From Exposure to Impact: How BSV and LALA Expanded My Vision for the Future (By Gabriel Thiessen)

Participating in BSV was a unique opportunity and, without a doubt, one of the most memorable experiences of my life. However, experiencing it through LALA made the event even more special. Being surrounded by people who share the same values and dreams gave a different meaning to every moment.

First and foremost, attending the event with LALA allowed me to visit places I had never imagined I would have the chance to see. On the very first day, the entire delegation took part in a tour of X, Google’s “moonshot” factory, where we were able to get a close look at “secret” projects that are shaping the future. Throughout the week, we also visited Bloomberg’s engineering office in San Francisco and the headquarters of Norte Ventures during the conference. These experiences deeply impacted me, as they brought us closer to high-level environments and professionals within the global technology and innovation ecosystem.

We also had the opportunity to learn firsthand, through close and genuine conversations, about the work and journeys of incredible individuals who play an important role in LALA’s ecosystem. It is not every day that you can openly discuss career paths, decisions, and motivations with figures like Kevin Efrusy from Accel and Roberto Dagnoni from Mercado Bitcoin.

In addition, I was able to learn about a wide range of topics directly from people I had previously only followed through podcasts and videos. Being able to hear them live, in the same environment, was surreal. I would highlight the importance of understanding the power of exponential thinking, discussed in a talk with Victor Lazarte, co-founder of Wildlife Studios, and Pedro Franceschi from Brex, which made me rethink the level of ambition behind the projects I want to build. The relevance of focusing on operational excellence in the short term to build long-lasting businesses, shared by Luana Lopes Lara from Kalshi, brought a more mature perspective on what it truly means to execute well. Additionally, the new initiatives from Anthropic, presented by Mike Krieger, co-founder of Instagram and one of the leaders at Anthropic Labs, inspired me to think more boldly about the impact technology can have.

In the end, what made everything even more special was experiencing it all through LALA, alongside an incredible delegation of people who inspired me just as much as the speakers themselves. I came back with my mind full of ideas, but more importantly, with a clear perspective on how to apply these learnings within our ecosystem to create impact across Latin America. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity, for LALA, for the people I met, and for everything this experience allowed me to live.

Article by Gabriel Thiessen (LALíder).