Lucia Sanchez is the Vice President of Impact & Learning at the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE), where she leads the organization’s efforts to become a dynamic learning hub that uses data and evidence to increase its impact. With over 19 years of global experience in shaping policies and programs that support entrepreneurship and private sector development, Lucia is passionate about leveraging monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning to enhance organizational strategies and drive meaningful change.

Lucia’s work is deeply rooted in her commitment to sustainable economic development and women’s economic empowerment. She believes that empowering women entrepreneurs not only transforms their lives but also creates a ripple effect that benefits families, communities, and society at large.

Prior to joining CWE, Lucia was a Program Director at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a cutting-edge research and policy nonprofit dedicated to discovering and advancing effective solutions to global poverty. At IPA, she spent over a decade growing and leading a large-scale research program on entrepreneurship and private sector development, overseeing a portfolio of over 200 impact evaluations across 40 countries and coordinating a global network of 150 researchers from top universities, think tanks, and policy institutions. Her earlier experience includes work with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vietnam and roles at the Ministry of Industry and the National Bank in Argentina, where she supported entrepreneurs and SMEs through technical assistance and access to finance programs.

Lucia holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard University, a graduate degree in Development Economics from FLACSO, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Buenos Aires. Originally from Argentina, her belief in the transformative power of entrepreneurship drives her work at CWE, where she is dedicated to creating pathways for women entrepreneurs to realize their full potential and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

Outside of work, Lucia enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with her family, and engaging in fiber arts.