Irene Arias Hofman is the CEO of IDB Lab, the innovation laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, the leading source of development finance for Latin America and the Caribbean. The purpose of IDB Lab is to drive innovation for inclusion by supporting early-stage entrepreneurial solutions capable of transforming the lives of vulnerable populations. Previously, Irene worked for 20 years at the IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, where she managed the Financial Institutions Group and also the LAC region with its 16-billion-dollar portfolio. Her focus has been on innovation and technology, venture capital, and organizational development.
Driven by social distancing imposed by COVID-19, the online grocery ecosystem is becoming more diverse, and increasingly innovative. Colombia’s Merqueo is a good example of a solid business model in a rapidly transforming market.
Foreign-born founders, including many Latinx, account for around 40% of entrepreneurs in Miami, as South Florida evolves from a “stepping-stone” in and out of Latin America and the Caribbean, becoming a tech hub for the region.