Lorena Molina-Irizarry
She is the co-founder and former Director of Operations at the Census Open Innovation Labs within the U.S. Census Bureau, bringing together technologists, government and communities through open-tech collaboration, human-centered design and innovation models, tapping into the power of open data and tech for good; implementing open-innovation initiatives like the Open Data for Good Grand Challenge and scaling The Opportunity Project. In this capacity she also managed strategic partnerships with Big Tech, media, entertainment and civic-tech organizations to protect the integrity of the 2020 Census, creating data-sharing initiatives through public-private partnerships, and scaling innovation programs to address misinformation/disinformation about the decennial census and increasing data-driven decision making at all levels, across sectors and industries— this work led to the creation of the first ever Trust & Safety team in government. She also served as Technology Communications Liaison for the Census Bureau’s CIO and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), leading strategic communications on technology, cybersecurity, and innovation.
Lorena Molina-Irizarry is the co-founder and Co-CEO for Strategy & Partnerships at 1iLabs, with a mission to transform ecosystems into networked engines of sustainable economic growth through data infrastructure, digital intelligence, and design of high-impact partnerships across government, academia, industry, and social sectors. She leads 1iLabs’ strategic vision emphasizing value-driven collaborations, public-private initiatives, and the creation of a trusted, secure digital ecosystem and regional talent development to drive innovation alongside inclusive socioeconomic advancement in the digital economy.
Lorena Molina-Irizarry serves as Senior Advisor at the U.S. Census Bureau. Prior she served as Senior Advisor for Puerto Rico Strategy and Implementation to the Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary and to the White House Puerto Rico Initiative, integrating efforts around economic growth for Puerto Rico. Prior to this role, she served as Senior Advisor to the American Rescue Plan (ARP) implementation team at the White House.