Graciela Leal is a Social and Behavior Change (SBC) specialist with 15 years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based communication and advocacy programs across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. As Director of Programs and Impact at Tsikbal, she leads multi-country initiatives that promote health, nutrition, gender equality, and environmental sustainability through participatory and research-driven approaches.

Her work bridges entertainment-education, strategic communication, and community engagement to foster meaningful and measurable social and behavioral change. Graciela is experienced in translating complex research into actionable insights, managing multidisciplinary teams, and strengthening local capacities to design and implement effective SBC strategies.

Before joining Tsikbal, she served as Director of Research and Methodology at Rising Impact (formerly PCI Media), where she guided the development of large-scale SBC strategies, learning frameworks, and evaluation systems. Her leadership has helped advance innovative approaches that integrate storytelling, data, and community participation to address critical development challenges.

Graciela holds a Master’s in Sociology of Education from New York University and a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies from ITESO University in Guadalajara, Mexico. She is passionate about culturally grounded storytelling and collaborative design processes that amplify local voices and promote systemic change.