Mónica Cárdenas

Director of Latin American Affairs

Mónica P. Cárdenas was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. She graduated from Santo Tomas University of Bogotá with a degree in Law and Political Science and holds an LL.M – Master of Law degree with a concentration in public economic law, international contracts and comparative law from Konstanz University in Germany. She is currently pursuing an MBA from the Business School of Barcelona in Spain.

She has worked as an international consultant in strategy and business development and has developed alliances for an NGO in the United States, promoting the implementation of social impact programs for the development of vulnerable communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has participated in the coordination of projects focused on promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Colombia through internationalization strategies for higher education, gender equality, sustainable development, human rights advocacy and digital transformation.

Mónica has extensive experience working with Colombian Government entities – she worked as senior advisor of Cooperation and International Affairs of the National Federation of Departments, Special Unit of solidarity Organizations – Ministry of Labor, she was also a legal advisor to the Ocean Commission attached to the Vice-presidency of Colombia and the Colombian food and drug regulation agency, INVIMA, attached to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia.

She also has experience in the private sector, where she served as National Administrative Director of Almagrario SA and also as a comprehensive advisor on productive projects and micro-finance for female head’s of household entrepreneurship in vulnerable sectors.

In the academic sector, she was a Professor of Basic Institutions of Law and introduction of Latin American and Spanish law in relation to the German Legal System for the Spanish for Jurist’s division of the Institute of Languages at the University of Konstanz in Germany in cooperation with the ERASMUS / SOCRATES exchange program.

In 2013, Mónica served in the United States in the office of Indiana Governor Mike Pence, supporting the external and community affairs office in the role of the Legislative Process and Governance Professional Fellow for emergent Leaders – Department of State, USA, Office of Culture Education. During this time Mónica built strategic partnerships in various fields in Indiana.

Other roles and affiliations:

Regional Advisor (LAC), Program Development and Strategic Alliances – Partners of the Americas NGO, Washington DC
Honorary member – Worldwide Association of Female Professionals
Member – Latin-American and the Caribbean Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results (CoPLAC-MfDR)
Executive Director – People Helping People Colombia
Alumni – Professional fellows program – Department of State of the United States of America
Alumni – Baden Würtenberg Foundation
Alumni – German Academic Exchange Service

She is a Christian, and is married, with a 3 year old child.