Friday, October 14, 2016

LatAm in Focus: How One New York Entrepreneur Made It in Medellín

By Elizabeth Gonzalez

Colombia’s second-largest city and rising tech hub was an easy choice for tech entrepreneur Nelson Almanzar of Talos Digital.

</p> <div class="wrapper" style="width: 100%;"> <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" style="width: 30%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><b style="font-size: 20px;"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Nelson_Almanzar.jpg" style="width: 100%; height: 100%;" /></b></em></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <p>What makes Medellín the <a href="http://latincorrespondent.com/2016/04/medellin-el-silicon-valley-de-america-latina/" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a> of Latin America? For tech entrepreneur <a href="http://www.as-coa.org/young-professionals-americas#NelsonAlmanzar">Nelson Almanzar</a>, it’s the talent, technology, and business tools. “If you get out there and you want to build a product, you have the resources to do it,” said Almanzar, cofounder and creative director of the software company Talos Digital, which opened an office in Colombia’s second-largest city in 2011.</p> <div class="wrapper" style="width: 100%;"> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" style="width: 40%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><b style="font-size: 20px;">"</b></em><em><b style="font-size: 20px;">If you get out there and you want to build a product, you have the resources to do it</b></em><em><b style="font-size: 20px;">.</b></em><em><b style="font-size: 20px;">" </b></em></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <p>In an interview with AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez, Almanzar said it’s become increasingly difficult for small businesses to afford quality software engineers in the United States, whereas Colombia offers cost-effective options. “The top talent is going to your Googles and your Facebooks, and their demand is high, so they’re going to ask for very high salaries,” he said. “In Medellín, you can get very good talent at a very good rate.”</p> <p>City government initiatives that give tax incentives and grants to startups, as well as universities offering an increasing variety of technical degrees, are helping grow the pool of talent in the Antioquia capital. Plus, in 2014 the city signed a development plan to invest 2 percent of GDP in science and technology by 2018—more than double the 2014 rate. Today, more than <a href="http://www.as-coa.org/articles/council-americas-announces-former-president-brazil-fernando-henrique-cardoso-2016-bravo">135 companies from 22 countries</a> have offices in the city’s Innovation District, which is one reason the city will receive the <a href="http://www.as-coa.org/events/council-americas-symposium-and-bravo-business-awards">2016 BRAVO Business Award</a> for Transformational City of the Year.</p> <p><em>Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez will accept the BRAVO award for the city at the 2016 Council of the Americas Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards on October 28 in Miami. <a href="http://www.as-coa.org/events/council-americas-symposium-and-bravo-business-awards">See the full list of honorees and awards here</a>.</em></p> <hr /> <ul> <li><strong>Enjoy this podcast? <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/latin-america-in-focus/id1089353175" target="_blank">Subscribe to Latin America in Focus on iTunes</a>!</strong></li> <li><strong>Read: <a href="http://www.as-coa.org/articles/update-latin-americas-most-livable-cities">Latin America's Most Livable Cities</a></strong></li> </ul> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Join us for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRAVObiz?src=hash" target="_blank">#BRAVObiz</a> on <a href="http://www.as-coa.org/events/council-americas-symposium-and-bravo-business-awards">October 28</a>.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FASCOA%2Fvideos%2F10153923152978309%2F&show_text=0&width=400" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="400">

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LatAm in Focus: How One New York Entrepreneur Made It in Medellín

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