Raúl Cortés

Raúl Cortés is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in designing and building innovation ecosystems at the intersection of public, private, and social sectors.

Raúl has led numerous projects, connected hundreds of individuals and organizations, and established social networks, communities, and local, national, and international working groups.

His expertise is showcased in the 'Instituciones que Aprenden' report for the XVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State, focusing on the HIP: Innovation Public Hexagon with 6 vectors to accelerate the transition towards networked, open, flexible, and democratic organizations.

Currently serving as the Director General of Open Government & Social Innovation in Aragon, Raúl spearheads initiatives such as LAAAB to foster a participatory, transparent, and open innovation ecosystem. The projects under his supervision include Aragón's Open Government online portal, CVOL, Social Impact Academy, Comunidad Aspasia, Gobierno Fácil, Visual Gob, Libros que Unen, Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, Co-design of public services, and Hateblockers among others.

Previously, Raúl held the position of Director of Zaragoza Activa, an entrepreneurship and social innovation ecosystem. He played a crucial role in projects like La Colaboradora, Made in Zaragoza, Remolacha HackLAB, Vivero de empresas, Semillero de Ideas, and Laboratorio ThinkZAC, engaging over 11,000 people in the ZAC network, organizing more than 3,000 events, and supporting the establishment of over 500 companies.

Raúl Cortés recently completed a Master's in Philosophy of Contemporary Challenges, focusing his thesis on the impact of hacker ethics on innovation ecosystems and the transformative potential of open source code in society. His education also includes studies in Advertising and Public Relations, Urban Strategic Development, Participatory Techniques, and Social Work.

Moreover, Raúl participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program by the U.S. Department of State in late 2019, where he explored various civic activism and democratic processes. This experience reshaped his approach to project scalability, as seen in initiatives like Frena la Curva, a platform he initiated to harness citizen energy during the pandemic, benefiting 22 countries, engaging 2,000 individuals, and spawning 105 social impact projects.