Title: 1) Senior Lead of Strategic Projects; 2) Founder
Company: 1) Mercor; 2) Cortexa AI
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Enrique “Rick” Lacerda, Senior Lead of Strategic Projects at Mercor and Founder at Cortexa AI, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in the Technology Industry.
Currently serving as a senior lead of strategic projects at Mercor in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2026, Mr. Lacerda oversees a team of more than 10 software engineering leads. He is responsible for evaluating data production metrics for major laboratories and consulting with hundreds of software engineers to identify process gaps and challenges. His role also includes making critical adjustments to align software deliveries with laboratory needs and engaging with some of the world’s largest technology companies to improve research models. Additionally, Mr. Lacerda is instrumental in attracting top talent to Mercor by connecting with professionals from leading organizations who are considering joining the company.
Before joining Mercor, Mr. Lacerda founded Cortexa AI in 2025, demonstrating his entrepreneurial drive and commitment to innovation in the technology sector. Headquartered in San Francisco, his company has advised numerous Fortune 500 companies, private equity funds and other organizations and has successfully led large-scale AI data projects.
Leveraging over a decade of previous experience, Mr. Lacerda contributed to DoorDash as a product strategy and operations lead from 2024 to 2025. Earlier, during his tenure at his alma mater, Harvard Business School, between 2023 and 2024, he served as a Latin America outreach coordinator, fostering connections within the region’s business community.
Mr. Lacerda’s earlier experience included a position as a senior technical product manager at Amazon.com, Inc., in 2022. Recruited from Rappi Inc., he spent 2019 to 2021 working in advanced strategy and product operations, where he played a pivotal role in shaping operational frameworks and contributed to over 120% growth in operations across São Paulo, Brazil. At Mercado Livre Brasil Ltda., Mr. Lacerda was a senior analyst for strategy and operations from 2018 to 2019.
Foundational years in consulting began for Mr. Lacerda at L.E.K. Consulting as an associate management consultant from 2016 to 2018, where he was integral in establishing a new office in Latin America and worked closely with major technology companies across the region. He also gained valuable experience as a strategic projects intern at Rocket Internet from 2014 to 2015 and as a foreign exchange specialist at BOCOM International Holdings Co. Ltd. in 2014.
Mr. Lacerda’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Engineering in computer engineering from the Aeronautics Technological Institute in Brazil, completed in 2016, and a Master of Business Administration in management science (STEM-designated) from Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts, earned in 2023. These academic achievements have provided him with both technical expertise and strategic insight essential for leadership roles across international technology enterprises.
In addition to his formal education, Mr. Lacerda holds certification as an air force lieutenant from CPOR, the Brazilian ROTC equivalent, having graduated in the top quartile as a veteran of the Brazilian Air Force in 2012. This military background has contributed discipline and resilience that continue to inform his approach to leadership.
Mr. Lacerda maintains active membership with ALPFA Foundation Inc., a charitable organization that nurtures future accounting and business professionals, as well as the Harvard Business School Club of Brazil, the Alumni Association of the Aeronautics Technological Institute, the Pride Association and the Diversity Council. Additionally, he has been serving on the evaluation committee for the Brazil Conference at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 2023 and has been volunteering as a mentor for the Harvard Undergraduate Brazilian Association since 2023.
Lauded for his professional development, Mr. Lacerda has received several prestigious fellowships and appointments. He served as a fellow at the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard University in 2023 and, from 2023 to 2024, was named a Master of Business Administration artificial intelligence (AI) fellow at Harvard Business School. Furthermore, Mr. Lacerda acted as a judge for the New York Pride Hackathon organized by ALPFA Foundation Inc., reflecting his commitment to fostering innovation within diverse communities.
Mr. Lacerda’s accomplishments have been recognized through numerous awards, such as winning the Pride+ Impact Challenge hosted by ALPFA Foundation Inc. He also won the New York Pride Hackathon and was named Hackathon Winner by MROSC under the Brazilian Presidential Office through ALPFA Foundation Inc.
Among Mr. Lacerda’s most notable achievements, however, has been his participation in a landmark study conducted by Harvard Business School and Boston Consulting Group before the widespread adoption of ChatGPT. The study evaluated how AI could enhance management consultants’ productivity through a blind trial involving approximately 800 consultants. It assessed cohesion, coherence and accuracy when using AI tools compared with traditional methods. The findings demonstrated AI’s potential for supporting intellectually demanding work and garnered more than 150,000 views upon publication, a remarkable figure for an academic working paper. Mr. Lacerda considers this experience especially meaningful due to the collaboration with leading AI researchers and its ongoing relevance within the field.
Throughout his career, Mr. Lacerda has been distinguished by his ability to navigate diverse environments and adapt business strategies across different geographies. This adaptability has been essential for his professional growth and success in global organizations. Mr. Lacerda values opportunities that transform how individuals interact with their surroundings and believes that taking calculated risks abroad can yield significant long-term benefits.
Mr. Lacerda attributes his success primarily to persistence and determination rather than innate talent alone. He emphasizes resilience as fundamental for overcoming adversity while recognizing that perseverance often outweighs luck or circumstance when striving for lasting achievement. Looking ahead, Mr. Lacerda is committed to attaining a C-suite leadership position within a global organization that values inclusivity and diverse perspectives. His journey reflects not only professional excellence but also a steadfast commitment to advancing innovation while championing diversity across borders within the technology industry.
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