Carlos Rodriguez-Mayacen is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his B.A. in Medical Anthropology with a minor in Entrepreneurship. A first-generation Cuban immigrant, Carlos draws inspiration from both his lived experiences and academic training to address disparities in global health. In Fall 2025, he will begin a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Carlos’s interests lie at the intersection of pharmaceutical access, public health infrastructure, and ethical health innovation. His work at the MAI Foundation includes supporting business development strategies, contributing to strategic development, developing donor engagement materials, and conducting research on regional health needs and medication access challenges. He is especially passionate about developing cross-sectoral solutions to medication injustice in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Carlos previously conducted research on COVID-19 in socioeconomically vulnerable communities in South Florida, co-founded HOSA: Future Health Professionals at Miami Dade College, and launched a peer mentoring initiative supporting first-generation students. His work has been recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative University and the Hayden B. Renwick and Miami Dade Honors College.

Carlos aims to build a career focused on expanding access to affordable medicines, healthcare, and globally informed public health systems. He is excited to continue learning from the MAI Foundation’s mission-driven work and to apply those lessons as he begins his graduate studies.