Carlos Diaz Barriga, Director of Marketing and Communications

About Carlos

Carlos brings a decade of experience developing and growing brand audiences internationally.

Before joining the Scratch team, Carlos served as the Director of Strategy at Hattaway Communications in Washington D.C. where he led narrative research, messaging development projects, and communications strategy sessions for nonprofits, foundations, and advocacy groups, including Code for America, Credential Engine, UnidosUS, and The Rockefeller Foundation. He also worked as an Associate for Burson-Marsteller (now Burson Cohn & Wolfe) in Mexico City for several years, where he executed public relations campaigns and events including press conferences, stakeholder networking events, conducted media training, and managed media briefs. 

Carlos says he is particularly passionate about understanding the interests of unique audiences to ensure high-quality user experiences. 

“I am passionate about an organization’s audiences feeling seen and heard,” he says.  “Communications and marketing are areas where you can really uncover fascinating insights about your audiences and build strategies to really engage them in authentic ways.”

Carlos hails from Monterrey, Mexico, and currently resides in Chicago. He holds a bachelor of arts in marketing from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico and a master of art in international media from the American University School of Communication in Washington D.C. 

When he isn’t working, Carlos enjoys all things pop culture including trivia. Carlos also enjoys creative writing; he is currently working on his first novel. 

Why Scratch?

Carlos is excited to join the Scratch Team because of his personal connection to the Scratch mission. “ I personally understand the impact that creative learning can have on someone,” he says. “When I was little, living in Mexico, one of the ways that I learned English was through computer summer camps. We would play around with computer programs that were all in English, just having fun and learning a new language along the way.”