This workshop is part of Smart Cities New York 2018. Once you register to SCNY18, use the code you received in your confirmation email to register for any of our workshops. You cannot sign up for workshops without registering for Smart Cities New York 2018.

ABSTRACT

This co-creation session will focus on open innovation processes based on city collaboration and citizen co-creation. The workshop will seek to address the current state of inter-city collaboration and citizen co-creation initiatives, with the purpose of collaboratively defining and conceptualizing citizen-centered strategies to ensure a healthy and sustainable development of city collaboration and citizen participation ecosystems. During the session Ruta N will present a powerful technological exponential citizen platform that will allow cities to co-create with citizens on a local, national and global level.

FACILITATORS

Manuela Valencia
International Relations
Cities for Life
Manuela Valencia studied interdisciplinary studies and international studies in Miami University of Oxford, OH. She then moved back to Colombia to work in Sergio Fajardo’s independent presidential campaign and later at Mi Sangre Foundation, working with victims of violence in several municipalities in the countryside. She followed with her Masters in international relations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy in Switzerland where she worked at the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and later at the UN’s International Telecommunication Union for the World Summit on the Information Society. Since 2013 she has been back in Medellin working for the municipality in international attraction and supporting the creation of the Cities for Life global open innovation ecosystem.
Paola Pollmeier
Open Innovation Coordinator
Ruta N
Paola Pollmeier, M.Sc. in Global Management and Governance is an open innovation expert and is currently working with Ruta N, the Science, Technology and Innovation Center from the City of Medellín as the Open Innovation Coordinator. She is leading a city and citizen co-creation program called Cities for Life that aims the design of solutions to address urban challenges through co-creation mechanisms. Also she and her team has been designing and implementing the OpenData strategy for the Metropolitan Area of Medellín to support collaborative open data governance processes with the Ministry of Technology and other the municipalities of the metropolitan area.

Felipe Arboleda
Founder & Director
Inspira Lab
Felipe Arboleda was born in Medellín, where he lives today. He is Founder and Director of Inspira Lab, a research and innovation initiative. He graduated in advertising at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, and holds a Masters degree in Anthropology, with focuses in musical studies, literature and dramaturgy, ephemeral spaces and and brand management. His professional career began in corporate marketing with Owens Illinois; then he transferred to the field of marketing and public relations for 8 years as creative director and planner in Rapp Colombia-DDB, and later at Feeling Company. He has been a university professor in undergraduate and graduate programs, and speaker in different national and international scenarios. Since 2012 he has been responsible for the methodological creation and direction of research and innovation projects at Inspira Lab, where she has worked for governments, citizen groups and companies in Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic, France and Belgium.
Alejandro Franco
Executive Director
RutaN
Current Executive Director of Ruta N, Medellin’s business and innovation center. Administrative engineer from the University EIA (Medellin, Colombia), holds a Master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Manchester University (Manchester, UK). With more than 15 years of experience being an entrepreneur and then working in private and public sector, he has dedicated to promote innovation as the key engine of economic development. He has broad experience in innovation and technology strategy development and management and in technology transfer processes.

Jerónimo Castro
Founder & CEO
InfoFactor
Jeronimo has been a technologist for over fifteen years. Along this journey he has successfully provided high quality ICT solutions to both private and public organizations. He is the founder and CEO of InfoFactor Softawre Factory, currently serves as CTO for Handy Commerce ecommerce platform, Muva agency and LinkFactor, a marketing and advertising company he also cofounded. He is CTO of Fintech projects and served as a web technologies consultant for IDB 2010-2015. Jeronimo holds a Scrum Master certification and his areas of expertise include project management, computer system and database development as well as software design, development and integration.