Martin Güemes has a master's degree in Communications. In 2019, he took over as Secretary of Modernization of the State of the Province of Salta, where he leads a team of 18 officials and 100 public agents. He was part of the mayor's cabinet for current Governor, Gustavo Sáenz, for 4 years. He is also Director of the Agency for Scientific Promotion and Technological Innovation of the Province and Director of the State Telecommunications Company in Saltic. In 2018, he was chosen by JCI International among young people from 5,000 cities, as one of the 20 most outstanding in the world for the municipal management. In addition, during his tenure, the city of Salta was recognized as a smart city by the Inter-American Telecommunications Association. He has 15 years of experience in both the public and private spheres, having advised 60 national and international institutions and companies. Martin is also a university professor at the Catholic University of Salta and was a professor at the University of Belgrano, the University of Salvador, visiting professor at the Austral University and at the UCES where he was a researcher and academic career coordinator. He gives lectures in different provinces and other countries. He was also part of non-governmental organizations such as Norte Sustentable, Enseñá por Argentina, among others.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Connectivity and Reduction of the Digital Divide in the Rural Communities of Salta as an Essential Element for the Emergence of Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses 

The project reduced the digital divide in over 10 rural communities in the Province of Salta and worked with local companies and governments to encourage the community to think about the internet as a means for training their professional and personal growth. Martin had an incredibly successful project in which he hosted 64 workshops on child grooming prevention, cybersecurity, and electronic commerce. A total of 5,489 people participated in the workshops; a number much higher than anticipated. Throughout the course of the project, Martin received requests to host additional workshops in many nearby towns.

The project provided young people from rural communities with concrete tools that allowed them to reduce their fear of technology and the internet, and the risk of grooming and other cybercrimes. It also encouraged women in the communities to use the internet as a means to achieve economic self-sufficiency that allowed them to reduce the risk of gender violence and gender inequalities that exist in access to information technologies and communication. At the same time, the project collaborated with communities to promote initiatives that improve Internet connectivity and bring opportunities for education in technology. Martin made a concerted effort to include as many communities as possible in his project’s implementation by visiting remote areas and translating one of his workshops into Wichi.

"The workshop was held at a time of real need for our institution, the students were going through different situations of digital violence... what was explained by the trainers was clear, opening the opportunity for debate and questions from the...boys and girls.” – Project Partner

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Martin was a participant in the IVLP Project Entrepreneurship as the Engine of Prosperity and Stability - Small Business Development, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.

Martin's exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "Upon my return I have been able to move forward with specific projects that directly influence what I was able to see during the trip. From my role in the government, I was able to carry out projects such as the design of an "Innovation Hub" that we will build in Salta taking ideas from what I was able to experience in Cleveland (Thinkbox), Akron (Bounce Innovation Hub) and in various conversations held during the trip or free Wi-Fi and digital identity projects as a tool for access to service."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Akron, OH; Cleveland, OH; Chicago, IL

"The IVLP experience in the United States was very inspiring for me." - Martin Güemes

Country: Argentina

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