Nesty Delgado

Jesús Ernesto “Nesty” Delgado-Morales, PhD, is a Puerto Rican AI-Driven Project Management & Transformational Leadership consultant, educator, and speaker whose entire career circles one question: how do we harness technology, disciplined execution, and human empathy to lift people and organizations? For more than two decades, he has answered by turning ideas into impact across Puerto Rico, the United States, Spain, and Latin America, guiding projects whose combined budgets exceed US $700 million and mentoring thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs to become “Future Ready” Transformational Leaders.

Nesty began as a civil engineer and simultaneously served part-time in the Puerto Rico Air State Guard, retiring as a Colonel after holding several leadership positions and orchestrating complex disaster-response operations that demanded military precision, humanitarian sensibility, and round-the-clock stakeholder coordination. Those dual experiences convinced him that concrete and steel are secondary; enduring progress rests on clear vision, resilient systems, and empowered people. That conviction propelled graduate and doctoral studies in Project Management and a lifelong love affair with emerging technology, especially Artificial Intelligence as a catalyst for social good and organizational transformation.

Determined to institutionalize those lessons, he founded TEAM 1144 LLC and, in alliance with the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez (UPRM), the island’s premier science and engineering campus, launched the Project Management & Transformational Leadership Institute® (PMTL Institute). PMTL’s flagship diplomas, the Certified Project Leadership Professional™ (CPLP®) and the Certified Artificial Intelligence Leadership Professional™ (CAILP®), align with World Economic Forum future-skills imperatives and have already certified hundreds of leaders across industries. The institute doubles as an innovation lab: its weekly radio program TransformAcción®, broadcast on WKAQ 580 AM, translates project rigor, AI ethics, and change-leadership principles into actionable insights for thousands of listeners.

In parallel with PMTL, Nesty co-founded Ablatek with his partner Alba Norys De León, the official partner of N.E.W.S.® Navigation in Puerto Rico. Together they designed and launched the MAC-AI conversational-AI platform that lets managers, mentors, and coaches practice “impact conversations” in a psychologically safe, data-driven environment. By fusing artificial intelligence with emotional intelligence, MAC-AI exemplifies Nesty’s core thesis: technology should amplify humanity, not eclipse it.

Recognized as the Hub Ambassador for Puerto Rico at PM4NGOs, he serves as a bridge between global development standards and local impact projects. His contributions have earned him the title “Executive of the Year 2022” from the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association and “Global Influencer 2023-2024” from PMO Academy, honors that validate his philosophy that disciplined project governance, when fused with human-centered innovation, can transform economies as well as lives. Today he also serves as Global Ambassador for the Global Council for Responsible AI, yet he measures success less by titles than by the stories of graduates who land dream jobs, organizations that rebound after hard times, and communities that regain dignity through resilient design.

Advice for other leaders? First, marry purpose to projects: a compelling “why” thrives only when anchored to disciplined execution. Second, delegate earlier than feels comfortable, impact scales through teams, not superheroes. Third, treat technology as a moral amplifier; cultivate empathy and ethics before code. Fourth, invest in self-care as if it were a critical-path activity, because depleted leaders cannot ignite others. Finally, stay rooted in community; leadership is validated not by applause but by the lives made stronger because you care and act.

• Website: www.nestydelgado.com