Gonzalo graduated from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Ecology. He went on to obtain a joint degree in International Political Economy from Juniata College, and in 2007 he was granted the UNESCO Vocations-Patrimoine Fellowship at the University College in Dublin to focus on managing natural heritage sites.

Gonzalo went on to work with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Global Witness, U.K.AID, the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, and Charles Darwin Foundation on initiatives spanning invasive species management, forest governance, fisheries management, and protected areas zoning. In 2012, Gonzalo joined Conservation International Ecuador as the Marine and Terrestrial Conservation Coordinator for the Galapagos Islands, where he advised the Galapagos National Park on zoning and fisheries management. Gonzalo began working as an independent consultant to advise management decisions in the Galapagos, while also seizing an entrepreneurial opportunity to start a craft brewery (which has since become the fastest growing craft brewery in Ecuador).

At the Bren School, Gonzalo will pursue a specialization in Coastal Marine Resources Management as a LAFF fellow with a specific interest in marine spatial planning and management. His masters project focuses on designing investment strategies for the recovery of the Chilean hake fishery, which is a collaborate initiative with EDF. As a LAFF Fellow, Gonzalo's professional goal is to create and implement entrepreneurial solutions for sustainable use of ocean resources.