Celia Gueto Melo
I’m an Associate Program Officer at the Internet Society Foundation, where I manage the Strengthening Communities / Improving Lives and Livelihoods (SCILLS) grant program — supporting people and communities to use the Internet more skillfully to expand educational and economic opportunities. I believe in grantmaking built on trust, dialogue, and shared learning with grantees. That’s where real impact begins.
Before joining the Foundation, I worked in Spanish philanthropy focused on Latin America and West Africa, leading education programs centered on participation, co-creation, and bidirectional learning.
Earlier, I worked in communications and citizenship participation within the European Union and in Indian higher education — experiences that deepened my understanding of how knowledge and collaboration travel across borders and sectors. With a background in economics and political economy, I’ve learned to see data and evidence as tools to advance human and community well-being.
If I’m not working or reading, you’ll probably find me playing any kind of sport: from table tennis to football; and by night, I’m happiest on the dance floor.