Celeste Diaz Ferraro, Penn State University, a PhD candidate in management, organization studies and social thought, joined IHMA in 2017 to engage in a vibrant community bridging the divide between scholars and practitioners. Her research attempts to uncover ways business can be used as a tool to support human dignity, well-being and resilience, while her teaching and public engagement help individuals and communities leverage this knowledge for impact.

Ms. Diaz Ferraro’s practitioner experience with market-based transformation in emerging economies drives her scholarly interest in processes of power, conflict, and social change. Her current research, set in the context of the nascent industry of genomic medicine, investigates how new fields emerge and new practices spread among organizations and entrepreneurial ventures, while a second stream explores the role micro- and small enterprises play in fostering human flourishing in local economies.

Prior to entering academia, Ms. Diaz Ferraro co-founded a strategy consultancy working with small and micro-enterprises oriented toward social or environmental missions. Previously she held strategy and stakeholder-relations roles in global hospitality and communications firms, as well as policy/communications roles with the government of Puerto Rico and International Finance Corporation, the private sector development arm of the World Bank. She holds a BA from Trinity University and an MBA from Georgetown University.