Our Team
At IDEAS, our dedicated core team blends leadership, program management, microfinance and community outreach expertise to support migrant entrepreneurs in Mexico. By focusing on innovative microfinance solutions and hands-on support, we empower individuals to start and grow their own businesses.
Carter Garber, Executive Director of IDEAS and IDEAS Mexico
Dr. Carter Garber, Executive Director of IDEAS, has 5 decades of expertise in community economic development across many developing countries and communities on 4 continents. A pioneer in impact evaluation and impact investing, Carter has advised investment funds and has provided oversight to the entities that have borrowed. He has developed tools, training curricula, and workshops on impact assessment and inclusive finance, teaching globally and at venues such as the American Evaluation Association. Leading the IDEAS team, Carter has spearheaded projects in market research, product development, institution building, and evaluation. He is also a serial social entrepreneur, having founded 15 social enterprises, eight of which have lasted over 20 years, and turning them over to local leadership for long-term sustainability.
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Carter has deep expertise in microfinance, having founded and managed institutions, chaired boards, conducted due diligence, and advised international lenders and donors. He has created IDEAS initiatives that include launching and directing TecAp, Nicaragua’s first microfranchise, which trained youth and women as solar microfranchisees, and establishing tuition-based educational institutes in the U.S. and Central America. As an academic, Dr. Garber has taught at universities like Tulane, American University, and UCA in El Salvador, where he designed courses to empower graduate students and leaders from community organizations. With a Ph.D. in Economics and extensive writing on topics such as evaluation and entrepreneurship, Carter’s career spans decades of innovative contributions to economic and social development.
Juan Gómez Cruces, Vice President for Mexican Programs
Juan Gómez Cruces, a Mexican national, has been with the IDEAS Atlanta office for seven years as the Coordinator of International Institutional Relations. He has contributed to significant consultancies, including evaluating an impact investment fund lending to six Latin American countries and enhancing a youth entrepreneurship program to scale across 10 countries. Juan supports IDEAS programs in Mexico, focusing on initiatives such as providing formal and informal training for youth and helping Central American refugees transition into immigrants through the microenterprise program in Mexico.
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Juan earned his BA from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Estado de México, where he developed a strong foundation in community development, teaching low-income youth at the Open and Distance Learning University of Mexico (UnADM). Committed to empowering disadvantaged youth with employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, he has played a key role in consulting. Juan completed an MA in Political Science at the University of Colorado-Denver and has earned a Ph.D. in Political Science at Georgia State University.
Daniel Chávez Villegas, Coordinator of Economic and Financial Inclusion for IDEAS Mexico
Daniel serves as the Coordinator of Economic and Financial Inclusion for IDEAS Mexico and is the primary trainer for its programs. He maintains strong relationships with all organizations that IDEAS trains in Mexico, where 725 participants were trained by the end of 2024, and 1,500 are planned for 2025. Participants include Latin American migrants with permanent residency who own businesses in Mexico, as well as binational families with U.S.-based members sending remittances to support family businesses. Daniel has adapted training materials to meet the unique needs of these populations. He coordinates the people who advise participants as they negotiate appropriate financial services.
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He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Psychology and a Master’s degree in SME Administration, with a second Master’s in Social Business currently in progress. He is a Certified Training Instructor (CONOCER) and a Registered External Training Agent (STPS). Daniel has also earned diplomas in Management Skills Development (UDLAP), Financial Education (Condusef), and Insurance (Condusef), along with completing an Accounting Seminar for Non-Financial Professionals (Tecnológico de Monterrey).
With over 25 years of professional experience in popular microfinance, Daniel specializes in attracting, training, and developing personnel for Microfinance Institutions. As a consultant, he has focused on operational training, soft skills development, and financial education. His experience makes him a key contributor to IDEAS’ mission in Mexico.
Elvia Ruiz, Administrator and Coordinator of Partner Relations for the IDEAS Mexico
Elvia Ruiz has served as Administrator at the IDEAS Mexico office for four years. She was its first full-time staff member. She handles diverse roles, contributing to both programmatic and strategic initiatives. Based in Mexico City, Elvia maintains strong connections with the national institutions, NGOs, and governmental entities active throughout the country.
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As Coordinator of the Financial Inclusion Training and partner relations, Elvia has recruited and supervised staff, actively communicates with migrants involved in microentrepreneurial activities, and promotes IDEAS Mexico’s training and advisory services. She partners with organizations that work with binational families in Mexico that are receiving remittances from their relatives in the US.
Elvia coordinates the work with returning Mexicans and Latin American migrant microentrepreneurs who need IDEAS advice and accompaniment in obtaining appropriate financial services. She works closely with the Executive Director to drive the organization’s mission.
Elvia also oversees contract negotiation, program development with institutions and NGOs, and liaises with government entities at the local, state, and national levels to support IDEAS’ initiatives.
Gabriela Molina Padrón, Coordinador of Social Media
She oversees institutional communications of IDEAS Mexico. Gabriela supervises those who create and disseminate materials through social networks. These include the Facebook page, the LinkedIn site in Spanish and its coordination with the LinkedIn page in English. A major role is to coordinate the filming and editing of the videos that are posted on the new YouTube channel. The videos highlight IDEAS work with migrants, Mexican returnees and the binational families who receive remittances that they partially use for their businesses.
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Gabriela supervises the design and dissemination of many publications, such as infographics on financial institutions that provide services and accounts to migrants who have businesses in Mexico. In addition, she supervises the design of training manuals and the development of publications. Gabriela supports areas of operation to strengthen the institutional image, relations with partner agencies, and fundraising.
Many of the personnel have begun collaborating with IDEAS México as a volunteer. Gabriela began volunteering in the Economic and Financial Inclusion Program. She served in Internal Processes and Administration, under the supervision of Elvia Ruiz.
Gabriela collaborated in operational procedures and participated in direct contact with beneficiaries of training on financial issues and trained and trained volunteers. She also participated as a speaker in brief modules in Financial Inclusion courses. Her ongoing work as a microentrepreneur helps her to intimately understand the issues of IDEAS populations. She has participated on behalf of IDEAS México in some events and conferences.
Before participating in IDEAS México, she worked in NGOs and in the Federal Government resolving the needs of vulnerable populations throughout the country for more than 15 years. She collaborated in teaching various courses for public officials, as well as in field work.
Gabriela has a degree in Economics from the Metropolitan Autonomous University, Azcapotzalco Unit. In addition, she has diplomas in gender, economics and finances. As a mother, she is drawn to IDEAS to work for a better world for vulnerable people.
Dr. Tania Hernandez, Fundraising Specialist
Dr. Tania Hernandez is the IDEAS Fundraising Specialist, developing strategies and proposals to secure financial support. Her work focuses on expanding the donor network in Mexico, the US, Canada, and the European Union. She strengths alliances with other organizations to broaden the impact on families of Latin American migrants and returnees in Mexico.
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In addition to her role at IDEAS, Tania is the Executive Director of Civance Research, an organization dedicated to research and strengthening nonprofit organizations in Mexico and the United States. She is also an associate researcher and instructor at Anahuac University in Mexico City. Tania holds a Ph.D. in Community Resources and Development from Arizona State University, with a specialization in leadership and management of nonprofit organizations.
Ana Mieses Pimentel, Coordinator of Fundraising and Partnerships
Ana Mieses Pimentel is a specialist in social project management with extensive experience in organizational strengthening, institutional relations, and fundraising. Her career has focused on economic development, the socioeconomic inclusion of vulnerable populations, and the management of intersectoral alliances with the public, private, and civil sectors.
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Her relationship with IDEAS began as a volunteer. She worked closely with the Executive Director and the Vice President of Institutional Relations on the design of financing strategies and the strengthening of cooperation networks. She is currently responsible for fundraising and the creation of strategic partnerships to ensure the sustainability of IDEAS Mexico’s programs. Her work includes identifying funding opportunities in Mexico, the U.S., Canada, and Europe, drafting high-impact proposals, and managing relationships with donors and key partners.
Ana holds a degree in Clinical Psychology and has a Master’s in Project Management, as well as a Master’s in Process Management for Community Development. Her professional experience includes implementing employment and entrepreneurship programs with organizations such as Children International and Heartland Alliance International, in addition to managing strategic partnerships to facilitate access to funding and training for vulnerable populations.
At IDEAS, her work is crucial in strengthening the financial sustainability of the organization and promoting strategic collaborations that expand the impact of economic and financial inclusion programs. Additionally, she works closely with the technical team to align fundraising initiatives with the actual needs of migrant microentrepreneurs and returned Mexicans. Her integrated approach combines resource management and partnership development that enhance the social impact of IDEAS in Mexico.
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Our volunteers play an essential role in this mission—providing mentorship, organizing impactful events, spearheading fundraising efforts, and helping with day-to-day operations that keep our programs running smoothly. If you’re ready to make a meaningful difference, volunteering at IDEAS offers the chance to foster real-world skills while transforming lives.
For those with specialized knowledge, our consulting opportunities are a rewarding way to lend your expertise. Whether it’s microfinance, program design, marketing, or technology, your skills can shape more effective solutions for migrant microentrepreneurs and strengthen our overall impact.
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