Adriana Bonilla

Coordinator of the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE)

Organization of American States (OAS)

Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC)

Website

Biography:

Adriana Bonilla is Project Manager at the Organization of American States with over 15 years of experience executing international development projects, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, and supporting the development of Small and Medium Enterprises. In her role, Ms. Bonilla is responsible for organizing the Americas Competitiveness Forum in direct cooperation with Ministers of the Economy/ Finance/ Industry/ Trade and private-sector representatives; leading preparations for the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) program; fostering gender and youth inclusion in various economic development activities; and producing the Signs of Competitiveness Report publication every 18 months. In her daily work, Ms. Bonilla interacts with over 400 regional contacts in the Americas and beyond. Prior to her work in the OAS (2007 – present), Ms. Bonilla worked at ProColombia (formerly ProExport), Orbitel Telecommunications Company, and the Embassy of Colombia in Madrid, Spain. She has led the development of 20+ publications and more than 800 official documents. She has been an entrepreneur all her life, beginning with a candy company called FAD, and later as was co-founder of “A Smile for Colombia.” She currently serves as board member of Quántica Education, a company that promotes social entrepreneurship.

Ms. Bonilla was selected by the Office of the President of Colombia to participate in the G8 Young Leaders Summit in 2012 in representation of her country and was awarded a full Scholarship from the Government of China for a month-program in 2013. She is a fierce defender of gender equality and passionate about initiatives that improve the well-being of people.

Nicole Griensewic

Executive Director

Region Nine Development Commission in Minnesota

Biografy:

Griensewic has served as Executive Director of Region Nine Development Commission since 2012. As executive director, Griensewic has made it a priority to foster collaboration and engagement by sharing Region Nine’s story both regionally and globally. Griensewic is an active board and committee member for multiple organizations throughout Minnesota. Griensewic is the immediate past President of the Greater Minnesota Partnership, and is the first female to chair the Executive Committee for the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies, where she served as chair of the Governance Committee. Griensewic also served as secretary of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota’s Governing Board of Directors and chaired the Governance Committee and currently serves as an advisory board member for South Central College’s Center for Agriculture. She serves on the executive committee for the MACS Board, Minnesotans for the American Community Survey Board of Directors and represents the Midwest on the National Assoc. of Development Orgs.’s (NADO) Board of Directors.

Griensewic is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has completed course work through Harvard’s Kennedy School’s Executive Education. She received the 2017 Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Her professional background includes extensive private sector and non-profit leadership experience.