Pedro Ponce

I was born in Quito, Ecuador and grew up in several Latin American countries. However, the Ecuadorian highlands will always be home.

Fifteen years ago, as a graduate student doing field research in Chile, I proposed that social movements are the strongest and most efficient tool to bring about institutional and structural change. Since then, I have spent my career finding ways to honor this belief. After completing my masters in Comparative Politics at Sciences Po Paris, I started my professional career at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab in France and the International Organization on Migration in Belgium. As researcher and public policy evaluator in Ecuador’s top social development public institutions, I focused on centering the voices of communities and promoting participatory research approaches. Prior to joining DRF, I was program representative for Central America at CBM International where I promoted learning and inclusion in project design and partnership building, pushing the organization to support OPDs. Working at DRF is an amazing opportunity to fulfill my commitment to learn from and support grassroots organizations and communities as the catalysts of change and inclusion.

I love spending time with my wife and our two boys, cooking, and looking for waterfalls in the nearby mountains. I also have a passion for listening to extreme metal music and discovering the latest releases by underground metal bands across the globe. I also like jazz.

Album recommendation: ‘Where I’m meant to be’ by British-Nigerian band, Ezra Collective.