Cristina Martinez Pinto is the founder of the Public Interest Technology (PIT) Policy Lab and a policy entrepreneur. She is the mother of two girls. She possesses a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a B.A. in International Relations from Tec de Monterrey in Mexico. She emerges from the realm of social sciences with a background in international relations and public policy. Prior to assuming the role of a policy entrepreneur and establishing PIT Policy Lab, Cristina Martinez Pinto was at the helm of C Minds AI for Social Good Lab and held a position as a consultant at the Digital Development Global Practice at the World Bank. The PIT Policy Lab stands as the inaugural independent spinout from C Minds and plays a pivotal role as a transformative partner.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Cristina Martinez Pinto:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I consider myself a generalist; I have multiple identities and interests. I am a mom, a woman, a wife, an entrepreneur, and a policy professional. I am curious and enjoy challenging myself to learn new things and try new experiences. Inside the workplace, I try to lead by example; I am supportive, hardworking, and focused on advancing an organizational culture that allows us all to grow as individuals. For instance, we have a book club to improve our public speaking skills while learning about new topics ranging from self-development to responsible technology. Outside of the workplace, I mostly spend time with my family. I have two very young daughters, so I spend as much time as possible with them.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
I was going through the last months of being pregnant with my first daughter when I started thinking about founding the PIT Policy Lab. For some reason, that might sound crazy to anyone, but in my mind, the timing was perfect to navigate becoming a mom as well as an entrepreneur. I wanted to have more flexibility on my agenda and to democratize the field of public-interest technology.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
I believe there is no single definition of success. To me, being successful means enjoying what I do, prioritizing my mental health, spending time with my partner and daughters, having financial independence, empowering our younger team members to live up to their potential, and knowing that our work has a social impact. I value time, proactivity, honesty, and humor. I also value the friendships that I’ve made over the years and through different life periods and experiences.
Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
Our startup provides four different and sometimes complementary or overlapping services:
- Practical Research & Roadmaps: We generate informed roadmaps and develop public policy recommendations and strategies to influence multi-stakeholder innovation efforts in Latin America.
- Responsible use of technology: We incorporate the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles into our services. We design strategies, accompany product development, and build capacities to leave no one behind in an ethical, responsible, and human-centered use of technology.
- Proofs of concept: We design and conduct collaborative and inclusive pilot experiments to assess the feasibility of translating ideas into successful projects and interventions, and to scale them.
- PIT 101: Education and life-long learning. We generate customized educational products to build capacities, develop skills, and generate competencies on technology policy and trends.
We have a PIT Consultancy network of 25 Latin American technology and public innovation experts and practitioners. We are very good at articulating collaborations and see an opportunity in the growth and complementarity of the ecosystem rather than in competing against one another.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
We are a women-led startup, and we guide our work by the principles of sorority and empathy. We have each other’s backs. We have institutionalized the “I am remarkable” workshop, so at each team meeting we all share small (or big) things happening in our lives that make us proud. We are very empathetic and human. Building this culture is a work in progress; as we are a rather small organization, we are open to ideas to improve as an organization. We are 100% remote, and it has its advantages and disadvantages. We are flexible with our schedules and have discussed having more in-person activities and strategic planning sessions.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
Ideas are always welcome, but to me, there is more value in making things happen than just brainstorming. That is why I value proactivity and enjoy working with team members who are driven and need almost no supervision. At PIT Policy Lab, we usually turn innovative ideas into first-of-their-kind projects and pilots.
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
Even though we try our best to institutionalize processes through manuals and by documenting learnings, areas of opportunity, and best practices, I have come to realize that leadership is always key to the success or failure of both initiatives and organizations. We often try to move the spotlight away from a set of people to the strengthening of institutions, but end up coming back to those champions that help us advance specific ideas and agendas.
What are your responsibilities as a founder & CEO of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As the founder and CEO, I am responsible for PIT Policy Lab’s strategic direction, high-level institutional relations, partnership management, and the landing of projects and initiatives. I am also our main representative at events and conferences. Being a small consulting firm, I’m usually on a permanent quest for funding and on the lookout for calls for proposals. The happiest part of my routine is when I get to explore new project ideas or when I have small AHA moments of realization on how far we’ve come.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
If you are stepping into a leadership position, trust your team and yourself, be humble, and enjoy the ride. In the end, it comes down to staying true to who you are, your values, and what moves you. Help others succeed; become an enabler of both ideas and people. Overcome the impostor syndrome!
