Our Team

Thomas has over 15 years of experience designing, implementing and evaluating donor and private sector funded programs in the areas of citizen security, justice, human rights and poverty reduction in Latin America, Europe and Africa. Since arriving in Mexico in 2014, Thomas has coordinated over 30 projects related to strengthening the rule of law in the country, collaborating with INL, USAID, the British Embassy, UNODC and GIZ, the Mexican federal government as well as local authorities of 16 Mexican states – managing multi-disciplinary teams, budgets, technical content and interaction with stakeholders of all levels.

Thomas holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA and MBA with a specialization in Social Entrepreneurship from ESSEC Business School (Paris).

Santiago has over 8 years of experience in the public and private sector as well as in non-governmental organizations in Venezuela, Mexico and El Salvador. He has been a public servant at the local level in the citizen security sector and has been a citizen-security policy advisor to governments at the national level and as a consultant in diverse projects and technical assistance at different government levels. Since 2013 he has worked extensively in the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies on violence prevention, transparency, police reform, citizen security strategies, strengthening of the criminal justice system, penitentiary system and legislative design. He has worked extensively with international cooperation agencies and donors such as the British Embassy, USAID, INL, UNODC, UNDP, German Embassy, among others.

Santiago is an economist from the Andres Bello Catholic University (UCAB – Caracas, Venezuela) with a Master’s in Public Administration from IESA Business School (Caracas, Venezuela) a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Oxford and a Diploma on Violence Prevention and Human Rights from IBERO University (Mexico).

Melissa has 8 years of experience in finance, taxes, accounting and administration of several companies in the areas of technology, construction and telecommunications. In the last years she led the finance division of Civil Society Organizations working on public policy and social development, where she managed grants and contracts from private and public donors from different countries. Melissa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a Finance Diploma from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

José Luis has more than 6 years of experience working with the public, private and NGO sectors in Mexico. He has managed the implementation of international cooperation projects financed by various agencies of the United States of America related to security and justice. He has worked as a consultant for several for-profit and non-profit organizations. José Luis is also a former Federal Prosecutor from the Attorney General's of Mexico Office. His work has been related with the improvement of the investigation and prosecution systems in the context of the consolidation of the Accusatory Criminal Justice System in Mexico. He has extensive experience in rules of criminal procedure, elements of crime, trial advocacy and alternative dispute resolution.

José Luis holds a law degree from the Universidad de Guadalajara, a Master of Laws degree from the California Western School of Law, a Master of Science in Criminal Law from the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Penales and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Law from the Escuela Libre de Derecho.

Adrián has over 7 years of experience designing, implementing and monitoring public policies in México. Over that time, Adrián has worked closely with both federal and local institutions in the implementation of projects related to crime prevention, citizen security and access to justice. Adrián holds an MSc in Criminal Justice Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the U.K. and a B.A. in International Relations from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico.

Angel has over 5 years of experience collaborating with the public sector and civil society organizations in Mexico. He has coordinated the implementation of data-driven projects in the security and justice field funded by various US agencies. He has experience as an instructor with a variety of stakeholders, including members of civil society organizations, police officers and university students. His work has been related to the improvement of processes and the generation of statistical information in law enforcement and crime prevention. He has experience in generating, processing, and analyzing quantitative information from surveys, as well as in criminal analysis, data science, geographic information systems and qualitative research methods.

He is a Sociologist from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, completed studies at the Russian State Social University (РГСУ) and in Political Science and Public Administration at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and is currently a Master's Degree Candidate in Public Administration from the School of Government and Public Transformation of the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores Monterrey, where he is also a member of the Artificial Intelligence Initiative.

Ismael has over 15 years of experience collaborating with the public sector in local and national inter-institutional projects, where he promoted collaboration and coordination; as well as the analysis, design and implementation of regulation, policies, and various projects in the field of administrative improvement, transparency, protection of personal data, integrity and anti-corruption.

He held various positions at the Mexican National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI), the Ministry of Public Service and the National Electoral Institute (INE), where he coordinated projects such as the National Transparency System; the implementation of national programs in transparency, protection of personal data and anti-corruption; as well as international initiatives with OECD, UNODC, UNDP, IDB, G-20, AGA, RTA and EuroSociAL. Ismael holds a Master's Degree in Law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Center for Economic Research and Education (CIDE).

Luis has over 7 years of experience as a consultant in security and rule of law, during which he has supported the strengthening of local and federal government institutions in leveraging information for decision-making. He has participated in projects for the development, implementation, and monitoring of public policies, working with cooperation agencies and international organizations such as the British Embassy, USAID, INL, UNODC and the IADB.
Luis holds a Master's degree in Strategic Foresight from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Affairs from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (FCPyS - UNAM). Additionally, he is a professor at the Campus Santa Fe of Tec de Monterrey.

Blanca is a certified Public Accountant by CVPCPA with over 10 years of experience in Finance, Administration, Logistics, and Procurement in Cooperation Projects with various donors (USAID, European Commission, and ECHO). She also has experience in international procurement management and budget control for national and multinational companies. She specializes in policy implementation, manuals, and procedures for various entities, internal control evaluation, legal procedures, and tax compliance in public, private, and international cooperation entities.

Lucía holds a Master's degree in Psychosocial and Community Intervention with a specialization in Needs, Rights, and Child Development Cooperation. She has experience in university teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in child development and social intervention topics. Her expertise includes research and psychosocial perspective intervention for individual and group care work, protection strategies, and care for children and adolescents who are survivors of violence. She has been part of research and intervention teams in areas of psychosocial well-being, self-care, irregular migration, violence prevention, and social exclusion.

José Manuel de Alba Castañeda has more than 5 years of experience working in international development programs, public sector institutions and in civil society organizations designing and implementing evidence based violence prevention policies and programs, wiht an emphasis in institutional strengthening and multi sector collaboration processes. Since 2017 he has participated in multiple efforts to promote the implementation and development of civic justice systems in the state of Jalisco.

José Manuel complited bachelor´s degree in Political Science and Public Administration at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO).

Ana has over 7 years of experience designing and implementing public policies, institutional strengthening, and gender mainstreaming. In civil society, she has coordinated and collaborated in international cooperation projects in several Mexican states, including Michoacán, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Estado de Mexico, among others. In the last years, she has conducted applied research on the National Model of Police and Civic Justice, transformative justice, access to justice for women and gender equality.

Ana holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Gender at Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Mexico and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations at Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

Carlos studied law at the Faculty of Law of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He has developed his career in various areas of Criminal Law, Human Rights, Constitutional Law, and Amparo Law. Prior to LAB-CO, Carlos worked at law firms such as Bufete Aguilar Zinser, Schütte & Delsol Gojon Abogados, Mijangos y González Abogados, as well as human rights institutions such as the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH) and the National Search Commission (CNB). This experience allowed him to develop technical and analytical skills related to the Criminal Justice System, Human Rights Protection Mechanisms, and Constitutional Justice. His areas of interest include Criminal Policy, Citizen Security, Crime and Violence Prevention, Governance, Democracy, and Peacebuilding.

Denisse has over 3 years of professional experience implementing public policies in citizen security and violence prevention. She holds a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), where she graduated with honors. She is pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Policy Evaluation and Decision-Making at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales in Argentina (FLACSO).

Throughout her career, she has worked on projects implemented in 9 states of Mexico. Among the most notable is the implementation of the Homologated Model of Civic Justice, where she collaborated with Civic Courts at the municipal level in entities such as Baja California, Baja California Sur, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, and Jalisco. In Chiapas, she participated in the development of a Risk Assessment Tool for cases of severe violence against women, automating calculations and recommending protective measures for victims.

In the policing field, she has contributed to integrating a gender perspective within the Nezahualcóyotl Police. Additionally, she carried out the analysis and documentation of the Tourist Police Model in Ciudad de México and initial training programs in Michoacán. At the federal level, she has worked closely with the Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública.

Her experience includes collaborations with international organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and programs such as the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

Yesenia completed a bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She has 2 years of experience in the private sector providing support to different áreas, such as accounting, administration and logistic. Additionally, over 3 years collaborating with Civil Society Organizations on issues regarding sustainability, culture and research.

David has over 7 years of experience designing and communicating projects for various non-profit organizations and in the diffusion of cultural activities. He studied Graphic Communication Design at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco and the Specialty in Multimedia Design at the School of Design School of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature and a postgraduate degree in advertising and corporate photography at l'Institut d'Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya. He is passionate about User-Centered Design, design projects with social impact, and sustainable design.

Sofía completed a bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, she also has a specialty in International Cooperation for Development. Prior to LAB-CO, she worked as Assistant Director of Metropolitan Development Management at Instituto Metropolitano de Planeación y Gestión del Desarrollo del Área Metropolitana from Guadalajara. In addition, she has worked as a research assistant at Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and in civil society organizations such as ProSociedad and Fundación América Solidaria. She is passionate about gender studies, human rights and social justice.

Daniela holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations from Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE), where she worked as a research assistant for two years. Before LAB-CO, she was a consultant at Transparencia Mexicana and a volunteer at UNESCO Mexico. She is passionate about gender, migration and international security issues.

Gabriela holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Prior to LAB-CO, she worked in civil society organizations where she conducted research on anti-corruption and sexual torture, and implemented social projects targeted at vulnerable women based on a human rights and gender perspective. She is passionate about issues of violence, organized crime and public security.

Karla holds a degree in International Relations from the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the UNAM. She also holds a Diploma on Human Trafficking (FCPyS-UNAM) and a Diploma on Crime and Violence Prevention (IIJ-UNAM). She has
experience as a volunteer and intern in civil society organizations such as Sintrata and Alternativas y Capacidades. She also worked as a research assistant at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Sciences and Humanities (CEIICH) on projects related to human rights in Mexico and civil society strengthening.

Paulina Gabriela Zamora Belmontes studied Political Science and Public Administration at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She has participated as research assistant in projects supported and financed by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), one of them at Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas and the other one at Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Ciencias y Humanidades (CEIICH) of UNAM. She also has a year and a half of experience as an assistant professor at FES Acatlán. She has been awarded in national and state competitions for academic research and essays. Her areas of interest are: citizen participation, human rights, parliamentary studies, transparency and access to public information.

Alejandra completed a Bachelor's degree in International Relations at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. She has experience in research and document review, having participated as a fellow with CONACYT-CIDE-CNB on the Project for Clarification of Serious Human Rights Violations through knowledge graphs constructed from documents during the Dirty War in Mexico. Prior to LAB-CO, she volunteered in the international and education area at the Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez. Alejandra holds a diploma in Citizen Security and Human Rights from the Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, as well as a course in Psychosocial Accompaniment from ALUNA Psychosocial Accompaniment focused on forced disappearance, torture, and sexual violence. She is passionate about human rights issues, particularly forced disappearance, sexual torture, gender-based violence, and women in penitentiary confinement.

Lilia completed her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She holds a Diploma in Workshop facilitation with a gender perspective for communities. Prior to LAB-CO, she worked as a research and teaching assistant in institutions such as the Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Ciencias y Humanidades (CEIICH) and the Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales (FCPyS). She is passionate about issues of gender violence, human rights, and development alternatives.

Karen studied Business Administration at the Faculty of Accounting and Administration of UNAM. During her studies, she widely developed her knowledge in topics such as quality management, strategy design, project management, organization and planning, among others.
Prior to LAB-CO, she worked in the insurance sector, in sales and customer service.

Vianey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Psychology from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and has a certificate in Human Rights from the Gender Perspective from the Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDH) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She has worked on different psychosocial intervention projects focused on vulnerable populations, sustainable communities, social welfare, and eradicating gender violence. She is passionate about gender, human rights, data analysis, and the eradication of violence.

Valentina is originally from Oaxaca, she studied Political Science and International Relations at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE). Prior to LAB-CO, she worked as a research assistant for different projects related to issues of violence, organized crime, security, prison system, criminal justice, etc. He participated in the Historical Clarification Mechanism in the Truth and Justice Commission of Mexico . Currently, together with LAB-CO, she works at YouGov Mexico as a qualitative research administrator and volunteers at Amnesty International for a project with searching mothers. She is interested in issues of security, prison system, criminal justice, human rights and gender.

Teresa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Administration from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional and a Master's degree in Public Administration. She has over than 10 years of experience in the public and private sectors, with solid knowledge of archival processes and document management systems. She is passionate about migration, human rights and the environment.

Pablo holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA). He also pursued further studies in research methods at las Academias Sabatinas Experimentales and gained data analysis experience using Python, R, and Power BI. Additionally, he has experience in financial analysis, focusing on tasks such as expense reports, budgets, and funding searches.

He stands out for his participation in a data processing project with ATAR Consulting involving information from the Multi-Purpose Household Survey (EHPM). He is also strongly interested in security and equality issues in El Salvador.

Daniela is the director of the School of Pedagogy at the Universidad Panamericana (Guadalajara, Mexico). Her work has been oriented towards educational management, curricular and didactic design of new programs and the establishment of networks for applied projects.

She is a research professor and directs a character education research project funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, in collaboration with the Universidad de Navarra and Saint Louis University.

Daniela has a PhD in Education from the Universidad de Navarra and a bachelor's degree in Pedagogy from the Universidad Panamericana.

Angelica has an extensive experience in the public sector in the State of Michoacan, she served within the General Attorney's Office as Chief of the Department of Statistical Analysis, as well as Head of the Planning and Statistics Department, point of contact for Plataforma México, as an Instructor of the State Institute of Advanced Studies in Security and Police Professionalization in Proximity and Citizen Participation issues. Additionally, she has worked as Amber Alert coordinator, as well as a coordinator for the strengthening of the Local Civic Justice System in Morelia and Technical Secretariat within the Municipal Commission for Citizen Security, where she has provided support to the communities in the process of training and implementation of the Civic Justice Model. Currently she is the Technical Secretariat of the State Institute of Advanced Studies in Security and Police Professionalization.

Angelica is a Law graduate and has a Master's degree in Criminal Procedural Law. She has a Certificate in Violence and Crime Prevention taught by the United States Agency for International Development and a specialized training in Gender Matters in Implementation of Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security of the United Nations. As well as various continuing education courses and professional certifications in law enforcement and citizen security issues.

David has over 15 years of experience coordinating projects linked to justice, information systems and technology.

He is the former Chief Technology Officer of the Superior Court of Justice of the State of Chihuahua and was the Country Director in Mexico of the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative. He is also a consultant in Open Government and Access to Information, Technologies and Public Policies, as well as a former lawyer for Iurismática Lawyers, based in San Sebastian, Spain. In addition, he is member of the Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) and certified as Criminal Public Defendant. He is associate professor in Public Policy, Public Safety, Criminal Law and Information Technologies in several universities.

David holds a Law Degree from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, and has a Master's Degree in Computer Science and Law from the same university. He also obtained a Master's Degree in Free Software from the UOC of Barcelona, Spain.

Romeo is a criminal investigations and Criminal Law expert. He served as District Attorney and Deputy Chief District Attorney in Mexico City’s Attorney General’s Office. Formerly, he was a public prosecutor in the Mexico’s Federal Attorney General’s Office (PGR). Additionally, he has collaborated as a consultant with several civil society organizations involved in projects related to forced disappearances and the penitentiary system. As an instructor, he has trained judges, prosecutors, police officers, forensic experts, public defenders and penitentiary personnel in human rights, forced disappearances, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. He is currently a Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure professor at the Iberoamerican University Law School and a guest lecturer in several Master’s programs in Mexico.

He holds a Law Degree from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores del Sureste and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Science from the Universidad del Sur. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Law at the HÉBO Institute.

César has 10 years of experience in creating web systems, using various languages and technologies such as PHP and Laravel, among others. He excels in database analysis and possesses the ability to understand and translate requirements into effective technological solutions. Cesar has a Degree in Systems Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Delicias and holds a certification in Microsoft Technology Associate: Software Development Fundamentals.

Claudio has over 25 years of experience collaborating in the public and private sectors. He is an expert in Public Security, National Security, Internal Affairs, Police Oversight, Police Ethics, Police Operations, Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Crime Prevention, and Anti-Corruption matters.

He held leadership positions in the National Security and Research Center (CISEN), the Federal Police (PF), the Internal Affairs Unit of the Secretariat of Security of the State of Mexico, and within the financial sector.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and a master’s degree in Corporate Business Law. He has a Certificate in Police Management from the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE), a Certificate in Senior Government Management from IPADE Business School, a Certificate in Social Crime and Violence Prevention from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as various courses from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

Jason has close to 30 years of experience working in the American criminal justice system. Jason has worked as a police officer, investigator, and supervisor in law enforcement operational and investigative assignments for much of his professional career. He has devoted considerable efforts to helping neighborhood youth, from organizing summer camp activities to creating special programs at local schools. As a specially trained, enhanced crisis intervention team member and a critical incident commander, he has also responded to countless mental health emergencies and dangerous crises where he and his team seek peaceful outcomes in complex and volatile situations. In 2023, Jason transferred from a management role at a local police training center to a shift lieutenant assignment, where he intermittently serves as the acting precinct captain and commander.

Jason is also an adjunct faculty member at two universities and a community college, where he has developed curricula for 30 distinct courses. He has assisted as a satellite instructor with the State of Oregon police academy and leadership program and has managed an advanced academy and field training program. In his spare time, over the past decade, Jason has served as a consultant on international development projects, focusing on justice sector and public safety initiatives. Jason is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, holds a Master of Arts in Behavioral Science, and recently earned a Ph.D. through the University of the Cumberlands.

Milagros Ascencio Guirado is an expert in Behavioral Sciences with over 15 years of experience. She holds a Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Guadalajara and dual master’s degrees: one in Education and Child Research from the Universidad Santander and the other in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy from the Institute of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Additionally, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO).

Milagros is currently the Academic Coordinator and Clinical Coordinator for child and adolescent care at “Salud Conductual, Centro Especializado en Psicología y Psicoterapia.” Her experience also includes teaching and supervising clinical practice in public and private hospitals nationwide and at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She is an active member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), and the Colegio de Psicólogos Clínicos y de Enlace de Jalisco.

Throughout her career, Milagros has specialized in trauma treatment, Schema Therapy for children and adolescents, flexible parenting, verbal behavior analysis, Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy STEPS-A, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) with a focus on mindfulness, value, and love in a therapeutic context, as well as the application of mindfulness to psychotherapy. She is also skilled in addressing severe emotional regulation issues in adolescents, among other areas.

Edith brings over 20 years of expertise. She is a specialist in Gender Studies and has a distinguished career in social research projects focusing on gender, motherhood, poverty, violence, migration, and domestic economies. She has also contributed to evaluating social programs in both urban and rural areas.

Edith holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Guadalajara (UdG) and a degree in psychology from the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA). She earned her Master’s in Social Anthropology and a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from CIESAS-Occidente. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at CIESAS-Occidente and a professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO).