Álvaro Rodríguez is Founding Managing Partner of IGNIA, the leading and pioneering venture capital firm based in Mexico, investing in world-class technology entrepreneurs who address the needs of the emerging middle class across Latin America.Álvaro is a former Senior Lecturer and current Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School (HBS), where for the past four years he has taught MBA and Executive Education programs on entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.For more than three decades, he has been at the forefront of financial inclusion. He served as Chairman of Compartamos Banco (Gentera), the largest microfinance institution in the Americas—serving six million clients with a workforce of 28,000—and since 2015 has continued as Executive Advisor. He also chaired Accion International, the Boston-based global pioneer in microfinance and inclusive finance.Álvaro has also held C-suite positions in NYSE-listed companies, including CFO of Vitro, CEO of Farmacias Benavides, and CFO of Grupo Elektra. His leadership and impact have been recognized worldwide: he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (2005), one of the Top 30 Social Entrepreneurs globally by Forbes (2012), recipient of the National Entrepreneurship Award from the President of Mexico (2014), and honored with the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award (2019)—the School’s highest recognition. He has also received Distinguished Alumni Awards from both Berkshire School and his alma matter ITAM.In addition to his venture and corporate work, Álvaro serves on the boards of the Social Progress Index (which he co-founded), ITAM Epic Lab for Entrepreneurship (founding board member), and the Oxford University Saïd Business School Global Council.A lifelong athlete, Álvaro is a decorated rower, winning medals at the Pan-American Games and US Elite Nationals (1991) and representing Mexico at the World University Games (1989).He holds a BS in Economics from ITAM and an MBA from Harvard Business School.