Leaders & Collaborators

Rene Salgado, PhD

Founder and President

Rene Salgado, PhD

Founder and President

Rene is interested in leveling entrepreneurial opportunities particularly for the less privileged. He is a strong believer in the power of ecosystem actor synergies, entrepreneurial social capital, and in the ethical and productive use of Internet technologies for positive social change. Rene combines his entrepreneurial skill-set and values, with an intrapreneurial experience of more than thirty years in economic and social development projects, entrepreneurship growth, and higher education. He has worked with international organizations, private companies, and university institutions in the US and Latin America. Rene holds a PhD in Policy Sciences (Policy and Economics) from the University of Maryland.

David Audretsch, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

David Audretsch, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

David Audretsch is a Distinguished Professor and Ameritech Chair of Economic Development at Indiana University, where he is also serves as Director of the Institute for Development Strategies. He was ranked by the AD Scientific Index 2024 as number one in the world among the most influential scientists in business and entrepreneurial development and is a co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal. He has been a recipient of the Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research by the Swedish Foundation for Entrepreneurship. Audretsch is a member of several advisory boards, including the American Center for Entrepreneurship and the Scientific Advisory Board of the University of Siegen in Germany.

Antje Fiedler, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Antje Fiedler, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Antje Fiedler is the Associate Director of the New Zealand Asia Institute (NZAI) and a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland. She is also an Associate Editor of the Journal of Small Business Management. Antje has undertaken extensive research on the internationalization of businesses with a particular focus on emerging markets. Her work has been published in international journals such as International Small Business Journal, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Human Relations, Small Business Economics, European Journal of Industrial Relations and New Political Economy. Her research has been informed courses at the Business School (University of Auckland) and practitioner workshops around New Zealand. Her current teaching is in the MBA and other postgraduate programs, including Executive Education. Antje has received two Excellence Awards for her Teaching at the University of Auckland Business School.

Octavio Martínez, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Octavio Martínez, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Director of the Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development, INCAE Business School, Costa Rica, where he is a Professor of Competitive and Corporate Strategy. Octavio has significant experience as a Business Planning and Evaluation consultant for companies in the food and beverage, agribusiness, energy, and real estate industries. He has also conducted several pioneering studies on current managerial and economic challenges faced by small and medium enterprises in Central America. Octavio holds a PhD from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

Aldo Salinas, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Aldo Salinas, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Dr. Salinas is an Economist with a Master's Degree in Economics from the National University of La Plata (Argentina) and a PhD in Management from the University of Padua (Italy). His current work focuses on Innovation and entrepreneurship. Aldo has more than fifteen years of experience as a postgraduate professor in business schools in Ecuador and as an international consultant on Innovation strategies and Data issues. He is the current director of the MBA Program at the University of the Americas (Ecuador) and is the author of several high-impact scientific publications in prestigious refereed journals in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation in developing countries.

Aglaya Batz, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Aglaya Batz, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Principal Professor at the School of Management of Universidad del Rosario, Colombia, with a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and a master’s degree in Technology and Innovation Management from Brandenburg University of Technology. She has extensive experience in topics related to innovation processes, technology management, and supply chains. As Director of the Innovation Center at the School of Management of Universidad del Rosario, she leads research and applied projects around three interconnected lines of work. One line of study is dedicated to innovation spaces — FabLabs, Innovation Labs, Makerspaces, and Design Factories — to understand how they operate, what business models sustain them, and why some successfully consolidate while others do not.

Samuel Salazar Genovez, MBA

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Samuel Salazar Genovez, MBA

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Director of PROinnova, Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES) that promotes SMEs’ technological Innovation and entrepreneurship development in El Salvador. Samuel has worked on the design and implementation of investment events with innovative entrepreneurs and SMEs. He was responsible for the Introduction of the First-Tuesday Platform in El Salvador and supported the introduction of the platform in other Central American countries. Samuel has Engineering degrees from the Latin American Technical University and the University of Utah, and a specialization in Business Administration from the Francisco Marroquín University.

Gustavo Barboza, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Gustavo Barboza, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Gustavo A. Barboza is the Jack and Vada Reynolds Endowed Chair of International Business and a Full Professor at the College of Business, Loyola University New Orleans. He also serves as the Director of the Center for International Business at Loyola University, contributing to the advancement of global business education and initiatives. His academic contributions are characterized by a blend of applied and theoretical research, often centered on cross-border economic dynamics. With a strong emphasis on innovation, regional development, and international business, Dr. Barboza’s research has been published extensively in prestigious academic journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, British Food Journal, Review of Development Economics, and Social Responsibility Journal. Dr. Barboza holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University (1997).

Daniel Prokop, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Daniel Prokop, PhD

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Daniel is an associate professor (senior lecturer) in Economic Geography at Cardiff University. He studies regional economic development, and is specifically interested in the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and networks. His published work has focused on university entrepreneurial ecosystems, academic entrepreneurship, university-industry collaboration, and competitiveness. Daniel holds a PhD in Economic Geography from the School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University.

Sabrina Martínez, BA

Digital Marketing Associate

Sabrina Martínez, BA

Digital Marketing Associate

Sabrina Martínez is a member of EmpreSomos' digital marketing team. She coordinates the preparation, publication, and distribution of its newsletters in Spanish and LinkedIn Newsletters in English. As part of her work, Sabrina manages the logistics of exchanges and interviews with Central American entrepreneurial ecosystem leaders. Sabrina is a Bachelor of Business Administration from the prestigious Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica and is currently completing her Marketing specialization at the same institution. As part of her activities within the Instituto Tecnológico, Sabrina participates in a university extension program designed to prepare practical manuals to facilitate entrepreneurial skills development among indigenous women of her country.

Plubio Monterroso, BSC

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Plubio Monterroso, BSC

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisor

Plubio is president of the Asociación de Emprendedores de Guatemala and teaches at the Entrepreneurs Development Program of Rafael Landivar University and Universidad Galileo, Guatemala. His areas of work include business development, development of entrepreneurial skills, application of the Business Model Canvas, international marketing, and Internships Supervision. Plubio is the creator of two Guatemalan companies -- Deregreso and Apollo Cargo – and provides advisory and consulting services in international marketing. He is a graduate of the Marketing, International Trade, and Commercial Propaganda Program, Rafael Landívar University.

Gustavo Montúfar, BSC

Social Media Strategist

Gustavo Montúfar, BSC

Social Media Strategist

Gustavo Montúfar is a member of the Empresomos team. He is the pro-bono coordinator of the planning and execution of social media strategies and digital campaigns on Facebook/Instagram and Google Ads. Gustavo has a BS in Business Administration from the University of San Carlos, Guatemala – and has served as Adjunct Professor in Digital Marketing and Electronic Commerce. He has certifications from Google Ads and Facebook Meta and is completing his Master´s in Digital Marketing and Electronic Commerce at Rioja International University in Mexico.

Earlier Advisors, and Pro-bono Professionals

Karen Wilkins

Karen Wilkins

Karen is an experienced project manager professional with a demonstrated history in the aerospace industry, along with many years of volunteer service in the nonprofit sector. She is skilled in Customer Service Management, Product Support, Contracts Management, and Cross-Functional Team Leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Aerospace Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology and a Master's in Business Administration from Seattle University.

Juan Jose Juarez Calvo

Senior Project Manager at Fundación Bertelsmann, Spain. On the basis of experience from other countries and relevant studies, the Foundation designs and carries out sustainable and scalable pilot entrepreneurship projects in partnership with other business development entities. Juan José holds a Master Degree in Coaching and Talent Management from EUDE, and a Master in Management of Non Profit organizations from ESADE.

Daniela Herrera

Tom Georgevitz

Tom Georgevitz

Tom is a Senior Project Analyst at Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation. He is a consulting professional with experience working in developing countries and a track record of quantifying business opportunities, building partnerships, and selling recommendations to stakeholders. Expertise in unstructured problem solving, strategic planning, and gathering and analyzing data. Tom holds a Master of Business Administration from the Universidad de Notre Dame.

Matthew Zamora

Serial technology entrepreneur who previously founded Enact Productions, a digital marketing and production company. He has a diverse set of technical knowledge and skills including advanced web application development, mobile application design, and digital marketing. Matthew holds dual degrees in Psychology and Physiology/Neurobiology at the University of Maryland, College Park.

David Morera

David Morera

David is a current Director of User Experience at ExpatBuddy. He is a conscientious and methodic interaction designer who works with cross-disciplinary teams to create innovative products, services, and ventures that tackle complex design challenges; from a mobile application that helps smallholders adapt to climate change, to more empathic and inclusive government services, to ventures that can help people better accommodate to a new culture or feel safer in conflictive zones. He holds a degree in Graphic Design from the Universidad de las Ciencias y el Arte, Costa Rica, and a Master’s degree in Interaction Design from Universidad Veritas.

Ben Taitelbaum

Boone Gorges

Lead Developer of the City University of New York Academic Commons. Boone is interested in creating tools for individuals and organizations to reclaim their online lives from corporate entities. Boone is a Core Committer for WordPress and a Lead Developer for BuddyPress. He is a consultant specializing in custom plugin development, code review, and WordPress/BuddyPress architecture. He attended Cornell College and the CUNY Graduate Center.

Jose Enrique Samayoa

Jose Enrique Samayoa

Financial Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank, where among other things, monitor services provided by counterparties for the operation of cash and safekeeping accounts.

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Leaders & Collaborators

Rene Salgado, PhD

David Audretsch, PhD

Antje Fiedler, PhD

Octavio Martínez, PhD

Aldo Salinas, PhD

Aglaya Batz, PhD

Samuel Salazar Genovez, MBA

Gustavo Barboza, PhD

Daniel Prokop, PhD

Sabrina Martínez, BA

Plubio Monterroso, BSC

Gustavo Montúfar, BSC

Earlier Advisors, and Pro-bono Professionals

Karen Wilkins

Juan Jose Juarez Calvo

Daniela Herrera

Tom Georgevitz

Matthew Zamora

David Morera

Ben Taitelbaum

Boone Gorges

Jose Enrique Samayoa

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© 2025 EmpreSomos. All Rights Reserved.

EmpreSomos Copilot

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