Qlik, Guatemala, and a Lesson He Learned Twice: Welcome Gabriel Geovanni Navassi Díaz

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Gabriel Geovanni Navassi Díaz quit his job. Not to step back. To move forward on his own terms.

"I quit my job to become a more present father," he says simply. But here's the thing: he didn't choose family over his career. He wove them together. He became a consultant while teaching across two universities in Guatemala, and kept one eye sharp on analytics and AI.

"This is an exciting season," he reflects. "Many of the things I have taught for years are now becoming even more relevant in the market."

When you know what matters, you teach others to see it too. Today, we're welcoming Gabriel to the Qlik Educator Ambassador community for the first time.

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Walk Into His Classroom

Students walk in thinking business intelligence isn't for them. It belongs to the data scientists and tech specialists.

Then something shifts.

They start exploring data on their own. Asking real questions. Finding insights that matter. That moment when someone realizes they can actually think analytically, changes everything.

Gabriel teaches Business Intelligence, Data Mining, Analytics, Operations, and Negotiation at Universidad Mariano Gálvez and Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, always connecting theory to real challenges in business and management. At San Carlos, he recently expanded into teaching People Analytics in their HR master's program, a role that's grown his reach considerably.

But Gabriel doesn't teach software. He teaches confidence.

"I increasingly teach analytics not only as a technical subject, but as a decision-making capability that any professional can develop," he says.

His classes are hands-on. Students work with real scenarios: HR datasets for hiring decisions, performance metrics for strategy, problems they'll actually face at work. They compare Qlik, Tableau, Power BI, and Excel, not to memorize features, but to understand what each does best.

Qlik holds a special place in his teaching. "It's so easy to work with that students use it for their own first findings in data." The accessibility matters. No technical walls. No endless setup. Students get to the insight fast, and that's when confidence builds. For the working professionals in his classes? Qlik becomes real competitive advantage in their current roles.

The Lesson He Learned Twice

Gabriel carries one hard-earned piece of wisdom he shares with every student:

When you first use Qlik at your job, don't use it for your most important decision.

Here's why: People get distracted by the shiny new tool. They notice the interface, the visualizations, the novelty. They're not thinking about what the data actually means. That divided attention weakens your credibility.

Gabriel learned this the hard way, twice. Early in his career, he presented Qlik findings for critical decisions, and people got caught up watching the tool instead of listening to the analysis. 

So now he tells students: use Qlik first for lower-stakes presentations. Build familiarity. Once people trust it, then bring it to your most important decisions. By then, they'll see past the software and actually hear what your data is saying.

What's Coming in 2026

Gabriel is launching a professional development program for alumni. Not a one-time graduation experience, but a real pathway for people to come back and keep learning.

He's starting with Data Literacy and using Qlik as the entry point. "I chose Qlik for the introduction in the first stage of the program specially because it is an excellent choice for Data Literacy." Qlik's simplicity makes it the perfect gateway for professionals returning to sharpen their skills. No barriers. No intimidation. Just clarity.

His vision for 2026 extends beyond that too. He's weaving generative AI into his teaching, so students understand how emerging tech enhances analytical thinking. He's building learning experiences that stay hands-on, tied to real challenges, focused on actually turning insights into action.

"I have continued growing as both an educator and a consultant, especially through projects related to training systems, curriculum design, and capacity-building for institutions." For Gabriel, this work is personal.

Why He Became an Ambassador

Gabriel's decision to join the program is natural.

"I genuinely believe tools like Qlik can change the way people learn, think, and make decisions. As a professor, I have always wanted my students to go beyond memorizing concepts and actually experience what it means to explore data, discover patterns, and generate insight."

He also sees something bigger in the role: a chance to represent educators across Latin America. To show that analytics education isn't just a North American story. It's transforming classrooms in Guatemala and far beyond.

Welcome, Gabriel

What makes Gabriel's story worth celebrating isn't credentials or course counts. It's that he redesigned his life around what matters, and he's using that clarity to open doors for others—students discovering analytics for the first time, alumni reconnecting with the field, and a region filled with educators like him who are transforming how Latin America thinks about analytics and data.

Because this is the story of Latin America's analytics future. It's happening in classrooms in Guatemala. It's happening with educators like Gabriel who refuse to accept that world-class analytics education happens somewhere else.

Gabriel isn't slowing down. He's expanding.

The real work is just beginning.

Are you an educator inspired by Gabriel's story? Join the Qlik Academic Program and access free Qlik Sense software, training, and a global community of educators. Visit: Qlik Academic Program Ambassadors