My mission is to solve challenges, new and old, to help create a literate society: ready for this century’s rollercoaster.
Founding partner of Mission-Oriented, the first consulting company dedicated to building quantum tech public interest initiatives, and advising on tech strategy, narrative and communication to both companies and governments.
Manager of AI4Gov, an education, research and funding ecosystem of Artificial Intelligence for public services. Led by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), TalTech (Estonia) and FAU (Germany).
María has a 10-year impact entrepreneurship career. Amongst the hits she’s helped achieve: the Spain Start-Up Nation programme and associated public agencies (+4b€) whilst co-leading the Spanish Start-Up Association’s public affairs group. She co-founded social impact projects such as Polity Care (2013 – 2015) and Cámara Cívica (2014 – present) to connect governments, industry and society altogether.
With experience in the UK and Spain, she’s worked for AI startups like AKKIBA AI and large consulting companies such as NTT Data in delivering technology policy strategies and whipping support for global tech initiatives and projects. In 2020, she founded Mission-Oriented, a public affairs and strategy consulting company focused on helping quantum and cognitive companies and public agencies in their R&D, commercial or policy products and strategies. An active contributor to the global quantum ecosystem, helping define the pilot projects WP at the EU Quantum Industry Consortium.
Currently, she also manages ops at AI4Gov, an EU Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Hub transforming how public services are delivered to citizens (UPM, Polimi, TalTech, FAU).
Over the years, María has created numerous tech coalitions and advocacy campaigns for institutions like InnovateUK, NESTA, United Nations, OECD, and the European Commission. She promotes various global public interest technology initiatives, such as achieving interplanetary connectivity for human trips to space with the IPNSIG (Internet Society).
As a side hustle, she enjoys contributing the global tech debate as a science and policy communicator, published in Wired, The Quantum Insider, TELOS telefónica, Eldiario.es, NextGov, El Economista… And has presented analysis at academic institutions such as Yale University (2022) and Harvard University (forthcoming).
She holds a BsC in Political Science (2015), studied design thinking (2016), AI (2018), quantum information sciences (2020), and complexity (2022). She’s a member of IPA, MIT Technology Review Global Insights Panel, Women in AI, and the Institute for Robotic Process Automation.
Craft something good with genuine care. It drives multitudes.
Curiosity didn’t kill the cat.
Keep the score and the humble approach.
There’s a middle ground between painful detailed execution and adapting to circumstances: navigate it to crystallize that initiative you’re passionate about.
Ask the right questions, even if it leads you against the herd: I’m a truth-seeker, and the wisest nuances help you stay way ahead, and contribute way more to society and to your business. Research, investigate, go out there, whatever it takes.
Good & willing people make the journey worthwhile: I believe in good people with good disposition and humbleness to learn and strive to be better everyday in how they deal with other humans and, sure, in how they put their talents into nurturing their work.
Roll-up your sleeves and then take the baton: I believe that, to orchestrate something, you’ve better done the background work yourself more than twice.
You can do both if you put your skin in the game: just go for it and learn on the way, craft something of your own, on your own, with the people you choose.
Beauty and simplicity are the gift you strive to make: I believe that form & function make the difference, which is why I strive to nurture the visual and language aspects of every project I take care of. If it looks cheap, complicated or unpleasant to the eye or mind, then there’s not enough soul in it and it’s a statement it won’t live up to its expectations.Generosity and service are key.
Global Conflict Mediator, 2016
Social Economy Prize for "Cámara Cívica", 2015