Working where public money meets communities.
Lawyer and public policy professional. I have worked on how public money is spent, through procurement, transparency and supplier development, and now on how capital reaches small businesses. Next: public finance.
U.S. Department of State Speaker Program, 2025: Honduras, Mexico, Albania · Chicago · English and Spanish
I'm a lawyer and public policy professional. I grew up on the U.S.–Mexico border and started in Mexico's consular service, in Fresno and Chicago. At the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce I was Director of Policy, built an AI tool that helped small and minority-owned businesses find public contracts, ran supplier-development programs for the City of Chicago, and testified before the Illinois General Assembly and the Chicago City Council. Since 2025 I have taken part in the U.S. Department of State's Speaker Program on transparency and AI in public procurement, in Honduras, Mexico and Albania. Today I work in community lending in Chicago, helping small-business owners build credit files and get financed; I teach AI and digital skills at Instituto del Progreso Latino; and I co-chair the Champion Network of Digital Leaders Now. I'm preparing for the Securities Industry Essentials exam, with municipal securities next: the financing side of the public money I have spent years working on.
LL.B., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California · MPP, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy · Executive Certificate in Leading Economic Growth, Harvard Kennedy School · Aspen Institute Applied Data Fellow
Recognition: World Chambers Congress finalist (Geneva, 2023) · Negocios Now Chicago Latino 40 Under 40 (2024) · Co-author, “Owning the Latino Future” (Aspen Institute)
How I work
Transparency. Public money should be traceable. From Chicago's supplier programs to the roundtable with Albania's Public Procurement Agency, my work has been about making who gets public contracts, and why, visible.
Diligence. Trained as a lawyer, I read the documents. Contracts, regulations, credit files: the detail is where the risk is.
Follow-through. I build what I propose: a procurement-matching platform taken from idea to launch, supplier programs delivered for the City of Chicago, training cohorts that ended with people using the tools.
Service. Consular work, community lending and teaching in Spanish share one aim: that small and Latino-owned businesses get a fair shot at contracts and capital.
How to reach me
To invite me to speak, teach or comment, the fastest way is a 30-minute call, or write to info@adrianrodriguez.net.
For consulting and training projects for your organization, the work runs through Agora Virtual, the small consultancy I founded.
When invited, I speak and teach on AI, public procurement and small business, in English and Spanish, from procurement officials and professors to first-time entrepreneurs. The record of those talks, workshops and interviews is below.
Talks and appearances
A record of talks, workshops and interviews since 2024, most of them through the U.S. Department of State's Speaker Program. In 2026: Graphic Show MX in Morelia (August 14–15) and CANACO Servytur Chihuahua, “Impulso Digital” (August 18).
The U.S. Department of State's Speaker Program pairs U.S. professionals with embassies that request a speaker on a specific topic. Since 2025 it has taken me to Honduras, Mexico and Albania to teach and speak on AI, public procurement and small business. The engagements below come from that program and from work in Chicago and Washington, DC.
Honduras, San Pedro Sula. Universidad de San Pedro Sula (USAP), June 2025. AI in higher education, U.S. Speaker Program.
Honduras, San Pedro Sula. Club Hondureño Árabe, June 2025. Conversation with business leaders on AI adoption and competitiveness.
Honduras, Tegucigalpa. COHEP, June 2025. AI, data strategy and competitiveness, with business leaders and journalists.
Mexico, Guadalajara, Jalisco. Universidad de Guadalajara (CUCEA), June 13, 2025. “Beyond Innovation: AI as a Strategic Lever,” with U.S. Embassy Mexico and the Consulate General in Guadalajara.
Honduras, Tegucigalpa. Frente a Frente, national television, June 24, 2025. Live panel on AI, governance and the economy.
Albania, Tirana. Parliament of Albania, December 19, 2025. Meetings with Members of Parliament on AI in procurement and anti-corruption safeguards.
Albania, Tirana. Government roundtable, December 15, 2025. Public Procurement Agency, Public Procurement Commission, Centralized Purchases Operator, ministries and AKSHI: risk scoring, anomaly detection and transparency in tendering.
Albania, Tirana. Tirana Pyramid, December 16, 2025. Hands-on AI training for small and medium enterprises.
Albania, Tirana. U.S. Embassy Tirana, Chief of Mission Residence, December 15, 2025. Reception with officials and business leaders on procurement reform.
México, Michoacán, Morelia. Graphic Show MX (August 2025). Rodríguez delivered the session “Del dato a la decisión: IA aplicada a negocios creativos y PYMES” to 500+ attendees from the creative industries and regional small businesses, on using AI for data-informed decisions, productivity and growth.
United States, Chicago, Illinois. Telemundo Chicago, televised interview on the economic impact of U.S. elections (2025). Rodríguez provided analysis on market expectations, small business sentiment, public spending outlook, and the implications of electoral outcomes for local economic activity, investment behavior, and urban economic stability.
Honduras, San Pedro Sula. Centro de Convenciones Copantl, AWE Cinco Más Allá Conference (Academy for Women Entrepreneurs), U.S. Department of State U.S. Speaker Program, “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Business” (June 22–26, 2025). Rodríguez participated in the opening session and engaged women entrepreneurs on the application of artificial intelligence to small business development, digital competitiveness, and responsible technology adoption.
México, Michoacán, Morelia. Participation in the U.S. Speaker Program – AI for Small Business Development at Universidad Vasco de Quiroga (UVAQ), organized by the U.S. Embassy Mission Mexico, Morelia, August 29, 2025.
United States, Washington, DC. NAPEX 2025 Fall Conference, Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill (November 2–6, 2025). Rodríguez delivered the breakout session “Everyday AI, Extraordinary Impact: Simple Tools to Empower Your Client Work,” demonstrating accessible AI tools for nonprofit advisors and consultants, with practical applications in strategy, operations, communications, and compliance. The session emphasized responsible AI adoption and hands-on implementation for professionals without technical backgrounds.
United States, Chicago, Illinois. Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago, in collaboration with AGORA and the Instituto de Mexicanas y Mexicanos en el Exterior (SRE). Workshop series for 40 women entrepreneurs on applied artificial intelligence for small business development (2025). Rodríguez facilitated hands-on sessions demonstrating accessible AI tools to strengthen operations, marketing, and strategic decision-making, emphasizing practical adoption regardless of prior technical experience and advancing digital inclusion as a pathway to economic autonomy.
Mexico, Guadalajara, Jalisco. American Corner Guadalajara (Library Program), Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), U.S. Department of State U.S. Speaker Program — Target of Opportunity (June 13, 2025). Rodríguez led a session for women entrepreneurs on the practical application of artificial intelligence in small business operations, focusing on accessible tools, responsible implementation, and strategies to enhance productivity and digital competitiveness without requiring technical specialization.
Albania, Tirana. American Corner Tirana, open public event (Youth and Students – AI Applications and Challenges), U.S. Department of State U.S. Speaker Program (December 19, 2025). Rodríguez led a discussion with youth and university audiences on practical AI applications, governance risks, and the role of responsible technology adoption in strengthening public institutions and economic development ecosystems.
Albania, Tirana. RIT Albania (Harry Fultz Campus), academic engagement under the U.S. Department of State U.S. Speaker Program (December 15, 2025). Rodríguez facilitated an interactive discussion with professors and students on AI in higher education, exploring benefits, governance challenges, and frameworks for responsible implementation aligned with public-sector transparency and institutional accountability.
United States, Chicago, Illinois. City Colleges of Chicago – Wilbur Wright College, invited lecture on Entrepreneurship and Artificial Intelligence (2025). Rodríguez delivered a session examining how AI tools can support early-stage venture development, operational efficiency, and market validation, with emphasis on accessible adoption strategies for student entrepreneurs and small business founders navigating resource-constrained environments.
United States, Chicago, Illinois. Telemundo Chicago and NBC Chicago, media interviews on the economic impact of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on the Chicago economy (2024). Rodríguez provided analysis on projected local economic activity, small business participation, hospitality and service-sector effects, and broader implications for urban economic development and procurement opportunities tied to large-scale political events.
Honduras, Tegucigalpa. Banco Atlántida, small business convening under the U.S. Department of State U.S. Speaker Program, “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Business” (June 24, 2025). Rodríguez delivered a practical workshop for small business owners on applied AI tools, guiding participants through live development exercises and demonstrating accessible solutions to improve operations, customer engagement, and decision-making.
United States. Univision, Al Punto with Enrique Acevedo (2025). Rodríguez was interviewed on the role of artificial intelligence in expanding procurement access and economic opportunity for Latino and minority-owned businesses, discussing how AI-enabled tools can reduce information asymmetries, improve contract discovery, and strengthen participation in institutional and public-sector markets.
