Meet the Team
President
Juliana Araujo is a strategic leader with over 30 years of experience spanning the financial services, telecommunications, technology, nonprofit, and international development sectors. A purpose-driven executive, she brings deep expertise in strategic marketing and communications, organizational growth, financial inclusion, and cross-sector collaboration. She currently serves as President of the International Institute for Business Information and Growth (iiBIG).
In her role at iiBIG, Juliana is committed to advancing the organization’s mission as a trusted national and international platform where business leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators convene to exchange ideas, forge strategic partnerships, and develop solutions to complex economic and social challenges—including education finance, workforce development, and housing.
Juliana’s career includes executive and senior leadership roles in Brazil, Argentina, and the United States, as well as years of international development experience overseeing projects funded by the U.S. Government across Latin America and the Caribbean. In this capacity, she worked closely with public-sector partners, multilateral institutions, and local and U.S. stakeholders to advance higher education, institutional capacity-building, and inclusive growth initiatives.
Her corporate background includes senior leadership roles at Santander Brasil, where she served as Marketing and Communications Superintendent for the credit card division, leading multi-million-dollar campaigns, fostering product innovation, and significantly increasing customer acquisition and loyalty in a highly competitive market. She also held leadership positions at IBM, Providian Bank, and Vivo (Brazil’s largest telecommunications company), where she played a strategic role in marketing, communications, and business growth.
Juliana has a strong commitment to financial literacy and financial inclusion, having earned a certificate from Harvard Kennedy School focused on advancing inclusive economic and financial systems. This work complements her broader leadership in education finance and public-private collaboration.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Juliana serves on the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s Commission on Employment, where she helps shape workforce development strategies and promotes inclusive economic growth at the local level.
Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, Juliana is also a passionate advocate for neurodiversity and autism awareness, inspired by her personal experience as the mother of a neurodivergent child.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, an MBA, a Master’s in Education, and a Master’s in Science and Technology Policy. She has collaborated on research projects with the University of Georgia, Arizona State University, the Federal University of São Carlos (Brazil), and the State University of Campinas (Brazil). She also has a background in classical piano and is passionate about all kinds of music. When she is not working, she enjoys cooking and exploring new places with her family
