Olimar Maisonet-Guzman is a 2009 Harry S. Truman Scholar and a 2011 David L. Boren Fellow. She is originally from Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor’s Degree on Political Science and Economic. She has a Master’s degree from American University on Global Environmental Policy with a focus on global water policy and public private partnerships. 

During her Master's program, she spent a year in Brazil conducting energy and water policy research at the University of Sao Paulo. During this time, she worked on the development of a sustainable infrastructure and sanitation plan for the favelas in Porto Alegre.

Furthermore, she spent a year in Brazil conducting energy and water governance structures at the University of Sao Paulo's Climate and Water Resources Research Group. Currently, she works at IREX, an international development NGO, on public access projects and campaigns aimed at improving governance outcomes for the post-2015 development agenda.

 Olimar has extensive policy experience, having previously worked at the U.S. State Department, SIWI Young Professionals Action Team, and as a policy coordinator for the United Nations Rio+20 and the post-2015 negotiations processes.