Ana Luiza Pessanha is an economist and public policy professional dedicated to strengthening state capacity and improving government performance. A graduate of UFRJ with a master’s degree in public administration from FGV-EAESP, she was an Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program fellow at the University of British Columbia. She has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector and academia, working on the coordination of applied research, the development of indicators, and the formulation of public policies in collaboration with different levels of government. She also co-founded ECONecta, a mentorship program that has supported nearly 100 young women economists across Brazil.