Via Scientia to democratize science education for young people across Latin America. Through a digital magazine publishing more than 60 youth-written scientific articles, research competitions, and mentorship programs connecting dozens of mentors with over 150 student researchers, she has built a collaborative scientific community that spans six chapters. Her work creates structured pathways for curiosity to become research and research to generate real-world impact.
The Emerging Latin American Leaders 2026 cohort represents a generation that leads with clarity, courage, and responsibility. Across sectors and countries, these 15 leaders are building solutions rooted in lived experience and measurable impact.
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Their work reminds us that the future of Latin America is already in motion. It is being shaped by young leaders who are turning conviction into action and transforming challenges into opportunity for their communities.
