Francesca de Quesada Covey—known to many as Cesi—is a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of technology, economic development and public innovation. With over 15 years of cross-sector experience, she has built a reputation for advancing solutions to complex societal challenges while catalyzing inclusive economic growth.

Most recently, Cesi served as chief innovation and economic development officer for Miami-Dade County, where she led transformative initiatives within a $12 billion government serving nearly 3 million residents. Her leadership helped grow non-tax revenue, attract high-impact investment, expand support for small businesses and launch a countywide scholarship program enabling high school graduates to pursue an associate’s degree.

She also co-founded and continues to serve as regional innovation officer for South Florida’s ClimateReady Tech Hub (CRTH)—one of only 12 tech hubs designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce. CRTH unites government, academia and industry to commercialize climate resilience technologies. Under Cesi’s leadership, the consortium secured $22.5 million in federal and private funding to advance climate-tech innovation, create jobs and strengthen the regional workforce.

A champion of public-private collaboration, Cesi co-founded the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA)—a first-of-its-kind platform investing in startups that address civic and public sector challenges. Backed by the Knight Foundation, philanthropist Ken Griffin and Miami-Dade County, MDIA has funded 11 companies and launched four public innovation challenges focused on real-world government and community impact.

Earlier in her career, Cesi served in the Obama White House as Deputy Counselor for Strategic Engagement, developing partnerships between the federal government and the business and technology sectors. She later joined Meta (formerly Facebook), where she led business development for payments and connectivity initiatives, helping expand global digital infrastructure and support small business growth.

She also worked as a venture investor at TheVentureCity, supporting early-stage technology startups solving global problems through scalable innovation.

Francesca holds a B.A. in political science and French from Columbia University and a master’s degree in finance from Sciences Po in Paris. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she brings a deep commitment to building resilient, future-ready communities. She lives in Miami-Dade with her husband and two daughters.