29 Nov Roadshow to Latin America for the Second Edition, Mapfre Foundation Awards

Gustavo F-Gustavo F-Mazarambroz, Director of Mapfre Foundation Awards

This is the second time that we have travelled to Latin America for the Social Innovation Awards. Our main focus is to work with our partners to stimulate the potential candidates in the three categories. Nevertheless, this time was quite different. This time, the Awards has its own members of the recently launched RED INNOVA, which includes the semi-finalists and finalists of the first edition. Among the several meetings in Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, we got the chance to catch up with our RED INNOVA members.

The RED INNOVA network focuses on (1) communication; (2) education & (3) support. It was designed through co-creation, where the social innovators where at the centre.

Talking about the evolution of the social innovation ecosystem all along the continent, we highlight that every different country is evolving at a different rhythm and with different players. It is true that Ashoka, Endeavor, Impacthub and Wayra are common in every country. In Mexico, the ecosystem is wider and more open than in Chile, where CORFO is the institutional energizer. The same is true for Peru and KUNAN. Colombia, on the contrary, is more focused on Universities. Argentina is more unstructured but with a deep component of creativity.

Launching the second edition, our sensation is that Fundación MAPFRE and IE are starting to be an international player of the social innovation arena. This is so, among other projects, thanks to our Social Innovation Awards.