Our Team

Santiago “Santi” Garces serves as Technical Lead for AI for Impact, and its InnovateMA co-op program in partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Through AI for Impact, students use artificial intelligence and human-centered design to deliver cutting-edge projects that solve public sector problems and improve lives.

He is driven by early experiences in his native Bogotá, Colombia and has dedicated his career to make government work better for people through technology, process, and design. Prior to his role as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Boston, Santi served in transformational CIO positions in South Bend and Pittsburgh. Santi was named a Rising Star by Route Fifty, Executive of the Year by LocalSmart, and has received recognition from Bloomberg Philanthropies. He was a Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum Fellow, and currently serves as a member of the People-Centered Smart-Cities working group from UN-Habitat. Santi co-founded the innovation and talent incubator nonprofit,enFocus, in South Bend . He served as a co-founding board member of the MetroLab Network, an international network of City University partnerships working to bring the impact of science to City residents.