Santiago is currently working as a project manager at Stiftung Mercator, focusing on the participation and integration of (low-skilled) migrants in the labor market. Prior to joining Stiftung Mercator’s participation and cohesion department, Santiago worked on foreign policy and international affairs at Körber-Stiftung and on women’s participation and post-conflict reconciliation at Colombia's Presidential Council for Women’s Equity. Santiago holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and a master’s degree in sociocultural and European studies. He self-identifies as a person of color.