Ivan is from Valledupar, a small city on Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast. Thanks to a scholarship, he studied Law at Universidad de La Sabana and later worked for nearly two years at the Bogotá City Council, the main political institution of Colombia’s capital. During his time in Bogotá, he also led a political campaign in 2023.
Most recently, Ivan served as Coordinator at Bogotá Cómo Vamos, a renowned NGO where he promoted citizen participation in public affairs, especially among university students. He engaged young people in research projects focused on the city’s main challenges. As part of his role, Ivan led Concejo Cómo Vamos, a project that monitored the Bogotá City Council and produced recommendations to strengthen its performance.
Ivan is eager to deepen his knowledge of the politics of public policy, public budgeting, and regional development, especially in areas with abundant natural resources but high levels of poverty, such as his hometown. Ivan is a a Weidenfeld Hoffman scholar.