14th World Business Dialogue in Cologne, Germany

I had the honor of being invited to attend, as a Venezuelan and University of Chicago representative, the 14th World Business Dialogue which took place on March of 2011 in Cologne, Germany.

Along with Pedro Sanchez de Lozada and Guimar Vaca Sittic, close friends and usual partners in trips, I was exposed to innovative ideas, complex issues, dynamic personalities and emerging markets from all over the world. We were passionate about the programming because it kept us motivated to dialogue about and understand complexity.

With Keynote Speaker and Joseph Ajao

The Forum dealt with complexity as its main topic, yet it touched upon all fields, regions and issues.

Speaking with 2nd Monzambique President at Go Africa! Panel

Watch video of question at:

http://www.vimeo.com/22737635

Last question of panel: 1:44:30

Exciting was not the conference on its own, but the diversity of its attendees, the excitement of a new city and its culture, and the development of our careers from that point-on.

Rihards Garacs, Marcello Schermer and David Akinin

At the Dialogue, I made lasting friendships, promoted www.rise-pak.com, met Ricardo Amador with whom I later won Third Place at the Loyola Business Case Competition pitching an idea about housing in Rio de Janeiro based on recycled paper, and culminated with a memorable road trip.

Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, David Akinin, Guimar Vaca Sittic

(View of Cologne)

Santiago Lizaso, Pedro Sanchez de Lozada and I rented a car and drove through Belgium, Netherlands and Germany for the following week, experiencing everything from Moules Frittes to the Berlin Wall.

In Brussels with the Road-Trip Crew

We must grasp the opportunities life puts in front of us. They shape us then, and much more later on as we reflect on our learnings, relationships, failures and achievement. L'chaim!

BizInk: The Latin American Challenge in Medellin, Colombia

It took me a while to make some time and write about our amazing experience in Medellin, Colombia. I'm late in writing it, perhaps, because I couldn't find the time I thought this incredible trip required for me to sit down and in retrospect give a full recount.

To begin, we are honored to be the first students in the history of the University of Chicago to obtain the Dean's Fund for Student Life Award twice in the same year.

Our team: Alberto Da Costa, Guimar Vaca Sittic, David Akinin, Pedro Sanchez de Lozada

Although I arrived earlier with my father, Ysaac, older brother Abraham, and Pedro, our week started on Sunday May 16th, when Alberto and Guimar got to Medellin. Now before I even jump in to the details of the competition, I must say that Medellin, Colombia is a beautiful city, filled with lovely, friendly people- something I had never seen before.

Abraham Akinin, Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, David Akinin, Ysaac Akinin

More than a recount of the competition (which I can talk about at another time and place), this post deserves to highlight Medellin's hospitality above all. My father came along for the trip because he wanted to meet Humberto Fernandez and Margarita Fernandez (unrelated, by the way) to push for the sale of a soymilk production plant for El Programa Para La Ayuda A La Ninez. However, instead of it seeming that he went to sell something to them or start a business with them, it appeared as if they expected their family. We hadn't stepped in Colombian land, and there they were- Humberto, his wife Carmen Beatriz and Margarita, in the airport waiting for us. Behind them, another gentleman, William- a friend's uncle, who had non-egoistically given us accommodations and transportation for the whole trip, as well as his unconditional friendship.

We stayed in a finca in Lomas del Escobero. Stables, the view, the service, the Zorro-style decorations- it was our mansion for a week. The air we breathed those days, the sights we saw every morning and the foods we enjoyed, marked our every second.

Lomas del Escobero

David Akinin and William

The competition was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but I decided to go earlier to become familiar with the people, the place and plan a solid strategy for the rest of the week. The two following days were a mix of sightseeing and meetings with different companies that were going to participate in the challenges. I met with executives of Bancolombia, the VP of Marketing of Suramericana (insurance company) and a Director of Enlace Operative, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company, among other businesspeople affiliated with the companies we were to research a few days later. These meetings gave us a better understanding on how business was handled in Medellin.

Guimar recounts: "We were all very excited when the first day arrived. After meeting all our competitors that came from around the world, we sat down to listen the challenge presentation by a company called conTREEbute. This environmental, green, for-profit company showed their case and their actual problems to penetrate into the Colombian market."

Winners of conTREEbute Challenge

We prepared case study responses to live problems of countless companies including conTREEbute, colombiaMODA, Everfit, Levi's, Enlane Operativo and Suramericana. We were faced with expansion, outsourcing, financing, innovating, marketing and consulting challenges. Our team opted by implementing a plan with guerrilla marketing strategies that would have high reach to people and at the same time be cost-effective for the company taking into account the limited budget they had given us at the beginning, for campaigns liek Levi's. In some cases we accuded to executives in the area, like Joe Siegelman, founder of Office Tiger, and today Petro Tiger. Our presentations consisted of different schemes that would allow the companies to grow at a fast rate and at the same time not loose control of their financial statements.

EAFIT Organizers and BizInk participants

The final challenge presented consisted in developing different collection methods for micro-insurance premiums and potential channels of distribution that would help the company adopt these cost-effective strategies and provide a personalized service. I researched all night FACECOLDA, the academic journal of the insurance industry, at the EAFIT library. In addition, we met throughout the week with several employees of the company, and the founder of Banco de la Mujer, today Banca Mia- Margarita Fernandez.

Although we had won most of the challenges, the peer review challenge was something that hampered our chances from the very beginning and something we could not recuperate during the following days. At the awards ceremony I was awarded the "Best Prepared" Individual Award for the International Challenge and our team awarded the 2nd place internationally.We learned the importance of putting networking to practice when one is in a new environment. We met people, we worked under stress, early in the mornings until late at night.

Team holding check at Finca: Akinin, Sanchez de Lozada, Da Costa, Vaca Sittic

Humberto and Carmen Beatriz treated us better than one would expect to be treated by their family. In a letter to them I wrote as I departed: "You welcomed us the 15 and until the last minute of the 23rd of May, you were with us sharing, guiding and difussing happiness. Although for you it is the everyday land, for us, Medellin was 'wonderland' and 'the land of gold, milk and honey' of Latin America."

Dinner with Humberto and Carmen Beatriz Fernandez

We left Medellin with a considerable addition of friends to our facebook and blackberry lists, pictures in our cameras, memorabilia in our bags... but beyond all those material gains, we returned with a bond amongst us stronger than ever, an unforgettable experience that will bind us and our careers forever to that beautiful city and its people.

The Tiger and the Team

David Akinin, Ysaac Akinin, Abraham Akinin

Entrepreneurs International Challenge: Our London Adventure

February 19th, we landed at London-Heathrow. This, in fact, was my first trip to Europe, and I was lucky enough to be going with three great friends from the University of Chicago: Pedro Sanchez de Lozada, Guimar Vaca Sittic and Rodrigo Blandon.

This trip, unlike others I plan to take some day, wasn't solely for the touristic purpose; we were taking ten days off from school to compete in the final round of the Entrepreneurs International Challenge at the London School of Economics.

Guimar, David, Rodrigo, Pedro

The final round of EPIC, www.lse-epic.com, consisted of 9 teams from Malaysia, India, UK, Netherlands, Canada, Argentina and USA. We were the American team: four Latinos from Venezuela, Chile, Argentina and El Salvador, respectively.

In any case, we landed on a Friday, and the competition wasn't until the following Monday. The excitement took us around, made of us better friends, had us experience new routes, meet new people, see new things, taste new flavors, and cheer louder and stronger than we ever had before. To us, the fact that we were already in London, funded by the Dean of Students, meant we were already winners.

We saw the Big Ben, rode the London Eye, admired the view from the London Bridge, had Beer at the pubs, called out for the Queen from right outside the Buckingham Palace, stayed at cozy hostels, and I even experienced a beautiful Shabbat (different from what I had ever been to) in the heart of London.

Martin Kelly, IBM and David Akinin

London Eye and Big Ben, from London Bridge

The competition started on Monday. We were intimidated by some teams, but there was something inside of us, perhaps a strong bond we built over the weekend like we couldn't have at the University in two years, that reassured us, inspired us and made us feel like brothers.

It was very similar to the Apprentice, had four parts: a Sales Challenge, a Strategy Challenge, a Marketing Challenge and finally, the Social Enterprise Challenge.

Day 1, Sales Challenge we sold Mother's Day cards in the streets. Our strategy: focus on the London School of Economics strip. We sold to students, professors, staff. We didn't take no for an answer. We'd walk blocks with people until we made a sale. Persistence proved to champion: 168 Sterling Pounds.

Day 2, Strategy Challenge we presented a business venture based in El Salvador called Somos Soya (See blogpost about Entrepreneur Idol 2009). A soymilk production plant that would establish a breakfast supplement program for kids in public schools. We got full funding: 284,000 Sterling Pounds.

Day 3, Marketing Challenge 7digital.com came looking for ideas and we were eager to give them. They're in the process of launching a new and exciting product: "Locker Plus" and wanted marketing insight. We made a powerful presentation on Prezi.com, renamed the product, created a new image, gave Search Engine Optimization advice and pay-per-click marketing suggestions, and dressed up Guimar as a Cloud (see: cloud computing) and had him talk to London about getting on the Cloud... the judges voted for our proposal!

Day 4, Social Enterprise Challenge seeducation.com sponsored this event. We used Somos Soya, and added to it an additional Social Component- The Chutney Cooperative. As usual, we gave out soymilk samples, gave an in-depth, passionate presentation, supplemental materials and a business plan. But that wasn't it; we had to collect signatures in the streets (over 130), funding from random people who supported our project and win the vote of other competing teams ranking presentations.

Rodrigo, Pedro, Guimar, David

We won! We placed first in every challenge, accumulating a total of 40 out of 40 possible points-the first time a team got perfect scoring in the international challenge.

The team and Richard Farleigh

It was an "EPIC" experience for us all! We made friends around the world, celebrated at the Penthouse in London, made our country and university proud, but most importantly took home with us an experience that will mark our lives forever.

Cheers!