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We Are
ChangeMaker Foundation, Inc.

Our community brings together people who share their knowledge, experience, and dedication to support the work of ChangeMaker Foundation. Meet our team, board of directors, and collaborators who bring our mission to life through educommunication.

Meet our team

Mariely Rivera-Hernández

Executive Director

 

  • A distinguished agent of change, Rivera-Hernández is experienced in the development and leading of local nonprofit and academic organizations. 

  • As an active leader within the nonprofit community, she has a wide network of collaborators and a solid reputation. 

  • She is a former student of the national program Culture of Health Leaders of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and holds two master’s degrees: one in International Relations from the Ortega y Gasset Institute in Madrid and another one in Theory and Investigation from the School of Communication and Information Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Málaga in Communication Research.  She serves as the Puerto Rico coordinator for the Euro-American Interuniversity Research Network in Media Literacy for Citizenship (Red Alfamed).

 

Zildalee Díaz Rosado, MBA

Senior Manager

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Business administration professional with more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit, educational, and community-based organizations. She has extensive experience in administration, project coordination, data management, reporting, operations, and process improvement. Her work focuses on business intelligence, data analysis, documentation, internal systems, and digital marketing to support decision-making and organizational growth.

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Dr. Inés Rivera Rivera

Instructor

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Social work professional with more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, particularly in health, housing, and education. Her professional background includes direct service, supervision, management, administration, and executive leadership. She is a university professor and holds a doctoral degree in research and social policy analysis from the Beatriz Lassalle Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.

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Valeria González Calero

Instructor & Translator

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Professional translator specialized in cultural and environmental texts, specifically materials related to history, art, gastronomy, travel and tourism, climate change, and sustainability. She holds a Master of Arts in Translation from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and works in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Her experience encompasses the revision, editing, and translation of materials for government agencies, university projects, and non-profit organizations.​​

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Geonela Lamboy Vélez

Instructor

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A licensed agronomist in Puerto Rico, Geonela has more than six years of experience in soil conservation, sustainable agricultural production, and agricultural education. Her work spans field and laboratory research, project coordination, and the leadership of training programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture and a master’s degree in Soil Science from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and has completed coursework in agricultural education. She brings individuals, communities, organizations, and agencies together to advance shared goals and expand the reach of each initiative.

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Ángeles Vélez

Relaciones Externas

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A Civil and Environmental Engineer with a professional background spanning both the public and private sectors. She has participated in projects related to healthcare, administration, security, recycling, and permitting. She is currently the owner and manager of Quehagoconlosnenes.com, an interactive guide designed for families in Puerto Rico that brings together activities, events, resources, and information in one place to promote learning, recreation, and the well-being of children and their families. For more than ten years, she has served on the Board of Directors of Fundación Hogar Niñito Jesús, dedicating her time and commitment in support of the organization’s mission of service. She holds a degree in Engineer from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree from Michigan State University.   

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Iliana Arroyo Hilerio

Contabilidad y Finanzas

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Accountant committed to fostering good financial practices and transforming complex financial information into clear, useful tools that help with decision-making, all through the responsible management of resources and financial sustainability. She has more than 20 years of experience working with nonprofit and for-profit projects, focusing on financial reporting, tax compliance, budget preparation, and financial oversight. Her expertise helps advance the missions of the organizations she serves. She holds a degree in Accounting from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. 

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Verónica I. Prats

Graphic and Multimedia Designer​

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A graphic designer with more than 20 years of creative experience, she has always embraced art as part of her life and a means of self-expression. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Painting and Graphic Arts and a master’s degree in Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her expertise spans both digital and print design. She is passionate about turning ideas into visuals that communicate and connect with people.

Board of Directors

​​Dr. Wilfred Labiosa

President

 

  • Dr. Labiosa is an experienced professional in the mental health and public health fields with over 25 years of experience. He has worked at the Children’s Hospital, within the Latino community as leader of the Boston Public Health Commission, and on initiatives at institutions and community organizations focused on mental health.

  • He holds two master’s degrees: one in Psychology from Boston University and a second one in Nonprofit Management from Suffolk University. Additionally, he has a Ph.D. in Social Work from Simmons University.

 

Dr. Ernesto Villarini-Baquero

Treasurer

 

  • With 25 years of executive and management experience, Dr. Villarini-Baquero is an investment and business adviser specialized in strategic planning, financing, and the development of nonprofit social enterprises and business organizations.

  • He is vice president of the Community Venture Capital Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to economic development through access to private, fiduciary capital markets; treasurer of the Fideicomiso del Bosque Modelo de Puerto Rico; vice president of the Association for Financial Professionals of Puerto Rico; and member of the Financing Committee of the Community Investment Fund of the Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico. 

  • He holds a bachelor’s degree in Science and Science Education from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Regis University in Denver, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metro Campus. He is also an Entrepreneurship Education Fellow from Babson College.

 

Brenda D. González-Roldós

Secretary

  • A highly motivated executive, Brenda González-Roldós has more than 20 years of experience leading high-performance teams composed of lawyers and accountants who evaluate, analyze, and ensure that laws concerning public administration are upheld. Through the design and implementation of rigorous public policies, she has fostered ethical behavior within government institutions.

  • She is a lawyer and a notary in the jurisdiction of Puerto Rico and is currently a member of the Bar Association of Puerto Rico.

  • She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts, Political Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus as well as with a Juris Doctor from the School of Law of the same institution. 

 

Wanda I. Casanova-Nicolao

Director

  • Casanova-Nicolao is the CEO and president of W. Casanova Insurance, LLC, a firm she founded in order to offer multiple insurance solutions to her clients. She has 28 years of professional experience in the insurance field and is passionate about guiding and helping her clients reach their financial goals while protected.

  • Over the course of 22 years, she occupied various positions at La Cruz Azul de P.R., among them Customer Manager, which allowed her to lead numerous projects helpful to clients, employees, and associates. Also engaged in community work, she has presided the Board of Directors of her Homeowner’s Association for 10 years, leading to positive changes within her community.

  • She holds life, health, disability, property, and contingency insurance licenses and is certified as a financial advisor by FINCERT with a Certification in Credit Repair Consultancy from Ana G. Mendez University. 

Collaborations

​​Isha M. Renta López

 

Isha M. Renta López is a Puerto Rican meteorologist and scientist with more than 20 years of experience in atmospheric sciences, research, program management, and science policy. Passionate about nature, her career in meteorology began in 2004, when she moved to Washington, D.C. to study atmospheric sciences at Howard University. In 2026, she became a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) from the American Meteorological Society and is currently a Program Manager at the NOAA Weather Office Program. While in the diaspora, Isha has maintained, nurtured, and strengthened her relationship with Puerto Rico. In 2007, she began studying bomba music, and, in 2014, founded Semilla Cultural, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching, performing, and preserving bomba across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. As part of her efforts to conserve and protect our cultural heritage, Isha wrote and published the children's book Sofía y su tambor de bomba.

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Miriam Rosado Reyes

 

Miriam Rosado Reyes has been a teacher for twenty-six years. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Teaching, and is a certified Montessori guide. A lover of words and, particularly, of children’s literature, she has found in writing another way to educate, inspire, and share experiences. She has authored four works: Libre y Feliz, a novel inspired by the phrase “What the caterpillar calls the end, everyone else calls a butterfly”; Monarca, a children’s book that presents, step by step, the stages of a butterfly’s metamorphosis; Tolerancia es Amor, in which she shares how her experiences with autism, far from limiting her, have taught her important life lessons; and, most recently, Explorando mi Terruño. In this new literary adventure, Miriam invites her readers to journey through our beautiful island, discovering its landscapes, natural treasures, and some of the special places that make Puerto Rico extraordinary.

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