• Faculty

  • Maria La Rotta Gallo

    Part-time Lecturer

    Email
    larottam@newschool.edu

    Office Location
    A - 66 West 12th Street

    Download vCard

    Maria La Rotta Gallo

    Profile

    Maria Fernanda La Rotta is a multicultural strategist, speaker, and innovation leader who champions design leadership as a critical force in building more human-centered futures, and empathy-driven businesses. As Co-Founder and Head of Strategy at SWITCH, a strategy and innovation consultancy, she helps companies unlock business value by designing inclusive products and services that expand markets and create access to diverse communities.

    With over 12 years of experience, Maria has led multidisciplinary teams in both Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups, guiding them from strategy to execution. Her work with brands like Intel, Sony, and T-Mobile focuses on navigating complexity and uncovering opportunities for meaningful, scalable innovation through systems thinking and strategic design.

    As a professor at Parsons School of Design, she prepares the next generation with tools to influence organizations and use their voices to shape a better future. As an author and speaker, she explores the evolving role of design leadership and creativity, especially as AI reshapes our world.

     

    Degrees Held

    MBA in Design Strategy - California College of the Arts (2017)

    Customer Analytics Certification - The Wharton School (2020)

    Designer, Product & Communication - Universidad de los Andes (2013)

    Performances and Appearances

    AIGA Design Conference, Headline Speaker - Los Angeles, October 2025

    AIGA Design Podcast, Interview Guest - June 2025

    Innovation Week LATAM, Headline Speaker - New York, September 2024

    Mentors in Higher Education, Featured Interview - Bogota April 2024

    Customer Experience Innovation Conference, Headline Speaker -Bogota, January 2024

    &Design Conference, Intrapreneurship: Creative Career paths within Organizations  - Speaker 2022

    Research Interests

    Customer Development

    Innovation Strategy

    Product and Service Design

    Accessibilty & Inclusion

    Portfolio

    https://www.marialarotta.com/

    Past Courses

    Business Models & Ent Strategy
    PUDM 4322, Fall 2024

    Navigating the Field
    PSDS 4111, Spring 2025

  • Take The Next Step

Submit your application

Undergraduates

To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

Undergraduate Adult Learners

To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

Graduates

To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.