Andrea​ ​Ixchíu​ ​is​ ​Maya​ ​K’iche’​ ​leader,​ ​journalist,​ ​law student,​ ​human​ ​rights​ ​activist,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​self-professed geek​ ​with​ ​an​ ​expertise​ ​in​ ​internet​ ​security.​ ​She​ ​was the​ ​youngest​ ​woman​ ​elected​ ​as​ ​a​ ​tribal​ ​leader​ ​in​ ​her highland​ ​community,​ ​where​ ​as​ ​President​ ​of​ ​the Natural​ ​Resources​ ​Board,​ ​she​ ​was​ ​in​ ​charge​ ​of protecting​ ​their​ ​ancestral​ ​forest​ ​of Totonicapán​ ​from​ ​extractive​ ​industry​ ​incursions.​ ​While completing​ ​her​ ​law​ ​degree,​ ​Andrea​ ​developed​ ​a national​ ​following​ ​while​ ​writing​ ​a​ ​weekly​ ​column​ ​for one​ ​of​ ​Guatemala’s​ ​leading​ ​newspapers,​ ​El Periódico ​where​ ​she​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​issues​ ​of​ ​national policy,​ ​and​ ​analysis​ ​of​ ​the​ ​art,​ ​culture,​ ​nature​ ​and human​ ​rights​ ​of​ ​indigenous​ ​peoples. She​ ​also​ ​creates​ ​a​ ​news​ ​program​ ​from​ ​a​ ​next​ ​gen​ ​indigenous​ ​perspective​ ​as​ ​a​ ​member​ ​of alternative​ ​online​ ​networks,​ ​Red​ ​Tz’ikin​ ​and​ ​Prensa​ ​Comunitaria. Andrea​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Nobel​ ​Women’s​ ​Initiative​ ​Fellow​ ​and​ ​was​ ​awarded​ ​the​ ​Sakharov​ ​Prize​ ​which honors​ ​individuals​ ​and​ ​groups​ ​of​ ​people​ ​who​ ​have​ ​dedicated​ ​their​ ​lives​ ​to​ ​the​ ​defense​ ​of​ ​human rights​ ​and​ ​freedom​ ​of​ ​thought.