Delfina Irazusta

Delfina Irazusta is an Argentine leader in public innovation and local development. Founder and global director of the Local Innovation Network (RIL), she leads an organization that connects more than 600 municipalities in Latin America, strengthening territorial management through cooperation, data, and new technologies. Internationally recognized by programs such as Ashoka, Obama Leaders, and the World Economic Forum, she has built a leadership model based on collaborative networks and practical solutions that transform life in medium and small cities.

Origin of a transformative vision

Born in Buenos Aires in 1987, Delfina Irazusta developed early sensitivity to the challenges of small and medium-sized cities, often marginalized by national policies. This experience drove her to specialize in Political Science and later in local development and urban management, with the purpose of designing solutions that could strengthen municipal governments and generate equitable opportunities across territories.

Building collaborative networks from public policy

Her career began in applied research and public management, where she identified the need to create direct exchange spaces among municipalities. The experience showed her that while local challenges were diverse, many shared a common base: lack of tools, limited technical resources, and scarce cooperation networks. Faced with this reality, she designed a model inspired by the CREA methodology from the agricultural sector, adapted to the logic of local public management. From there, the seed was planted for what would become one of the most influential municipal innovation networks in Latin America.

RIL: a network with real impact

In 2014 she founded the Local Innovation Network (RIL), with the goal of connecting mayors and government teams to share solutions and generate collective learning. Under her leadership, RIL evolved into a platform that brings together more than 600 local governments. The organization implemented innovative mechanisms such as groups of mayors working on common issues, solution maps that record successful experiences, and thematic networks linking thousands of officials across the country and the region. During the pandemic, RIL facilitated the exchange of hundreds of emergency initiatives, demonstrating the agility of its model and its usefulness in critical contexts.

Recognitions that validate the model

Delfina’s work has not gone unnoticed. She was recognized by global organizations and leadership programs that valued her ability to scale a model born in Argentina to other countries. Distinctions such as Ashoka Fellow, Young Global Leader, and Obama Leaders confirmed the transformative power of her vision. Beyond the awards, what stands out is how each recognition opened new opportunities to expand the network and add strategic allies in international arenas.

Contemporary vision: technology and public policy

Since 2025, as global director of RIL, Delfina has promoted an agenda focused on the digital transformation of local management. One of the most recent milestones is the creation of the Cities Coalition for Artificial Intelligence, which seeks to integrate AI tools in areas such as urban mobility, sustainability, territorial planning, and service delivery. The aim is for technological innovation to be applied with ethical criteria and social impact, ensuring that medium and small cities can also access cutting-edge solutions.

Impact through a strategic vision

Delfina Irazusta’s career is characterized by articulating a strategic vision with operational capacity. Her leadership combines three key elements:

Practical efficiency: concrete working methods among municipalities, ranging from co-creation workshops to technical visits and professional assistance.

Scalability: an organization born in a local context that grew to achieve regional presence and generate international interest.

Legitimacy: validation through concrete achievements rather than discourse, with a reputation built on measurable results in local governments.

Today, Delfina embodies a form of leadership that understands politics as an exercise in cooperation and network building. Her ability to connect diverse realities and to integrate innovation with public management positions RIL as a living laboratory of solutions for territorial development.