With a focus on social innovation developed in ArtCenter’s Designmatters program, teacher, strategist and product designer Mariana Prieto uses design thinking to explore innovative solutions for complex issues. As a design innovation lead at International Rescue Committee, Prieto co-founded the Airbel Center, the organization’s newest initiative tasked with designing large-scale solutions for people affected by crises. Previously she was a global design fellow at IDEO.org; a fellow at Polymath Ventures, where she co-led a team tasked to design companies meant to scale to over $1 billion in Latin America; and co-founded Blue Barrel Concepts, an organization focused on improving the quality of life for people without access to running water. Prieto has taught at USC Marshall School of Business; guest lectured at Stanford University and the U.C. Berkeley Haas School of Business; and was a speaker at TEDxYouth@Caltech. She lives in New York with her husband and their bulldog, Cholula.