Dr. Barbara La Cara

I hold a PhD in Technology and Innovation Management from ETH Zurich (focus on Social Innovation and Business Ethics). My recent work has been in higher education, ed-tech, start-up competition, social entrepreneurship, and impact measurement.

Since 2018, I have led the ETH Talent Initiative at ETH Zurich to equip future graduates with relevant transferable competencies for better employability and civic engagement. As an Impact Advisor, I also support early-stage innovation projects at the ETH Student Project House to promote social and environmental impact. 

Since 2023, as the project manager of the Impact of Education initiative, I have been supporting the Rectorate in monitoring the creation of impact through ETH education and anticipate future needs for education at ETH, to continue to meet the needs of society at our very best. Since November 2023, I have been a member of the Working Group on Future Skills for Engineers and Researchers as an expert from ETH in the Alliance of European Technical Universities (ENHANCE).

Outside my work, I support the Innosuisse Innovation Council as an Expert in evaluating innovation projects at the national and international levels, serve as a pro-bono juror and coach in the Venture start-up competition in the Non-profit and Social Enterprises track, and have engaged in teaching as a guest lecturer in Social Enterprises and Impact Measurement in curricular (MSc in Management Technology and Economics at ETH Zurich, MSc Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Zurich) and extra-curricular programmes (Hack4Good).