Explore diverse career opportunities in Latin America. This virtual panel features Duke alumni who have built careers in the region, sharing insights on navigating cultural differences, building networks, and finding employment. This event was co-sponsored by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Duke Career Center.
Featured alumni:
Johanna Roldán ’13 LLM
Title: Senior Inter-Agency Coordination Officer
Employer: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Johanna Roldán, an Ecuadorian lawyer specializing in International Refugee Law, holds a J.D. from the Catholic University of Ecuador, a postgraduate degree in Human Rights from Andean University Simón Bolívar, and an LL.M. from Duke University. Since 2006, she has worked with UNHCR, supporting refugee protection in Ecuador, Africa, Thailand, and Mexico. In 2024, she became Senior Inter-Agency Coordination Officer at UNHCR’s Regional Office for the Americas in Panama.
Cipriano Echavarria ’19 BS, Economics
Title: Co Founder & CEO
Company: Palomma
Cipriano is the co-founder and CEO of Palomma, the technological and financial ally of the real estate sector in Colombia and Latin America. Palomma specializes in providing innovative solutions in artificial intelligence, payments, and financing to transform the real estate industry, backed by investors such as Y Combinator, NFX, and Latitud. In 2024, Forbes recognized Palomma as one of Colombia’s 30 most promising companies.
Patricia Deza ’16 BS, Economics & BA, Public Policy
Title: Associate
Employer: CPP Investments
Patricia is currently an Associate at CPP Investments (CPPIB), overseeing investments in the infrastructure and energy sectors in Latin America. Prior to CPPIB, she worked as an analyst at TC Latin America Partners, a real estate private equity firm that invests in Latin America. Patricia is originally from Peru and is currently working in São Paulo, Brazil.
