Social Media in Colombia: An Agent for Change
The role of social media has been instrumental in the more recent political and economic development of Colombia, especially overcoming a devastating period of civil strife and violence. What inspired people to protest against violence? Colombia’s former Minister of Telecommunications will discuss how social media empowered people to join the war against drug trafficking and defeat the FARC, the guerillas of the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia. We discuss their own experience growing up in a drug-funded violent country known as “narcoterrorism”, which affected every level of society and became the greatest threat to social stability starting in the late 1980s. This caused them and many others to leave the country in search of freedom. The speakers will share their insight about how social media will continue to help decrease poverty levels and increase literacy in marginalized areas in Colombia, thus improving the well-being of people and promoting socio-economic equity.
Presenters
Andrés holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in Education/Psychology, both from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He lived and studied in Japan’s Sapporo University as part of their study abroad program. Andrés leads the Latin American expansion for his company, he worked in higher education as a Director of Admissions and Marketing, Guest Satisfaction Trainer for Japan’s Renaissance Sapporo Hotel, and in guest relations at Walt Disney World.
Andrés has been a keynote speaker at local, national and international conferences in the areas of positive psychology international student affairs, social media, cultural competence, career counseling, customer service and paperless marketing.
He has been involved with many civic and leadership organizations, including Kiva Microfunds, WK Kellogg Foundation’s New Options for Youth Initiative committee, TED, as well as numerous professional associations. His main areas of expertise are social media intelligence, coaching through positive psychology and corporate recruiting. Andrés and his wife live in Austin, Texas.
Daniel Medina is a top public figure in Colombia, since he was ICT Minister in 2010, ICT deputy Minister from 2006-2009 and President of CRC, the telecomm regulatory body. He has been responsible for policy and strategic decisions in the ICT sector and the approval at the Congress of two new laws for Postal and ICT sectors.
He is a MBA from University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business and an Electronic Engineer from Universidad Javeriana in Colombia with postgraduate studies en Telematics from University of Los Andes. He is currently CEO in Ozmidia.com and associate consultant in Compass Lexecon in charge of LATAM region. He was previously an Affiliate Consultant at LECG, where he was a technical and regulatory expert in some actions related with the international arbitration practice group.
In addition, at the private sector as senior consultant and project manager, he has provided consulting and project management in more than 80 international cases, many of them involving financial and strategic decisions for private investors and policy reforms for governments on topics related to Social media, e-government, ICT businesses, competition, interconnection disputes, price definition, valuation, regulatory reforms, social media, telecom engineering as well as opinions on government conduct vis-a-vis investors' expectations and regulatory standards. He also has substantial experience in investment banking, commercial disputes, policy design and web matters related with businesses, regulation and commercial issues. He has been engaged as professor at Universidad Javeriana and Universidad del Externado de Colombia in technical, economic and legal aspects related to competition and regulatory standards.
He has conducted numerous works and studies for private companies and public institutions related to business valuation, competition analysis, regulatory analysis and design in several countries, including Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Netherlands, the United States and Morocco.
He received a long term fellowship from the European Space Agency, UN spatial program, where he was based in Noordwick, Netherlands, working at the European Space Technology and Research Center with satellite and new ICT technologies analysis and software development.
Mr. Medina has received several awards as Felix Restrepo Medal from Javeriana University, Merit award Juan Bautista Coluccini, Merit award Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Association, San Carlos Order from Presidency of Colombia and Excellence Award MBA Consulting program from University of Maryland.
Saturday, March 10
