Sandra Pedraza

Sandra Pedraza is an engineer with a solid academic background and over 15 years of experience dedicated to strengthening Puerto Rico's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. She graduated from the Universidad Industrial de Santander (Colombia), where she earned a Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering. She also completed a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus.

Her career has focused on designing and implementing strategic programs for entrepreneur development and integrating innovation in the academic field. She was the director of the Startup.pr program, part of the Technology Accelerator at Ana G. Méndez University. She also led the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at this institution, where she promoted a transversal entrepreneurial culture in its academic programs.

She managed the Hispanic Entrepreneurial Program for Innovation (HEPI) and High School Enterprise Puerto Rico, supported by Michigan Tech University and the National Science Foundation. These initiatives resulted in increased entrepreneurial skills and participation among Hispanic communities and students through practical, inclusive approaches.

Her experience includes technology commercialization and advancing market-driven innovation projects. She contributed to the Xcelerator Network with the University of Kentucky and the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust, and as a proposal evaluator for VentureWell’s Pathways for Innovation, supporting STEM entrepreneurship.

She has led projects on professional development, academic mobility, and inter-institutional alliances, coordinating with the 100K Strong in the Americas program, U.S. Department of Energy, and private entities to establish strategic partnerships for innovation and global training.

Currently, she serves as Dean of the School of General Education at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. She has actively promoted entrepreneurship as a formative competency. In this role, she conceptualized and directed two projects funded by the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA): the Capital Readiness Program (the only one awarded in Puerto Rico) and the Minority Colleges and Universities Program. Both projects focus on improving the readiness of minority businesses and fostering access to capital and resources.

In 2024, she was recognized as a Pillar of Puerto Rican Entrepreneurship by the Echar Pa’lante initiative. This honor highlights her sustained commitment to economic development and social innovation on the island.