María José Sada

María José Sada, Graduate Fellow, supports our Mexico practice.

María José Sada is pursuing a Master of International Affairs in economic and political development at Columbia SIPA. She is originally from Monterrey, Mexico. Maria is passionate about the intersection of business and policy.

Most recently, María worked with PepsiCo’s Global Human Rights team, where she led the 2023 Modern Slavery Statement and helped develop an action plan to integrate a human rights lens into PepsiCo’s climate change strategy. María also interned at a global business strategy firm, where she advised private sector clients on political, economic, and regulatory developments in Latin America. Prior to SIPA, Maria was a consultant at Dalberg Advisors, where she focused on gender lens investing, financial inclusion, climate change and the environment, and education. Before Dalberg, María worked at Sigma Alimentos, an international food and beverage firm, where she led the 2030 strategic planning process.

María is passionate about increasing educational opportunities for youth. She served on the Boards of the Harvard Clubs of Mexico and Monterrey, where she led student engagement initiatives to help students apply to US colleges and oversaw a scholarship program for high school students.

She graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in government and a secondary in economics. Outside of work, María enjoys horseback riding, mountain biking, skiing, and traveling.