María Elena Méndez has a degree in business communication and public relations and a degree in sociology. Her professional experience includes working as a research assistant in projects for PAHO (Honduras) based on maternity and malnutrition. She has conducted lectures on the use of qualitative and quantitative research programs at the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Nicaragua. She also created a database for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Studies in Kenya, Africa. She is currently working on a master’s degree in strategic business management at the Universidad de Cádiz y Formato Educativo Formato Educativo (Spain) and works as an associate consultant at Mendez Consultores, providing academic advice in social and educational fields from Mexico to Colombia.
Leandro Marcarian is an economist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Buenos Aires in 2008 and his postgraduate degree from Torcuato Di Tella University in 2012. He has also completed two executive education programs from the International Monetary Fund (Inclusive Growth, 2016) and Harvard University (Leading Growth Economics, 2017), and in 2018 he completed the MSc Financial Economics program at Birkbeck, University of London with merit. He has worked in both the private and public sectors, in Argentina and abroad, in academia and in cooperation with international organizations. In recent years he has dedicated himself to teaching and research. His research topics are varied, but he is passionate about the interplay between economic growth and poverty reduction.
Vicente Quintero is a social scientist and journalist from Venezuela. He earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from the Universidad Metropolitana of Caracas. He is currently working on a postgraduate degree in government and public policy at the Central University of Venezuela where he also serves as an assistant professor. His book “El Tercer Reich en Venezuela: el nazismo y importancia del Caribe en la política internacional” was the first of its kind, exploring Nazism in Venezuela. Vicente is also an accomplished artist, having displayed his work on LGBT economics at Venezuelan national museums.
Srijeeta Das is a freelance researcher from India pursuing her master’s degree in sociology. She has worked as a research assistant in Harvard University’s Southeast Asia Institute. She plans to write more articles and become a fulltime researcher.
Scott Tuttle, PhD, is the founder of the Suru Institute, where his work focuses on democracy, governance, and institutional development in the Americas. He teaches sociology and statistics at Park University and Johnson County Community College and previously lectured at the University of Kansas, where he earned his doctorate in sociology. His research examines immigration, labor markets, social stratification, and the institutional foundations of democratic governance.