Laura Ballesteros is a young politician and sustainable leader, with 15 years of hard work in public and private sector. She is an expert in agenda setting, and policy and regulation, in urban affairs (Ex. Mobilty and Road Safety).
Former Congresswoman at Mexico’s City Local Assambly (ALCDMX), she has a Bachelor in Political Science from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey), highest GPA of her class. Also she has a Masters in Strategic Management and Innovation from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB), in an IUP Program.
As a Congresswoman during the 2012-2015 legislative period, she built the new regulations and policies for Mexico City, in Mobility and Road Safety. Such as the new Mobility Law, changing the old transportation and roads model, for a public and sustainable transport oriented one, recognizing mobility as a social right and an important part of the Road Safety Agenda. Setting a new level of priority in the streets for vulnerable users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. This new regulation also creates new specialized government capacities such as the design of pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure.
As Undersecretary of Planning in the Ministry of Mobility of Mexico City, in 2015-2017 she undertook the first Regulation of Transport Digital Platforms Companies (Uber and Cabify), and the new off street Parking Regulation that limits the spaces for car parking in new Buildings. And she implemented a new electro mobility strategy. She also led a coalition to build Mexico’s City Road Safety policy, adopting the Vision Zero philosophy. This led to a new traffic and Road Safety Regulation that decreases the speed limits on the roads, among other actions that have resulted in a reduction of 18% in road fatalities.
She is deeply involved in the NGO’s urban causes. Now, Laura leads the Women in Motion Initiative, an Iberoamerican Leadership Center for Women in the Sustainable Agenda, as a founding member and Executive Secretary. And she is working as a founding member and President of The Urban Mobility Inititative since 2018, the first Mobility Laboraty in Mexico.
Since 2014 she is an independent political actor not affiliated to any Political Party. With a wide national and international network.
Currently, Laura is a substitute Senator at the Mexican Congress, for the period 2018 – 2024. And from that sit, she will continue to advocate for the urban, mobility and road safety agenda.