Santiago is a two-time AI founder and former researcher at MIT CSAIL, where he worked with Fortune 500 companies and US government agencies on applied AI initiatives. After exiting his second venture in 2023, he returned to academia and now teaches AI at Columbia University. He leads the Generative AI initiative at Mapfre Insurance, overseeing internal AI efforts and actively scouting startups for strategic partnerships. Santiago remains deeply connected to the East Coast startup ecosystem, advising and mentoring entrepreneurs through accelerator programs at MIT, Yale, and Techstars. Santiago holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an MBA in Management of Technology from MIT.