Ximena Banegas Zallio
Global Plastics and Petrochemical Campaigner
Ximena Banegas (she/her) is an environmental activist and campaigner from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, with extensive experience in leading large-scale campaigns, managing coalitions, and fostering global collaborations to drive impactful change. Her passion for driving systemic change to protect the planet, has allowed her work to span across diverse campaigns, from combating corporate greenwashing in the plastics and fashion industries to transitioning financial investments from fossil fuels to clean energy solutions through the bonds market.
In her role as Senior Campaigner at The Sunrise Project, Ximena has been instrumental in leading
the Toxic Bonds Network, coordinating a diverse coalition of NGOs, financial experts, and
environmental activists to shift investor appetite and amplify social movements advocating for a
just energy transition. She also oversaw the Bonds Training Program, working with partner
organisations to build capacity and integrate bond finance strategies into broader climate finance
campaigns.
Prior to joining The Sunrise Project, she worked leading campaigns exposing corporate greenwashing and influencing policies across supply chains. Her work included crafting strategies to hold corporations accountable in the plastics and fashions sectors.
Ximena’s advocacy journey spans continents, from combating deforestation in the Amazon and Chiquitano dry forests to working on shark fin soup bans in China and human trafficking prevention in Southeast Asia. Before her work in activism, Ximena represented Bolivia at the United World College in Hong Kong, where she honed her international relations skills. She later served as Project Manager at Amigos Richmond Latino Center in the United States, where she built partnerships with government entities and donors, led fundraising initiatives, and managed educational and health programs for Latino youth.
Her career also includes time at the Smithsonian Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where she conducted ethnographic research and coordinated the renowned 51st Smithsonian Folklife Festival, celebrating global cultural diversity.
Ximena holds a liberal arts degree in International Studies and Business & Non-profit Management from Earlham College. She pursued postgraduate studies in Anthropology, Ethnography, and Cultural Heritage Studies through Erasmus+, attending universities in London, France, Hungary, and Norway. Fluent in Spanish, English, French, and Italian, she connects deeply with communities and stakeholders worldwide.
In 2020, Ximena was honoured with the Youth Peace Prize as a Bolivian Living Abroad, recognizing her commitment to driving positive change. Outside of work, she enjoys dancing and training for half-marathons, painting with watercolors and will soon be starting her own podcast.
Ximena can be reached at [email protected].
Connect with her on LinkedIn.