Board of Directors
Rafael Friedmann
President of the CCC. Friedmann Clean Energy Consulting
Strategic Analyst at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where he manages research on energy efficiency. He is an energy engineer with studies at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Machon Technologi Le’Israel, and a PhD in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 2014, he has led the energy expert group of the Chile-California Council and has advised Chile on energy efficiency legislation. He resides in Oakland.
Tatiana Molina
Co-char of the CCC. Director at Deloitte.
Commercial Engineer from the University of Chile with experience in economic consulting in the energy sector and business development, both nationally and internationally. She has led trade associations and NGOs focused on sustainable business strategies.
Evan Epstein
Executive Director & Adjunct Professor at UC Law SF; Founder and Managing Partner, Pacifica Global
Founding Executive Director of the UC Center for Business Law, San Francisco, and an Adjunct Professor at UC Law SF. He is a recognized expert in corporate governance, with over 18 years of experience advising founders, executives, directors, and investors in Silicon Valley and internationally. He has served as an expert witness in high-profile corporate governance litigation in the U.S. and abroad, particularly involving fiduciary duties of corporate directors. In 2023, Evan was named one of the most influential leaders in corporate governance by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as part of the 2023 NACD Directorship 100™, an annual list of top corporate directors and governance advocates. Beyond his academic role, Evan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Pacifica Global, a corporate governance advisory firm based in San Francisco. He is also the host of the Boardroom Governance Podcast (ranked #1 in its category) and the author of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter (on Substack), both widely respected resources in the field. Previously, Evan served as the Executive Director of the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance, a joint initiative between Stanford Law School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Evan holds a Degree in Law from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and an LL.M. in Corporate Governance and Practice from Stanford Law School. He also studied at Sciences Po, Paris, further enriching his international academic background.
Komal Dadlani
CEO and Co-founder of Lab4U
Komal Dadlani is a biochemist with a Master's in Science from the University of Chile. In 2013, she founded Lab4U with the goal of democratizing science and transforming science education through a pocket-sized laboratory. Lab4U has impacted over 120,000 students in Latin America and the United States with its product Lab4Physics. Komal has received numerous accolades, including the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards 2015, Toyota Mother of Invention Award 2017, MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35 Leaders in LatAm 2018, and has been named an Ashoka Fellow and Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, People Magazine, CNBC, and the BBC.
Alejandro Huneeus
General Advisor at Huneeus Wine Group
A Chilean lawyer with degrees in law from the Universidad Católica de Santiago and UC Berkeley. With over 20 years of experience as a business lawyer, he is licensed to practice in both Chile and California, with a focus on natural resources and is recognized in the field of mergers and acquisitions. He was an attorney at Farella Braun + Martel and managing partner at Morales & Besa. He is currently the General Counsel for Huneeus Wines Group, which operates vineyards and wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and Oregon.
Eduardo Bendek
NASA Scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Expert in Optical Sciences and works at NASA's Ames Research Center developing technologies for exoplanet detection. With over 10 years of experience in astronomical instrumentation, he worked for 3 years at the MMT Observatory in Arizona and 5 years at the Very Large Telescope of the ESO in Chile. He is the co-founder of Yx LTDA (Yx Wireless) and seeks to advance astronomical instrumentation and solar energy in Chile.
Ignacio Fernandez
Senior Climate Policy Advisor at Southern California Edison (SCE)
Senior Air and Climate Advisor at Southern California Edison (SCE), where he coordinates state and federal climate policy with a focus on transportation electrification and climate adaptation in disadvantaged communities. Before joining SCE in 2018, he worked at Climate Resolve developing climate adaptation plans in Southern California and contributed to California's Climate Protection and Adaptation Policy. Previously, he worked for eight years at the Ministry of Energy of Chile, specializing in the development of carbon market mechanisms and representing the country in international forums. He participated in the signing of the Chile-California Plan in 2008, promoting energy and climate initiatives. He holds an Economics degree from San Francisco State University and a Master's in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz.
Lovell Jarvis
Executive Director, UC Davis Chile Center. Emeritus Professor, University of California. Former President of the CCC
He is an emeritus professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis. He is currently the Executive Director of the UC Davis Chile Center in Santiago. His research focuses on agricultural development and agricultural policies in less developed countries, with a special emphasis on Chile. He was previously the president of the Council.
Councilors
Agustin Huneeus
Former President of the CCC. Founder of Quintessa Winery.
He has 50 years of experience in the wine industry as a vintner and vineyard owner in Chile and California. He has managed wineries in various countries, and his family business, Huneeus Vintners, manages prominent vineyards in Napa Valley and Chile. He founded the Chile-California Council in 2011 and served as its president until 2013. He is currently involved in several organizations, including the Board of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He resides in San Francisco with his wife Valeria, but also spends time in Napa and Chile.
Alan Bennett
Distinguished Professor, UC Davis.
Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Davis, and founder of the UC Davis-Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center. He is also the founder of the 'Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture' (PIPRA), a non-profit organization that provides guidance on commercialization and intellectual property rights in the public sector. He holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Biology and has published over 170 articles in plant molecular biology. He was recognized as a 'Most Cited Author' by ISI. He has held significant positions at UC, including Executive Director of the Office of Research and Technology Transfer and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST).
Álvaro Silberstein
Co-Founder and CEO of Wheel the World
He is the co-founder of Wheel the World, an online platform that allows people with disabilities and older adults to book accessible travel experiences. The company, created in 2018, was born after a trip to Torres del Paine National Park in 2016, where Silberstein, after an accident that left him paralyzed, completed a wheelchair hike with the help of friends. Along with Camilo Navarro, he launched the startup that offers accessible travel in over 50 destinations. He has experience in consulting in Latin America and has worked on creating accessible experiences at locations such as Machu Picchu and Easter Island. Additionally, he has advised the Chilean government on social inclusion. He holds a degree in Information Technology from the Universidad Católica de Chile and an MBA from UC Berkeley.
Antonia Rojas
Partner at ALLVP
Partner at ALLVP, a leading venture capital fund in Latin America. Before joining ALLVP, she was a partner at Manutara Ventures, a Chilean VC fund that invests in early-stage companies and is part of the Draper Venture Network. She also participated in social technology projects, including the first social crowdfunding platform in Chile and Start-Up Chile. Previously, she was responsible for investments at Trigono Inversiones, a real estate fund with investments in VC and the financial sector. She holds a degree in Commercial Engineering from the Universidad Católica de Chile and a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship from Hult International Business School in San Francisco. She currently serves on the board of the Chilean Venture Capital Association and is an advisor to the Chile-California Council. Since 2018, she has been recognized by LAVCA as one of the leading women investors in technology in Latin America and named one of the 30 business leaders by Expansión in Mexico.
Charles Lester
Director of the Ocean and Coastal Policy Center at UCSB, Marine Science Institute, UC Santa Barbara
Director of the Ocean and Coastal Policy Center at UCSB, Marine Science Institute, UC Santa Barbara, where he specializes in sea level rise, coastal resilience, and coastal law management. He served as the Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission from 2011 to 2016. Before his career in coastal management, he was a political science professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He holds a Ph.D. and J.D. from UC Berkeley, and a B.A. in Geochemistry from Columbia University. He is an expert in integrated coastal management and California policies, with experience in coastal planning. In 2015, he led the creation of California's first comprehensive land-use guide to address sea level rise. He is also involved in the Chile-California Conservation Exchange, sharing his expertise with Chilean professionals and academics
Chris Evans
Vice President at Stokehouse
Vice President of Stokehouse with unique experience in building global brands, sustainability, and conservation. He has held leadership positions at Billabong, Patagonia, Vissla, and multiple environmental groups and initiatives. He currently serves on the board of the World Surf League for PURE, the SIMA Waterman’s Environmental Fund, and the advisory board of the Punta Lobos Foundation, Save the Waves, and Tompkins Conservation.
Daniel Green
Partner at Gunderson Dettmer
Dan is an attorney at Gunderson Dettmer, with previous experience as a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig and in roles in London, working at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto and Goodwin Procter in Menlo Park. He is an active member of Endeavor, supporting the growth of Latin American entrepreneurs, and has been a panelist at international selections in Uruguay (2011) and Colombia (2012). He studied at Harvard Law School and Stanford University, and also studied at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he met his wife, Francisca. He currently lives in Los Altos, California, with his wife and two children
Eduardo Ergas
President of the Eco-Science Foundation
A businessman with extensive experience in the financial sector, particularly in banking, venture capital funds, and entrepreneurship. He has served on several boards of directors in Chile and the United States. In Silicon Valley, he founded an early-stage venture capital fund. Between 1998 and 2001, he was president of Endeavor Chile, a foundation that promotes entrepreneurial spirit, and was part of the board of Endeavor Global in Boston. He later served as a director of the board of the Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO) in Chile. In 2004, he founded the Eco-Science Foundation, which aims to create a bridge between the scientific community and Chilean society, promoting the preservation of the country’s cultural, natural, and scientific heritage.
Fernando Mardones
Assistant Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Veterinarian (University of Chile, 2004) with a Master's in Veterinary Preventive Medicine (UC Davis, 2007) and a PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology (UC Davis, 2013). He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC-Chile), having previously taught at the Andrés Bello University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Austral University of Valdivia. His expertise lies in disease dynamics within animal populations, with a focus on aquaculture species such as salmon, shrimp, and tilapia. He is the director of epi3lab at PUC-Chile, associate editor of Frontiers in Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, president of the International Society for Aquatic Animal Epidemiology, and co-chair of the International Conference on One Medicine One Science (iCOMOS). He has published over 30 papers and leads several research projects.
Francisca Valenzuela
Chilean-American singer, songwriter, writer, producer, director, and multi-instrumentalist
She is an artist with a unique ability to connect with the deepest emotions of her audience. Through her songs, she blends catchy pop with profound themes such as self-realization, female empowerment, and sensuality, infusing life and hope into her audience. She has had the opportunity to share the stage with iconic musicians such as Miguel Bosé, Pablo Alborán, Natalia Lafourcade, and U2. Her passion for growth as an artist extends beyond music, as she is the founder and director of Ruidosa, a feminist Latinx festival that also became a digital platform to celebrate outstanding women in the artistic scene.
Harley Shaiken
Director of the Latin American Studies Center at UC Berkeley
He is a professor of Social and Cultural Studies at the Graduate School of Education and a member of the Department of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in labor, technology, and global production. Previously, he was a professor at the University of California, San Diego (1986-1993), and worked as an associate researcher in the Science, Technology, and Society (CTS) Program and the MIT Manufacturing and Productivity Laboratory (1981-1986). He was also a postdoctoral fellow in the MIT CTS program in 1980. Author of three books and numerous academic and popular articles, he advises on trade and labor issues for public and private organizations, as well as U.S. Congressional members. He is also part of the advisory boards of the Center for American Progress and the Latin American Program of the Open Society Institute.
Helen Lopez
International Relations Officer for the Office of International Affairs at Cal OES
Is the Director of the Office of International Affairs at the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), where she coordinates international emergency response efforts and manages visits from foreign delegations. She has worked on developing Memoranda of Understanding on emergency management with several countries, including Chile, Mexico, and Australia. She has an extensive career in public service, having worked at the California Emergency Management Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from California State University, Sacramento.
Hernán Mladinic
Is the Latin America Representative for the International Land Conservation Network (ILCN) at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Born in Punta Arenas, Chile, with studies in Sociology and a Master's in Environmental Studies, Hernán Mladinic has worked in conservation and environmental planning. He coordinated the Antarctic and Environmental Program at the Foundation for the Development of the Magallanes Region and participated in the Ministry of Planning and the National Environmental Commission. He was a manager at the INTEC Clean Production Center and worked at the National Oil Company in areas such as Environment, Renewable Energy, and Social Responsibility. As Executive Director of Tompkins Conservation, he led the creation of Yendegaia National Park and the "Patagonia Chilean Parks Network," which created five new national parks. He also promoted the "Patagonia Parks Route," a sustainable tourist destination. In 2018-2019, he received the Vidanta Foundation Scholarship to research sustainable tourism. Currently, he is the Latin America representative for the International Land Conservation Network (ILCN).
Isabel Valdés
Member of the Board of Governors of the San Francisco Symphony
Is a pioneer in multicultural marketing, known for developing innovative strategies that have set industry standards. She founded and led Hispanic Market Connections, Inc. (HMC) for over 15 years, and later created Isabel Valdes Consulting (IVC), providing services to clients such as Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, and international entities. An alumna of Stanford University, she has been a speaker at various institutions and has published five books on In-Culture marketing. In 2016, she became the first person to be inducted into the Multicultural Retail Hall of Fame. Isabel has served on several boards, including PepsiCo/Frito-Lay and NCLR (now UnidosUSA), and is a co-founder of the Chile California Council (CCC). She currently serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the San Francisco Symphony and leads its Marketing Committee, as well as being part of the CCC board.
Jake Leraul
Legal Partner at Celo Foundation
Is a legal partner at cLabs since 2020, where he advises on legal strategies for digital wallets and cryptocurrencies. He is also a board member of the Chile-California Council and an advisor to FinTech4Good. Previously, he worked at HM.Clause, managing legal strategies for a network of subsidiaries in Latin America. He was an associate at O'Melveny & Myers, where he contributed to the development of the OMM cryptocurrency practice during the ICO boom. Jake holds a J.D. from UC Davis School of Law and multiple degrees from international universities, including the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universidad de Chile.
Juan Andrés Camus
General Manager and Co-founder of Valhalla
Is a Commercial Engineer from the Universidad Católica de Chile (2006), where he received an honor scholarship. He earned an MBA and a Master's in Public Policy (2013) from Stanford University, USA. Before his postgraduate studies, he served as Social Director of Fundación Techo para mi País and Development Manager at Patagonia Sur. He co-founded Valhalla in 2011 and has served as its General Manager. In addition to his work at Valhalla, he dedicates part of his time to outdoor activities and academia.
Juan Ibañez
Director of the Corporate Legal Sustainability Initiative at the Universidad Católica de Chile Faculty of Law
Is a lawyer admitted to practice in Chile and New York, with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, representing leading corporations and emerging ventures. In Chile, he worked for eight years at one of the most prestigious firms in litigation and dispute resolution. After completing an LL.M. at Berkeley Law, he became the Executive Director of the Chile-California Council. He has a strong background in managing international affairs and serves as a bridge between U.S. and Latin American cultures.
Juan Pablo Carvallo
Principal Associate in Scientific Engineering at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Is a Principal Associate in Scientific Engineering at the Electricity Markets and Policy Department of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research focuses on long-term energy system planning modeling, the impact of distributed resources, and energy system resilience and reliability. He holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a P.E. and B.S. in Electronic Engineering from the Federico Santa María Technical University in Chile.
Marcela Angulo
Director of the Santiago Campus at the University of Concepción
Director of the Santiago Campus at the University of Concepción. She is a Civil Engineer specializing in Hydraulics and Sanitation and holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the same university. With over 20 years of experience in sustainability, innovation, and technology transfer, she has held significant roles such as Technology Capabilities Manager at CORFO, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Anglo American Copper, and Vice President of the Water Resources Commission at the Mining Council. She has also been a member of the Sustainability, Energy, and Climate Change Commissions and served as the Environment and Energy Manager at Fundación Chile.
Marcelo Tokman
Board Member of several Chilean companies
Economist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and holds a Ph.D. and MA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. He has had a distinguished career in the public sector, serving as a Macroeconomics Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, Head of Research at the Budget Office of the same ministry, Economic Policy Coordinator, and General Coordinator of Advisors at the Ministry of Finance. He was President Minister of the National Energy Commission (CNE) in 2007 and the first Minister of Energy of Chile in 2010. Since 2014, he has been the General Director of the National Petroleum Company (ENAP). Additionally, he served as VP for South America at Vestas and has been part of several Boards of Directors for companies and NGOs.
Michael Gastry
Lawyer and the founder of Grasty Quintana Majis & CIA
Is a Chilean lawyer, graduated from Universidad Católica and Stanford University. He founded the firm Grasty Quintana Majis & Cia in 1987, where he is a senior partner. He specializes in corporate matters, advising foreign companies in Chile, particularly in investment strategies and providing legal counsel to local subsidiaries. He has a strong commitment to environmental issues, working with organizations like WWF and TNC. He is a director of various companies, including Empresas Tattersall and Sparta Deportes, and has served as President of AMCHAM Chile. He is also a member of several advisory boards and organizations related to trade and the legal sector.
Michael Leatherbee
Academic Director of the Research Laboratory on Evidence-Based Policies and Innovations and an Assistant Professor of Innovation and Strategy at the Universidad Católica de Chile
He holds a Ph.D. in strategy, organizations, technology, and entrepreneurship from Stanford University. He is the Academic Director of the EPIC Lab, a Member of the Advisory Board of Start-Up Chile, and a Partner at Aukan Innovation Management. He is known for his focus on innovation as an entrepreneur, professor, public policy designer, and researcher, earning multiple awards and recognitions. At the Universidad Católica de Chile, he developed a course on Technological Entrepreneurship and co-designed an Executive Master's Program in Innovation. He also led a strategic alliance between Universidad Católica, Stanford, and the Ministry of Economy of Chile and is actively conducting experiments to evaluate the effects of innovation policies.
Pablo Zamora
Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of The Not Company (NotCo)
Pablo is the co-founder and Chief Scientist of The Not Company (NotCo), a food technology startup that uses artificial intelligence and applied molecular science to create innovative food products. He is a scientist with interests in artificial intelligence, plant-microbiome interactions, genomic resources, and intellectual property. He has published several articles in scientific journals and is a frequent speaker at universities and international symposia. Previously, he was the founder and Associate Director of the Life Sciences Innovation Center at the University of California Davis in Chile, and the Manager of International Partnerships at PIPRA in the United States.
Paula Estevez
General Manager of the Chilean-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Chile)
Executive Director of the Chilean-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Chile). Previously, she was Head of the International Relations Office at the Ministry of Energy of Chile, where she advised the Minister and led the Ministry's international agenda, including activities with U.S. companies and trade missions. She also worked at Vestas Wind Systems, managing environmental processes for projects in South America, and in consulting for waste-to-energy projects in Latin America. Paula holds a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Columbia University and a degree in Civil Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Ralph Benson
Cofundador y Director del Chile California Conservation Exchange
Co-founder of the Chile California Conservation Exchange, Ralph has had a distinguished career in land conservation. He served as Executive Director of the Sonoma Land Trust from 2003 to 2015, where he led the organization through a period of significant growth and achievements in land conservation in Sonoma, the San Pablo Bay, and throughout Sonoma County. Previously, he worked as General Counsel, Executive Vice President, and Director of Operations at The Trust for Public Land (TPL) from 1979 to 2003, helping establish TPL as one of the leading conservation organizations in the U.S. He began his career as an attorney specializing in land use in Southern California. Ralph holds degrees from Occidental College, UCLA, and Boalt Hall Law School at the University of California, Berkeley. He resides in Berkeley, California.
Ricardo San Martin
Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and a visiting professor at UC Berkeley
Is an Industrial Civil Engineer with a specialization in Chemical Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He holds a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in Biotechnology from the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. He is a co-founder and board member of Natural Response, has published over 30 scientific articles, and is a professor at the UC School of Engineering. He was a visiting fellow at the Stanford Technology Venture Program and is currently one at Berkeley. Additionally, he serves as an ambassador for PUC in the Bay Area. He was an entrepreneur, founding a successful company that processed chemical substances from the "quillay" tree, which he later sold to a San Diego-based group. He currently advises Cristal Lagoons, one of the most successful and innovative Chilean companies.
Susanne Stirling
Vice President of International Affairs at the California Chamber of Commerce
Appointed by the Governor to the California International Trade and Investment Advisory Council, Susanne Stirling is also a member of the Northern California Export Council and the Steering Committee of the National Export Council. Additionally, she serves on the International Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Chile-California Council. Previously, she worked in Copenhagen for Burmeister and Wain A/S in the public relations and finance/legal departments. She holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California (1976) and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Copenhagen and the University of the Pacific (1975). She currently serves as a regent.
Tomás McKay
Architect and landscape architect. He is the Co-Director of the Chile California Conservation Exchange and a faculty member at UC Berkeley.
Is a Chilean architect and landscape architect currently teaching at the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley. He arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013 as a visiting fellow at the Center for Latin American Studies to research the restoration and conservation of the Bay Area's wetlands. After his studies in Environmental Planning at UC Berkeley, he has focused on connecting experiences between Chile and California, particularly in conservation issues, Mediterranean climate ecosystems, and urban planning, working with both public and private institutions.
Victoria Hurtado
Head of Innovation at Microsystems Chile
Victoria Hurtado is a lawyer from the University of Chile and holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. She has extensive experience working in the public sector, academia, private foundations, and the private sector. She currently serves as the director and head of innovation at Microsystems SA. Victoria is also a regular contributor to magazines and an author of children's books. She resides in Santiago, Chile.