Originally published here
Your career has spanned roles in digital democracy, counter-disinformation, and global policy. What inspired you to found the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA)?
The opportunity to launch DDIA was presented to me at the end of 2022, during my time at Equis Research, where I was running their Counter-Disinformation Department. We were fresh from the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, the 2022 Brazilian presidential elections, and the 2020 U.S. presidential elections. In all of those elections, falsehoods and misleading content online in English, Spanish and Portuguese were very much harnessed for campaigning. I was also fresh from my time at the Atlantic Council, where I had also worked on studying disinformation in the 2018 elections in Latin America. I began to notice that a lot of what we were seeing in Latino spaces online in the U.S. context closely mirrored what we had been seeing in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico. The conspiracy narratives and false claims were similar, the tactics of manipulation were the same, and the extremists were amplifying each other’s content. Our media ecosystems were also very closely connected - Latinos in the U.S. are consuming content from the region and vice versa. Seeing those similarities and realizing that very few people were looking deeply at every one of those contexts and applying lessons learned inspired me to fill that gap!
Equis encouraged me to launch DDIA as a means to grow and broaden the work our team was doing. I saw it also as an opportunity to build something that would connect the dots between the U.S. and Latin America in a way that would allow us to put Latinos first while addressing the problems of online harms from a hemispheric perspective.
DDIA also puts the human experience and human behavior first. When we talk about the online world, we often talk about it as if it were something separate from our real lives. The truth is, what we do online is a reflection of who we are, what we love, and it is also a reflection of our anonymous selves - and sometimes the bad behaviors that come out with anonymity, when people feel like no one is watching and they can do anything. The internet can bring out the best, and the worst in people. But it can also help the world feel more within our reach. I am originally from Brazil, but I grew up in a very small town in Northern Wisconsin, where I often found myself in the position of having to help curious people understand what we had in common and what was so different about our lived experiences. I genuinely believe we have much more in common than polarization online makes it seem, so in an era of tech solutions to tech problems, I wanted to center the human experience in research, capacity-building and policy solutions that contribute to healthy information ecosystems necessary for vibrant digital democracies.
Misinformation is a growing challenge in today’s digital landscape. What are some key strategies that can help combat it?
Misinformation, which we define as false content spread without intent to deceive, is never just misinformation. When we think about strategies for combatting lies and misleading information online, we have to talk about how our values, identities, levels of interest in politics, levels of trust, psychology and lived experiences shape where we go to for information, what we are exposed to, and how uncertain and believing we are of different claims and perspectives. We also really need to take into consideration our information environment - our increasingly decentralized, fragmented media ecosystem can breed polarization, distrust, and with that, misinformation.
In my opinion, combatting misinformation requires understanding and exposing how stories get told and how they get recycled to influence our views, how bad actors harness data and aspects of a story to manipulate our understanding of information, and how our own biases play into how we consume information. If we can start to recognize patterns of manipulation, we can see them when we come across them online.
Combatting misinformation also requires that we listen to people, that we understand how people function and where they are on the spectrum of uncertainty and belief. For example, if a person believes only one or two falsehoods out of, say, 15, they probably could use a fact-check. If a person believes 14 of 15 falsehoods, they may be very conspiratorial or very ideological, which means solutions there would need to include trust-building and depolarization.
We can’t hope to counter misinformation by throwing solutions out there like we throw spaghetti at a wall. We need to target interventions and do the work WITH people, without assuming their behavior is something that needs to be “corrected.” What we’ve found is - people have real insecurities, lived experiences, and fears that may lead them to take on certain positions or to believe certain conspiracies. We need to do more listening.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about digital democracy?
Let me start with defining what I consider to be democracy. To me, democracy is our ability to contribute to building a government that works for us. Democracy is having a say in who our leaders are. Democracy is knowing that the rule of law exists and will keep us from arbitrarily being arrested. Democracy is being able to practice whatever religion we want. Democracy is being able to embrace who we are for us, and not at the expense of others.
I don’t think a lot of people know the term digital democracy, so let me share what I mean when I think of this. Digital democracy is essentially civic participation and engagement online.
The biggest misconception about digital democracy is that it exists separately from our day-to-day experiences of democracy. We may think we don’t engage with democracy when we’re consuming fun videos on TikTok or Instagram, or when we are watching our favorite show on YouTube, but the reality is, we engage with democracy every time we react to a person’s perspectives on an issue and every time we post about our own.
Thus, a healthy digital democracy is an online space where Latinos are surrounded by fact-based, reputable information that empowers them to make their voices heard across the ocean of content that is today’s Internet. A healthy digital democracy is an information environment free of fear and repression, one that rewards connection, security, and fair participation in democracy. Democracy and the transformations of our media and information ecosystem go hand in hand.
You've been featured in major media and often share your thoughts on politics and social issues. How do you manage the responsibility that comes with being a public voice?
To be honest, I’ve never thought of myself as a public voice. I suppose I’ve always thought of my participation in events, roundtables, and media interviews as more of an opportunity to have interesting conversations with interesting people, to share a bit about our work with the world, and to fill gaps with information based on evidence.
Communication has been a component of almost every job I’ve ever had, speaking publicly has been a necessary and important part of my career — though I’m lucky that I also happen to LOVE it. People who know me well know I have a hard time disguising what I’m thinking or feeling, so those are opportunities for me to weigh in with my thoughts and to learn from those around me.
People will do what they will with what we say publicly, especially in today’s polluted online environment. I’ve learned that the best I can do is be as authentic and thoughtful as I can when given the opportunity to speak publicly, and to always strive to be additive and to contribute practically and positively to conversations.
You’ve completed fellowships with the National Endowment for Democracy and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. How have those experiences shaped the way you lead?
The Penn Kemble Fellowship at NED opened doors for me to learn from and be inspired by leaders working to combat democratic backsliding and authoritarianism in their home countries. The fellowship brought a group of mid-career professionals from different industries and regions together for conversations and roundtables with advocacy leaders, former political prisoners, entrepreneurs, innovators. Hearing their perspectives, how they lead, informed how I think about my own brand of leadership - mostly that there are a lot of ways to approach strengthening democracy, and that really listening to people, working in coalition across borders, and asking for help are all crucial aspects of creating lasting change.
The Young Professionals in Foreign Policy fellowship honed my op-ed writing skills and helped me build a name for myself in the media. Fellows were tasked with drafting articles about a particular issue area - in my case cybersecurity. Being a good writer is an essential skill in any role we occupy. It is certainly something I look for in the people I hire, and it will continue to be valuable no matter how much AI comes into play.
What advice do you have for emerging leaders making an impact in tech, democracy, or global policy in today's digital age?
I have four pieces of advice:
Don’t be afraid to ask for support from more experienced leaders and peers doing the work you dream of doing, but don’t assume people owe you anything. Be intentional in asking for people’s time, but also be humble.
Learn to live in discomfort. Growing comes when we are doing something that brings us out of our comfort zone. Tech, democracy and geopolitics are constantly-changing spaces. Being adaptable is a big part of being successful in this field.
Figure out which aspects of the job give you energy and which aspects of the job give you anxiety. Then go after the role that has 90% of what gives you energy and 10% of what gives you anxiety. DDIA, for example, brings together everything I’ve ever loved about working at the intersection of foreign policy, democracy-building, communications, and tech – At every stage of my career, what I’ve been most passionate about doing is bringing people together, finding common ground and bridge-building, and telling stories that can change how people perceive solutions and our position in the world. I’ve always felt like more of a diplomat than an advocate in that regard. In working to build a healthier internet for fellow Latinos, people with shared lived experiences but who are often under-represented in the U.S., DDIA harnesses all of those elements that I love - the study of behavior and psychology, the study of narratives, turning that research into action by working with journalists, creators, civil society and government, and bringing people together.
Most importantly, do the work to hone the skills necessary for the job you want (writing, public speaking, policy analysis, whatever) - we aren’t born being good at absolutely everything. We all have strengths and weaknesses. don’t just rely on short-cuts to produce things that look good on the outside but that don’t have depth. Those cracks will start to show eventually.
How has speaking Portuguese, English, and Spanish helped you connect with diverse audiences and share powerful stories?
When I was a kid and people would ask me what super power I wished I could have, I often used to say: the ability to speak every language in the world. Every new language we speak opens up a door to new insights and experiences.
At DDIA, for example, speaking English, Spanish and Portuguese has allowed me to see patterns in narratives and claims online that we would not otherwise see; it has allowed me insight into worlds online that breach physical borders. Speaking these languages has also allowed me to learn from and connect with professionals in different industries and countries, and also with communities.
Language helps us understand and adapt to new cultures. Language helps us understand identities and how people view their place in the world. Language helps us build trust with people. It helps us build stronger connections. Language is a way to see people and to feel seen.
What message would you share with the next generation of Latina executives in technical and policy fields?
At the beginning of your career, say yes to opportunities that come your way, even if you’re afraid you might not be “exactly the right fit.” Don’t get bogged down in being perfect. No one who is doing big things is doing them perfectly all of the time. When Equis offered me the chance to build DDIA, I said yes, though not without a lot of fear of failure. That fear is there every day. But if we can learn to focus on the things we can control, to focus on the opportunity in front of us, in just doing the best we can, and in building a career for ourselves that has more of the things we love to do, and less of the things that give us massive anxiety, then we are poised to grow.
Also, read the book: How Women Rise, by Sally Helgesen. That book helped me realize that though the world itself is still tough on women, we can also be incredibly tough on ourselves, to the point of holding back our own growth.
What inspired you to join the Latino Executive Network, and how do you see it empowering Latino leaders?
I was inspired to join LEN by a fellow Latina who knew a Latina in LEN. Natalie Alhonte Braga, my friend and mentor, introduced me to Pamela Nieto, Co-Founder of Captiva Branding, a founding member of LEN. Pami invited me to an introductory event in 2023 and I’ve been a member since.
Latinos supporting Latinos - that seems to be at the heart of what LEN is all about. LEN gives Latino leaders and entrepreneurs in the DC area a voice and an opportunity to share their stories beyond their usual circles, in a unique and engaging environment. Plus, the events are amazing.
What do you enjoy most about LEN, and how has it supported your work in digital democracy and leadership?
The Latino Executive Network is exactly that, a network…one of talented entrepreneurs and executives from a variety of industries.
LEN is a community, it is a way to meet fellow Latinos business owners who have lived through some of what you’ve lived through.
LEN is also a way to connect with professionals and service providers that can help you implement your work. It was through LEN that I got to know Mario Ramos, co-founder of LEN and founder of Cabezahueca Films, for example, with whom I worked on a prebunking video project in 2024.