Valeria Estrella

Valeria Estrella is a social innovation leader with over 10 years of experience designing and managing initiatives in financial inclusion, MSE growth, and sustainable value chains. Before joining Columbia University’s Information & Knowledge Strategy (IKNS) program, she served as Senior Manager of MSE Sustainable Development at Es Hoy in Peru, where she led high-impact initiatives that supported over 50,000 micro and small enterprises (MSEs).

At Es Hoy, Valeria managed Compromiso MYPE, a cross-sector initiative that strengthened supplier relationships between large corporations and MSEs by promoting responsible and sustainable business practices. Prior to this, she held various leadership roles at Intercorp Financial Services, including UX Lead and Project Manager at Interbank, where she spearheaded purpose-driven digital product development—most notably Tunki, one of Peru’s first digital wallets, which enabled over 800,000 users to access inclusive financial services and disbursed government relief to more than 150,000 unbanked Peruvians during the COVID-19 crisis.

With a background in Industrial and Product Design from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Valeria brings a unique blend of human-centered design, strategic research, and project management expertise. She is passionate about innovation, sustainability, and socio-economic development, and is committed to creating inclusive, system-level solutions for underserved communities.