Débora de Castro Leal

Débora de Castro Leal is an active social designer and decolonial thinker dedicated to researching the impact of digital technology on societal development. With over 15 years of experience in technology development, she has participated in numerous social development programs through the D-Lab at MIT. Currently, she is a researcher at the University of Siegen in Germany, focusing on how communities in post-conflict and socially unstable regions cope with economic and technological pressures. Her doctoral research explores how communities on the fringes of the Amazon rainforest leverage digital technologies to connect with global supply chains, analyzing the full lifecycle of technological production from a decolonial perspective. She has also participated in various international design summits, actively advocating for social justice and the sustainable development of digital technologies.

• 2013–Present·University of Siegen·Researcher
  • Investigating economic and technological pressures in post-conflict and socially unstable regions, with a focus on the application of digital technology from a decolonial perspective.
• 2010–2020·MIT D-Lab·Social Development Program Lead
  • Organized and collaborated on multiple international design summits, promoting technological solutions for societal development.

• 2010–2012·Schumacher College (United Kingdom)·Master's Degree
  • Focused on regenerative dialogues and community studies in the Amazon region.
• 2000–2004·Data Processing and System Analysis·Bachelor's Degree
  • Specialized in information technology and system analysis.