Gabriela Cibils is on a mission – to help turn Paraguay into the Silicon Valley of South America.
When she was growing up in the landlocked country, nestled between Brazil and Argentina, she says the nation wasn't super tech focused.
But it was different for Ms Cibils, as her parents worked in the technology sector. And she was inspired to study in the US, where she got a degree in computing and neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley.
After graduating she spent eight years working in Silicon Valley, near San Francisco, with roles at various American start-ups.
But rather than staying permanently in the US, a few years ago she decided to return home to Paraguay. She's now helping to lead efforts to build a large and successful tech sector that puts the country of seven million people on the world map - and attract some of the globe's tech giants.
I saw first hand the impact that technology can have on your life, says Ms Cibils. After being exposed to such a different world [in Silicon Valley], it's my responsibility to bring that mindset back and combine it with the talent I see in Paraguay.
She is now a partner at a global technology and investment firm Cibersons, headquartered in Paraguay's capital Asunción.
While most countries would love to build a world-class tech sector, Paraguay has a distinct advantage – an abundance of cheap, green electricity.
This is thanks to 100% of its generation now coming from hydroelectric power. This is centred on the giant Itaipu Dam on the Paraná River, which forms part of the border between Paraguay and Brazil. This huge hydroelectric power station, the largest in the world outside of China, supplies 90% of Paraguay's electricity needs, and 10% of Brazil's.
In fact, such is Paraguay's surplus of electricity that its electricity prices are the lowest in South America. And it is the world's largest exporter of clean energy.
The Paraguayan government hopes that the country's abundance of cheap, green electricity will attract global tech firms increasingly focused on the massive energy demands of AI computing.
On a visit to California last year, Paraguay's President Santiago Peña spoke with companies like Google and OpenAI to encourage them to invest in Paraguay. It remains to be seen if such industry giants open large operations in the country.
Minister of Technology and Communication Gustavo Villate is working closely with the president on this endeavor.
Even though the park isn't ready yet, Mr Villate says the collaboration already happening between the public, private and university sectors is key to building an ecosystem to attract foreign investors. The government thinks the country's young population will be a key attraction, and able to provide a large tech workforce. The average age in Paraguay is 27.
However, the technology minister emphasizes that more young people need to be trained to meet the demands of a growing tech industry. Paraguay is making strides in this area, with initiatives aimed at increasing the number of software engineers and IT professionals in the country, alongside efforts to encourage more women to engage in technology fields.
Despite challenges like bureaucracy that foreign investors may face, there is a palpable optimism about Paraguay's potential as a tech power in South America, driven by leaders like Gabriela Cibils.
