COLOMBIA

By Brittany Hoffman
(Former) Communications & External Relations Specialist, RCE

Bogota, Colombia

1/31/12-2/5/12

During my time in Bogota, I worked with Visionet, an organization which seeks to bring transformation to Colombia primarily through leadership and entrepreneurship training. They work in several different neighborhoods and reach out to a diverse group of people. I was asked to teach a conference entitledPatterns of Biblically Based Entrepreneurship. Using the entrepreneurship education resources from RCE, I developed a 3-day conference which would be shared with entrepreneurs and those aspiring to become entrepreneurs.

The conference was superb. Although we only had 18 people in attendance, many were able to transform their thinking about starting a business. We learned together through a number of hands-on activities, discussions, self-reflection, and guided learning. Many of the students reported finding clarity and direction for the entrepreneurial endeavors. Several decided to pursue an idea they developed during the conference. All reported looking at entrepreneurship differently after our time together. They explored life purpose, idea creation and refinement, and patterns related to starting and running a business well.

One of the most valuable parts of the conference, however, was identifying a life purpose statement. Their statements were inspiring and encouraging to all those present. Some of the statements were:

• Be like Christ
• Serve and Grow with Others in Opportunities
• Live and Enjoy what God has Given
• To Live Without Worries and Not Be Frustrated as Time Goes By
• Tool of God, Light to Personal, Family, Business, and National Finances
• Bridge People and Opportunities
• Give My Time to the Lord, Serving the Things I Can, Because I was Born to Obey
• See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. (Isaiah 55:4-5)

While I wasn’t teaching, those at Visionet showed me around Bogota, taking me on tours of the city to see the neighborhoods they work and to get a better understanding of Colombia. We found great synergy in the mission of Visionet and that of the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship, particularly within the idea of licensing a Business Development Center.

Visionet’s organizational gifts include a strong network of relationships and partnerships; passion for transformation; strong trainers, translators, and mentors; a history and reputation of excellence in Bogota; and a hardworking, persevering drive. In our conversations about possibly licensing a BDC, we discussed the possibility of trading translation services for the license.

In addition to the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship, the project was cosponsored by VisioNet, Regent University Global Affairs, and the Regent chapter of Students in Free Enterprise.