Juliana Cardona Mejia is a curious, passionate creator who continually drives local action and impact. Before graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Communications and Latin American Studies from Florida Southern College, Juliana spent time serving with 20 grassroots organizations in Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts, Washington DC, Philippines, Taiwan, and Mexico. Additionally, she authored and anonymously published an oral history book on the Colombian Armed Conflict, a process that she says was "healing and transformational."
In 2015 she Founded Street Entrepreneurs (SE), an accelerator rooted in the belief that people experiencing problems have the insights needed to solve them. Previously, Juliana collaborated with the World Bank Group's Information Communications Technology Community of Practice for Agriculture to design and support the first Agri-Hackathon program in Uganda.
Juliana also gives talks on innovation and design thinking. She has lectured at the Women Tech Conference by the Inter-American Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank; the Darden Center for Global Initiatives; Howard University; and the Inclusive Innovation Incubator, where she also was as an Advisor. Currently, she serves as the CEO of SE, Co-President of Beacon: D.C. Women Founders Initiative, and Entrepreneurship Advisor at the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.