A Journey from Open Government to Sustainable Chocolate with Carolina Pozo - Walk Talk Listen (episode 149)

Carolina Pozo, an economist, innovation expert, and speaker, hails from Quito, Ecuador. She studied Economics at York University and holds a Master's in Public Management from Università SDA Bocconi. Carolina founded Cacao EcoVillage, MUZE Chocolate, and Avanti, focusing on innovative social impact projects. Her accolades include being a former member of the Global Shapers Community and being recognized by The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Carolina led Quito's first open government and innovation lab and has been involved in creating the Public Innovation Lab in Honduras. Currently, she is driving initiatives in the chocolate industry and mobile banking for financial inclusion.

 

In this episode, Carolina discusses the transformative power of open innovation in government and how it can foster significant societal improvements. She shares insights from her time as the Director of LINQ, Quito's Innovation Lab, emphasizing the lab's role in pioneering open government policies. Carolina's stories from the front lines of innovation highlight the challenges and triumphs of implementing new policies that are transparent and citizen-centric.

 

Carolina also delves into her current projects, which marry her expertise in economics and her passion for social entrepreneurship. She talks about the creation of MUZE Chocolate, a social business aimed at transforming the chocolate industry by prioritizing sustainability and community involvement. Furthermore, she explains her role in advancing mobile banking solutions to enhance financial inclusion, detailing the impacts of these services on underserved populations in Ecuador.

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