Debora de Castro Leal

Débora de Castro Leal is a scholar and activist working at the intersection of technology and society, focusing on the social impacts of technology through decolonial and social design perspectives. Her research explores how marginalized communities in the Amazon region leverage digital technologies to address the challenges of global capitalism, adopting a holistic view of technology from production chains to societal implications. Débora spent ten years engaging in social development projects at MIT D-Lab, organizing multiple design summits, and serving on the steering committee of the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN). She is currently a researcher at the University of Siegen in Germany, where her work investigates community strategies for navigating economic and technological pressures, as well as issues of social stability in post-conflict zones.

• 2013–Present·University of Siegen·Researcher
  • Focus on how communities in the Amazon region use digital technologies to confront economic and technological pressures, and research the technology production chain from a decolonial perspective.
• 2010–2020·MIT D-Lab·Social Development Project Consultant
  • Participated in and organized global design summits, providing technological support for social development projects.

• 2015–2017·Schumacher College (UK)·Master's Degree
  • Specialization: Regenerative dialogues in Amazonian communities
• 2018–2023·University of Siegen (Germany)·Ph.D.
  • Specialization: Use of digital technologies by Amazonian rainforest edge communities and their connection to global capitalism