Esperanza Lasagabaster is the Practice Manager on Trade and Competitiveness for the South Asia Region of the World Bank. From 2011-2014, she was Manager of the Innovation, Technology and Enterprise Group at the World Bank.

In her work, she delivered policy advice on the governance, design and implementation of policies and programs to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across the globe.

She formerly worked as a Sr. economist in the Latin American group, where she supported programs on innovation across the region, in particular Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay.

Prior to that, she was Sr. Economist in the Europe and Central Asia, and South Asia Regions of the World Bank. From 2000-2002, she worked as economist at the Inter-American Development Bank (2003-2008) and the Institute of International Finance (2000-2002). She has researched and published on innovation policy and other private sector development policies.

She earned a Ph.D. and a M.Sc. in economics from Cornell University.