Our Team
A bi-national leadership team backed by a network of academic collaborators from world-class institutions.
Leadership
Richard Hanson
Executive Director & Founder
With over 20 years of experience in rural Oaxaca, Richard has built the relationships and systems that make Weaving Partnerships possible. His deep understanding of community dynamics combined with systems thinking has created a unique model for sustainable development.
Richard bridges the worlds of grassroots organizing and institutional research, ensuring that academic expertise serves community needs.
Sarahi Hernández
Director of Operations, Mexico
As a native Oaxacan and experienced community organizer, Sarahi ensures that all projects maintain cultural sensitivity and community ownership. She manages day-to-day operations in Oaxaca and serves as the critical link between university teams and local communities.
Her leadership ensures projects are implemented with respect for local knowledge and sustainable practices.
Our Academic Network
Our work is strengthened by ongoing collaborations with faculty and students from leading universities. These partnerships provide technical validation, research rigor, and innovative solutions to complex challenges.
The University of Texas at Austin
Anchor institution for renewable energy and social work
Cockrell School of Engineering
Students and faculty design and test modular microgrids for Solar Community Hubs, focusing on resilient power systems and UV-C water purification technologies.
McCombs School of Business
Collaborating on market-entry strategies and financial modeling for social enterprise scaling, helping indigenous cooperatives access B2B markets.
Steve Hicks School of Social Work
Providing methodology for community assessment, monitoring, and evaluation (MEL) to ensure social impact is measured alongside technical outputs.
The University of Texas at Dallas
Digital systems and technical infrastructure development
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
Leading our digital agency and technical systems development. UTD teams build the internal operational tools, apps, and digital platforms that professionalize indigenous collectives and enable market integration.
Universidad Anáhuac Oaxaca
Local R&D and implementation partner
As our primary Mexico-based academic partner, UAO provides a vital talent pipeline of Oaxacan students across business, design, and engineering. They serve as the direct bridge between academic theory and local ground truth, ensuring our solutions are culturally appropriate and technically sound.
Join Our Academic Network
Is your university interested in providing students with real-world research opportunities and contributing to sustainable development?
