5 favorite tools from Diego Ontaneda
Digital tools are a must-have for every leader. Diego Ontaneda, co-founder of LALA and fellow from the first cohort of our Fellowship, shares his five favorite tools and how he uses them to optimize his work.
Diego Ontaneda
- Role: Co-founder and CEO of LALA. Resource mobilizer and jack-of-all-trades.
- Mission: To empower over a thousand young leaders across Latin America.
- Superpower: “Building bridges and telling bad jokes”.
- Random fact: He’s had temporary amnesia twice (that he remembers).
1. Favorite tool: Superhuman
It helps him stay on top of his most important emails. It automatically organizes emails into customizable inboxes with “a faster, cleaner, and more efficient interface than Gmail.” The nonprofit plan costs USD $10-$12, which Diego believes is “money well spent”.
2. Best tools for organization: Trello y Sheets
As a team, LALA is transitioning to Trello to quickly visualize tasks in a kanban style and maintain coordination across teams.
Diego also uses a personal dashboard in Google Sheets where he organizes tasks into “for now,” “for later,” and “urgent”.
3. Communication tools: MailChimp y Turn
The LALA team uses MailChimp to send out mass newsletters with custom designs.
LALA’s admissions team is also beginning to test Turn, an AI-powered chatbot designed for nonprofits that automates responses to applicants.
4. The lifesaver tool: Calendar
For Diego, Calendar has been crucial. It helps him organize his week and avoid putting out fires. Here are his tips:
- Use your calendar strategically by understanding what’s coming up each week and blocking out time in advance.
- Protect your mornings to maintain your rituals and stay focused on work.
- Reserve time for specific projects related to your organization and personal goals.
Enhance your work with these tools and learn how to boost your impact with technology through our Propel Fellowship. See more here.
Written by Alexandra Guerra.
