Saskia Nino de Rivera

Focus Areas

Saskia is a Mexican-American national who is currently studying a Master’ s in Human Rights and Fundamental Principles and holds a Bachelor’ s degree in Psychology. Currently, she is the President of the non-profit organization Reinserta, which she founded when she was 24 years old, in order to fight for a safer Mexico through its penitentiary system. Previously, she worked at the National Anti-Kidnap Coordination of the Mexican Secretariat of Government. She also worked as Deputy Director for Vulnerable Groups at the Coyoacán Delegation of the Mexico City government, Intern at the Kidnapping Negotiation Area of Instituto Carstens, and Volunteer at SEDAC. In 2015, she drove the creation of the “maternity in prison” section of the Criminal Execution Law, and was invited to create and work for the Social Responsibility Agenda 2015-2016. In 2014, Saskia participated in a number of workshops for the Mexican criminal system reform. Saskia was selected as a Mexican leader of the women’ s first generation of Raising Talent Women’ s Forum and as one of the 3,000 Ashoka Fellows. She was nominated for the Nelson Mandela – Graça Machel Innovation Awards 2016 and was named “Next Generation Leader” by Time Magazine. She was awarded with the UBS Visionaries 2016 prize, is recognized by Global Shapers and Women’ s Forum Rising Talent México, and is a Vital Voices Ambassador as of 2016. She received an American School Foundation Leadership award in 2006, was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2015, was named a Next Generation Leaders by TIME Magazine in 2015, and was selected by FORBES Magazine in 2016 as one of the TOP 100 powerful women.

Saskia was selected as a 2019 Global Leadership Award Honoree and a VVLead Ambassador.

Learn more about Saskia’s work with her 2019 Global Leadership Award film.