Why Start This Blog Now?

Have you ever wondered why seemingly small decisions can direct the course of your life towards a path you hadn’t imagined?

This is what happened to me with innovation. When I was doing my bachelor’s in international relations back in Colombia, I dreamed about working in a big international organization with people from all over the world, helping to make this world a better place. I didn’t know exactly how to get there.

I felt I was going in the right direction by choosing to pursue an internship at the Colombian Embassy in Lebanon. I was intrigued by living in a culture which seemed really different from mine. During this time, I remember meeting people working for the United Nations or other non-governmental organizations and feeling that I wanted to get there. I pictured myself as a humanitarian or development worker directly supporting local communities.

Then I got exposed to entrepreneurship and innovation. I felt so energized by entrepreneurs that I believed there should be a way to mix both worlds, being entrepreneurial and innovating for social good. Little did I know that innovation teams had started to emerge at the United Nations, and I happened to be at the right moment in time to join one of them.

Fast-forward nine years into my innovation adventure at the United Nations, I’d like to start this experiment to write things every week that gravitate around innovation culture and its importance particularly in international organizations.

Why?

These nine years have allowed me to see how different teams have evolved, some to become big initiatives, others not so much even with strong culture components. Why so? Nourishing a culture of innovation in international organizations is not easy, we don’t talk about this enough, but is much needed, and I am sure you can help with ideas to make it happen.