Diego’s passion for social and economic development took him from McKinsey to the African Leadership Academy (ALA), founded by alum Fred Swaniker (Johannesburg, 1999-2001). At ALA, he was inspired by the vast potential he saw in empowering the region’s most promising young leaders to solve their own communities’ problems. After running two pilots in Latin America, he co-founded LALA in 2018.
Diego says he is thrilled to have been selected as a Young Global Leader. “It's a huge honor and recognition. I am proud that the impact we've had with LALA—and our future potential—is being recognized at this level. It's an invitation to join a diverse community of socially-minded people who aspire to become better leaders, to do more for the world, and to do so together, and it's an opportunity to dream even bigger.”
He adds, “At LALA, we work to develop a new generation of leaders who will have an outsized impact on the world. Entering the YGL community—itself a community of leaders who are addressing big problems—can be catalytic. I'm most excited about accelerating our scaling plans—and thinking globally. I've already heard stories of YGLers supporting each others' country entry efforts. This could dramatically increase our impact. I've spent the last 8 years sprinting non-stop. It is such a gift to be able to step back intentionally, and to learn with and from the other YGLers. “I'm a big believer of bringing together different perspectives around a shared larger purpose; we do it at LALA, and YGL is clearly doing it. I know new and powerful ideas will emerge that I could make happen with 10-20% of my time. I don't yet know what these will be, and I'm excited to discover them!”
