It’s people and systems that inspire Manuel Rodríguez, not objects and products.

“I’m an industrial designer who has never designed a single product,” says Manuel, Global Community Coordinator at GivingTuesday, but that’s okay—he’s on to designing movements that inspire acts of generosity now. 

Early in his career, Manuel realized his true passion was people. He went on to spend years as a researcher, facilitator, and community builder. Since then, he has coached hundreds of fellows, coordinated programs across Latin America, and dedicated countless hours to thinking about how he can help people feel less alone. 

When he saw GivingTuesday’s opening for a global community coordinator, he knew the role was a perfect fit and officially joined the team earlier this year. 

As Manuel gets settled in, we wanted to get to know him better and thought you might too. 

Meet Manuel Rodríguez

In your own words, how would you describe your work at GivingTuesday?  

I’m the connector between the global GivingTuesday staff and the Leaders on the ground leading their movements. My goal is to make sure GivingTuesday country leaders feel supported, coaches have what they need, and that the insights coming from 110+ countries don’t just stay in someone’s notes but they help inform how we work. I’m also helping build the systems that make all of this sustainable. It’s part strategy, part coaching, part plumbing.

What’s something about you that your new teammates might be surprised to learn?

I started university studying medicine before switching to industrial design. So, essentially, I went from dissecting cadavers to sketching chairs and cars, and somehow ended up building communities. My career has never followed a straight line, and I’ve stopped pretending it will.

What’s something that is making you laugh or bringing you joy?

My two dogs, Mulata and Masato. Mulata refuses to walk on wet grass and requires a raincoat and an umbrella just to go outside when it’s raining. Masato will roll in mud without a second thought and cover herself in it. These dogs are complete opposites, but I love them equally.

What is one thing you’ve learned about GivingTuesday since joining the team?

GivingTuesday is both simpler and more complex than it looks from the outside. Simple because the idea (generosity is for everyone) is genuinely universal. Complex because building a movement in 110+ countries without controlling it requires a kind of radical trust that most organizations are too scared to practice. Watching that trust in action has been one of the most interesting things I’ve seen in my career.

How has generosity manifested in your day-to-day life?

Honestly, through relationships. I tend to invest in people, not transactionally, but because I genuinely believe that networks built on trust are the most powerful thing you can create. Some of the connections I made years ago are still some of my most meaningful ones. That’s the kind of generosity I try to practice: showing up consistently, even when there’s nothing immediate to gain.

What would you tell someone who is interested in doing a GivingTuesday campaign?

Start smaller than you think you need to. The instinct is always to build the perfect campaign: the logo, the platform, the partners. But the most powerful campaigns I’ve seen started with one person who just cared enough to ask their community to join them. Start there.

What is your favorite way to give back?

Making introductions. When I can connect two people who should know each other, and something real comes from that, a collaboration, an opportunity, a friendship, that’s the kind of giving that compounds over time. It costs nothing and it lasts.

In your first year at GivingTuesday, what do you hope to accomplish? 

Two things. First, build the infrastructure that makes the coaching model work, so coaches can focus on relationships, not admin. Second, help bring back some of that global community feeling that made GivingTuesday sticky in the early days. We have 110+ countries. They should feel like they belong to something together, not just to their own region.