Business - Written Thursday, October 23, 2008 by Don Tapscott - 12 Comments

My unforgettable trip to Bogota, Colombia

I spent the last two days in Bogota Colombia meeting with NGO’s social entrepreneurs, government and business leaders who are all working together to change Colombian society. The Fundacion Saldarriaga Concha sponsored my trip and it was organized by Andres Franco from a management company called CLG . I had previously met GLC’s founder Gustavo Mutison on previous trips. He’s a wonderful example of a business person who combines successful entrepreneurship with a deep and effective commitment to social change.

The big issue on everyone’s mind is how Wikinomics, the Web 2.0 and the Net Generation combined can enable Colombia to leapfrog in economic and social development.

Arriving on Tuesday night, I had dinner with the board of the Fundación Saldarriaga Concha. These were all very thoughtful business leaders who spend enormous amounts of time attempting to do well by doing good in Colombia. The main focus of the foundation is the elderly and also disabled in Colombia — two groups that woefully lack services and rights.

7 am the next morning was one of the most inspiring conversations I’ve had in a long time — a small breakfast with 15 of the top movers and shakers of the new web in Colombia as it’s applied to social development and justice. These young folks were as sophisticated as any I’ve met anywhere. Some were implementing social networks (using open source software) in civil society and government in Colombia. Others were consulting foundations and businesses who want to support social investment. Others were using the web to organize movements for social change. They had a list of ten thoughtful questions prepared for me — we got through two of them.

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