Daniela Maria Perez Obando was born in Sincelejo, Colombia, and has lived in Ecuador for the past 13 years. Since 2016, she has actively participated in initiatives for refugees, including 'Jovenes Quito' by RET International in Ecuador, as part of the inaugural cohort of the Global Youth Advisory Council of UNHCR (GYAC), and as a panelist at international events such as the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2019 in New York, and in dialogue with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Daniela holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and a minor in Political Science from San Francisco de Quito University in Ecuador. Before joining R-SEAT, she worked with UNHCR in Ecuador playing a crucial role in the communications unit, leading initiatives to provide preventive information on risks and facilitate access to rights and opportunities for the refugee community in Ecuador.

Daniela is R-SEAT's Latin America Regional Lead. As such, she supports and engages the refugee leadership ecosystem in Latin America, and connects with stakeholders to further solidify meaningful refugee participation within the region.