Author Archives: Alina Walch

Online education website Floqq launches in Latin America

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We all want to learn something new, don’t we? So why not learn from the best?

My mom and I have a deal: She teaches me how to cook the most delicious meals of all, and in return I teach her how to use the computer and create stunning PowerPoint presentations. This way, both of us learns from the other and teaches the things he can do best. But there is a limit of what my mom and I can teach each other. Neither of us knows how to speak Chinese, for example. But there are millions of people that can, the question is: How do you find them?

For all Spanish speakers, there is Floqq, an online platform that offers a great variety of educational courses in the form of high quality videos for anyone who wants to perfect or improve any professional or personal skill via the internet. The platform launched in Latin America on March 19th offers more than 600 courses, which have a price of US$10-20, to people from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

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Four Chilean startups selected for UDD Venture’s Open StartUp

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“Simplify your life” could be the mantra for the winners of the Open Start Up competition of UDD Ventures. More than 200 projects applied, and in the end an evaluation committee chose four winners from the last 9 pre-selected teams.

Analyzing the winning companies, you clearly see the trends of today’s Startup scene: Simplify processes within the companies and improve communication and transparency. Social networks and mobile apps can be found in all kinds of areas, some of them more, some of them less useful (but we won’t mention any names ;-)) Continue reading →

Santiago Hackathon invites developers to create Windows app in 24 hours

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Save the date: On April 13th and 14th, the best developers, designers, entrepreneurs and students based in Chile will compete to win the Santiago Hackathon.

With 150 competitors, the Santiago Hackathon is one of the biggest tech events hosted in Santiago this year. The participants will have 24 hours to create incredible products and have the chance to work with Chilean and foreign entrepreneurs from all over the world alike.

It will be about 24 hours of working and the challenge isn’t easy; the ‘hustlers’ will work all night long, heads will be spinning and in the end everybody will be dead tired, but hopefully happy with their final product.

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National Youth Science Camp in the USA seeks bilingual Chilean high school students

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The U.S. embassy offers an all expense paid participation in the National Youth Science Camp 2013 to four chilean students who are seriously interested in environmental, scientific, technological and mathematical studies.

The objective of the National Youth science camp is to encourage talented and gifted students to reach their full potential in the area of sciences.

From June 26th to July 20th, the chilean delegates will have to face a variety of academic challenges together with 100 students from all over the world. These include conferences, workshops and conversations about different scientific topics with experts of universities and organizations such as NASA, USGS, NOAA or Google. They will also participate in an innovative outdoor program to get to know their fellow participants and make new friends.

The camp is a residential program of honors sponsored by the West Virginia state and the National Youth Science Foundation, takes place in the West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest and is eligible to high school students between 16 and 18 years. Chilean students will be participating for the 6th time in 2013. Continue reading →

Give O2: an entertaining app to track down your carbon footprint

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One more car in the streets doesn’t make a difference, right?

We all know about climate change and CO2 emissions, but do you really know how you personally impact the environment?

GiveO2 is a mobile application that lets you offset your transport-related carbon footprint automatically and makes you become aware of that. The app shows that in spite of what many people say, every single person can make a difference, every effort helps, as small as it might be. Continue reading →

International team of young entrepreneurs discovers the end of the world

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E-Ship, the first ship of innovation, starts its expedition to the Chilean Patagonia on March 25th. It gives 80 Chilean and international students the chance to learn about innovation and entrepreneurship and make new friends all over the world.

The delegation of academics of the Catholic University of Chile, the University of Development and Stanford is going to sail from Punta Arenas, analyzing 8 big challenges in 5 days of an exciting voyage aboard ship in the most southern part of Chile (and the world)!

The official launch event will take place tomorrow, March 21th, at 18:30 hrs in the installations of Gabriela Mistral in Santiago center. All supporters and friends are invited to take part, learn more about E-Ship and meet the crew that is going to sail from Punta Arenas on March 25th at 18:00 hrs. Continue reading →

Destinalo.com launches a new booking platform for local and sustainable accomodations

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Did you know there is magnetic activity in the Atacama desert that makes a van move uphill?

Have you ever taken part in a real Chilean ‘asado’, immediately making friends among complete strangers?

Have you ever crossed a large river by canopy, climbed a glacier and drank fresh glacier water?

These are about the best and craziest experiences I had when traveling around Chile, the moments that made me fall in love with this country and its people. It were these unexpected, spontaneous surprises that only local Chileans can show you. They will offer you real, authentic experiences because they know the secrets of their country that nobody else knows.

I think the most important thing I learnt about travelling is that it is not only about seeing nature, cities or tourist attractions. It’s about getting to know a new culture and, for the time of your stay, become part of it. That’s where unique experiences and even friendships are born.

The co-founders of Destinalo.com were inspired by a similar experience. Continue reading →

Chilean startups: Are you ready for MIT Media Lab’s Aji Challenge?

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Startups, developers, researchers and inventors in Chile, Encuentros is looking for you!  Applications for the Aji Challenge, sponsored by MIT Media Lab are now open. Apply before 31 March 2013 to qualify for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to USA to pitch your idea.

MIT Media Lab recently kicked off the ‘Ají Challenge’ innovation and entrepreneurship contest, an initiative organized by ‘Encuentros 2013’ who reunites hundreds of professionals, professors, researchers and Chilean entrepreneurs abroad every year. Continue reading →