Natalia Martínez-Kalínina

Cofounder and COO

Base

Alma Maters: Harvard University, Columbia University

Natalia Martínez-Kalínina was born in Cuba and grew up in Havana, Moscow, and Mexico City before being granted asylum in the United States. She is an organizational psychologist and holds degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University. She works primarily at the intersection of entrepreneurship, technology, economic progress, and urban development and is deeply passionate about connecting across geographies, access gaps, and the narratives of otherness.

Natalia is the cofounder and COO of Base, a membership club that brings great minds together for curated social experiences meant to hack serendipity. She is also the founder and principal at NMK Group, where she advises clients on economic development, human capital design, and impact strategy. Previously, she was the founding general manager and Latin America lead for Cambridge Innovation Center, chief technology and innovation officer at Roots of Hope, and product strategist at Ultimate Software. Natalia has also been the founder of Awesome Foundation, Aminta Ventures, and Immigrant Powered, among other organizations. She has been a contributor to outlets such as The Huffington Post, the World Economic Forum, Mic, La Nación and The Miami Herald.