Ximena Lincolao
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ximena Lincolao | |
|---|---|
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| Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation | |
| Assumed office 11 March 2026 | |
| President | José Antonio Kast |
| Preceded by | Aldo Valle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ximena Fabiola Lincolao Pilquián September 15, 1968 |
| Citizenship | Chile • United States |
| Party | Independent |
| Alma mater | University of La Serena George Washington University |
| Occupation | Educator, entrepreneur, politician |
Ximena Fabiola Lincolao Pilquián (born 15 September 1968), also known as Ximena Lincolao Hartsock or Ximena Lincolao Gates or Ximena Gates Hartsock during her years in the United States, is a Chilean-American educator, technology entrepreneur, and civic innovation leader. She is known for her work in civic technology, digital platforms, education, and technology training.[1] Since 11 March 2026, she has served as Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of Chile under President José Antonio Kast. She is the first Mapuche woman to hold a ministerial position in the history of Chile.
Lincolao was born on 15 September 1968 in Santiago, Chile, into a Catholic, working-class family of Mapuche descent. She grew up in the Villa General Baquedano neighborhood of Maipú, where her father worked as a salesman at a hardware store and her mother was a homemaker.[2][3]
She has credited her early exposure to political debate as a formative influence, noting that her family was divided during the Pinochet dictatorship — her mother was a supporter, her father was not — and that the resulting household arguments fueled her interest in politics.[2]
She completed her secondary education at a public high school in Maipú and later moved to La Serena, where she pursued higher education at the University of La Serena, graduating with a degree in Spanish language and philosophy education in 1992.
In 1997, she emigrated to the United States with $500, settling in the Washington, D.C. area without speaking English. She has reflected on her decision to leave, saying that Chile is a very classist country where opportunities are closely tied to one's zip code, and that having indigenous and poor roots did not help.[2] She rented a room from a Panamanian family and found her first job at a bar in Arlington, after searching Spanish-language newspapers. She later worked as a babysitter and domestic helper, averaging 16-hour workdays seven days a week, saving money first for English lessons and then to buy a car. She eventually found work as a government assistant in the district, which launched her professional career.[2]