Ana Paula is a Mexican economist from ITAM who graduated in 2013. During the last year at ITAM she took an economic development class that raised her interest in social and economic issues. After graduating, she worked for two years at “Mario Molina Center”, an NGO founded by the Mexican Nobel laureate Mario Molina where she served as an environmental economic researcher. Having spent her entire life in Mexico provided her with a deep understanding of social issues such as income inequality, limited opportunities and lack of access to capital markets. She decided to quit her job to finish her thesis on pesticide taxation and then applied to Kiva. She truly believes microfinance and social entrepreneurship can make a fundamental change in developing countries and wants to be part of that change. Prior joining Kiva, she worked 3 months in a public transport microfinance startup, which prepared her for Kiva. She is convinced that getting closer to people and better understanding their problems will enhance her academic and professional skills so she can continue helping others in the future. When she’s not working she likes reading, traveling and meeting people from other cultures, attending music festivals and exercising.