Welcome to Data-Pop Alliance’s series, “Employee Spotlight,” where we shine a light on the talented individuals who make up Data-Pop Alliance. Our team members are what makes DPA thrive, and through this series, we aim to highlight their diverse backgrounds and inspiring stories. Today, we’re excited to feature Ivette Yáñez Soria, Strategic Communications Director and Senior Researcher for the Technology and Democracy Program. Based in Mexico City, Ivette has been collaborating with DPA for the past 5 years, bringing a holistic perspective to the organization. Join us as we explore her journey.
*This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
DPA: Could you start by sharing three books (fiction or nonfiction) that shaped you?
Ivette Yáñez (IY): That’s a difficult question to answer. When I was 15, I was blown away by Cien años de soledad (100 Years of Solitude) by Gabriel García Márquez. More reflective of who I am today are The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, a very unique memoir of grief, and Circe by Madeline Miller, an incredible re-telling of the story of the Greek witch, strongly feminist and deeply entertaining. Lastly, Humankind by Rutger Bregman is a realistic yet hopeful non-fiction book that challenges common narratives about humanity’s capacity for good, based on strong evidence and engaging storytelling.
Tell us about your background (academic and professional) before joining DPA. Feel free to mention key roles, projects, events or other that were particularly relevant to you.
IY: Thanks to a partial scholarship, I studied Communication Sciences at ITESM in Mexico, considered one of the top universities in the country. Funnily enough, when I chose this degree, I was hoping to become a journalist. I say it’s funny because even though I moved away from that specific path, I still love writing and have led projects related to freedom of expression and journalism, including project managing the Data Collection and Analysis for UNESCO’s “World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Global Report 2021-2022”.
As a communications expert, I have worked as a Social Media Community Manager, Digital Strategist, Web Project Manager, Public Relations Assistant, Content Creator, and UX/graphic Designer for diverse organizations in the private and public sectors, including an e-commerce website, a mobile games company, city government, and a documentary film festival. In the latter two, I had the opportunity of leading the digital communication teams.
In 2015, I won a full scholarship for a master’s in International Development Practice at Monash University in Australia, focusing on gender issues and writing my thesis on Indigenous women’s pathways to social change leadership in Mexico. I published the results on an interactive website. Afterward, I joined Data-Pop Alliance (DPA) as a Communications Officer, later also serving as a Research and Project Manager for several projects under our Data Feminism and Technology and Democracy Programs, collaborating with international partners like GIZ, UNESCO, and MIT, government agencies in Latin America, grassroots organizations, and others.
I have also gained quite a bit of experience facilitating and organizing workshops, online courses and events since having had the opportunity to carry on this role for DPA’s, Meta and TechChange’s MOOC Gender Data 201, GIZ’s Data Feminism Series, DPA-DFN’s and Eureka’s Book and Movie Clubs, and various international conferences such as MozFest, the Code for All Summit, ACM FaaCT and the Digital Development Forum.
You are based in Mexico City, but would you like to share a little bit with us about your international experience?
IY: Of course. I have been living in Mexico City for the past six years, but I’m originally from Querétaro, a smaller city in Mexico. My first international experience came when I was 21 years old, moving to Canada to participate in an Exchange Program at York University. After graduating from my undergraduate program, I was selected by the city’s government to be part of a leadership program, which included policy seminars at The Washington Center and an internship in Washington, D.C. This experience was a watershed moment for me; it inspired me and a team to create YoMeInformo in 2012, a platform containing presidential candidates’ proposals to foster informed voting.
Later that year, a business partner and I joined Startup Chile, a venture capital program funded by the Chilean government, which required us to live there for six months (I stayed for eight) as we built an online business. Although our idea didn’t take off as we had hoped, the experience was invaluable.
During my master’s program, I resided in Melbourne for two years, completed a two-month internship in Cambodia with the Agile Development Group, and had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam, Japan, New Zealand, and Fiji. More recently, I co-facilitated a workshop with the DPA “Technology and Democracy” team, which gave me the chance to finally visit Brazil. These international experiences have enriched both my professional and personal life immensely.
You joined DPA 5 years ago, could you share a bit about your path through the organization and what inspired you to join?
IY: When I applied to DPA, I was trying to find my way into the international development sector. As I mentioned, I had mostly worked for the private and public sectors in various communications roles, but I wanted to delve into the field and apply what I learned during my master’s to contribute to social justice. I originally applied for a research role at DPA, but given my experience, I was invited to join as a Communications Officer, which was exciting for me. At the time, there were about 10 people working at DPA, and when the pandemic hit six months later, the need for every team member to step up opened up opportunities for me to take on responsibilities as a Project and Research Manager. The challenges of 2020 allowed me to grow significantly, especially in addressing gender-based violence during Covid in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.
Could you share briefly about what your current role at DPA entails and what you find most exciting about your scope of work?
IY: As the Strategic Communications Director, my mission, and that of my team, is to showcase the incredible work done at DPA and ensure it reflects our team’s exceptional quality and capabilities. More importantly, we strive to highlight the transformative impacts our efforts are making globally, in specific communities, and on key issues.
We handle everything related to external communications, working closely with the Operations team and other Directors. This includes managing our Annual Reports, updating and improving the website, maintaining our blog, managing social media, preparing newsletters, creating materials for events and workshops, among others. The diversity and impact of our projects make this role particularly exciting.
I have already mentioned some of the work I had the pleasure of being involved in as a Researcher and Project Manager, but I’d like to highlight the work we did to conduct an Institutional Gender Assessment of Cinvestav in 2021, one of the leading public national STEM research centers in Mexico. We were able to not only assess these issues, from gaps in benefits for parents to sexual harasment, but also to develop actionable recommendations to mainstream a gender perspective across the organization, some of which were implemented.
As the Strategic Communications Director, my mission, and that of my team, is to showcase the incredible work done at DPA and ensure it reflects our team's exceptional quality and capabilities. More importantly, we strive to highlight the transformative impacts our efforts are making globally, in specific communities, and on key issues.
IY: I love photography and consider myself a photographer, though I haven’t practiced in a long time! You can see some of my travel pictures at kiwicacahuate.com. I also love reading. When I was young, I devoured books, but I stopped when I started my bachelor’s degree. In 2018, I found my way back into this hobby by collecting data on what I read and being mindful of my reading choices. This led me to create thespine.ink. This platform is still in development, but anyone can check it out. Finally, I enjoy walking, doing jigsaw puzzles and listening to podcasts.
To close the interview, can you share something that excites you at this moment? Be it professional or personal?
IY: First, seeing my one-year-old daughter grow, learn, and become herself. It’s as exhausting as it is amazing to witness. Professionally, I’m excited about the work we’re doing on the Technology and Democracy Program, particularly as it relates to using books and movies to foster important and engaging conversations in a community setting to figure out how to make this world a bit better. This stream of work is conducted in partnership with Eureka, founded by Julie Ricard. Check it out!
I’m excited about the work we’re doing on the Technology and Democracy Program, particularly as it relates to using books and movies to foster important and engaging conversations in a community setting to figure out how to make this world a bit better.
