Beyond the Office: Tech Culture in Guadalajara
By: Kevin Donnelly, Chief Learning Officer, Codigo MX
For years now, observers in both Mexico and abroad have been referring to Guadalajara and its environs as “the Silicon Valley of Mexico.” Though there are many “Silicon Valley of…” locations sprinkled throughout the world, the facts that bolster this particular analogy are substantial and obvious: decades-long presence of giant technology companies, a proliferation of startup enterprises and a formidable educational infrastructure that is geared toward engineering and the tech industry. Additionally, like the Bay Area, Guadalajara is an incredibly attractive place to live. The near-perfect climate, interesting architecture and mushrooming of indie locales appeal to hipsters, design enthusiasts, foodies and geeks.
Yet one of the hardest things to quantify is the question of “culture.” What are the elements that must combine to make a place a true tech mecca? The elusive answer to this question is beyond me, but a good place to start is by looking at what organized activities are at hand at any given moment in the city’s social calendar. Taking a peek at day-to-day happenings in Guadalajara provides a very good sense of how “culture” is an essential ingredient to this city’s success. And as Chief Learning Officer for a newly founded startup (www.codigomx.io), participating in local events can be an integral part in expanding the limits of both my own and my colleagues’ understanding of how technology is shaping our lives.
For example, recently I decided to track the possibilities on a day-to-day basis. On Tuesday, there was the option of iTuesdays, a networking society that brings creators, business people, investors and academics together for organized events and, sometimes, for plain old mingling and fun. On Wednesday night, the local Hackers Garage offered a more family-friendly choice: two sessions of “Digital Family,” a program dedicated to expanding digital literacy and providing locals with access to the latest in high-tech infrastructure and hardware. Thursday evening presented a tough choice: did I want to join gamers in the Unity Group at Hackers Garage, or attend the house warming party at Mutuo, the Hackers and Founders new home in trendy Colonia Americana?
By the weekend, the breadth and length of events expanded: the ever-popular F*CK UP Fridays presented a great opportunity to hang out with dozens of tapatíos (Guadalajara locals), eat and drink, and listen to three featured speakers talk about their spectacular failures and what they learned from them. Saturday brought a special all-day treat: DevFest, a full program of talks and workshops led by Google Experts and hosted at Central Academy, a local coding school and collaboration space sponsored by the engineering and electronics company, Bosch. And Sunday brought the option of a silk screening workshop, combining both high and low tech design instruction, hosted at the Hacker’s Garage. Thus, a week in the life of Guadalajara came to a close, but with several large, multi-day events such as Talent Land and Spring Weekend just around the corner, the offering of tech-centered fun offered no signs of slowing.
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