JULIAN UGARTE //
Socialab Chile //
Santiago //
July 11th 2017 //
Julian is a co-founder of the Socialab in Chile. He also established the co-working space IF, which is where Social Lab is based in Santiago.
Social Lab was founded by some of the team involved in Techo. Which is one of the more well know social innovations in the region. Julian was always interested in improving the quality of life for people, and wanted to create something that would create real social impact.
“I love ideas, but I love the impact more”
Social Lab is a platform that facilitates and hosts a number of open innovation challenges. Looking for people and ideas that will have a demonstrable social impact. They link these people and ideas with sources of funding and they provide support and mentoring as the ideas develop. Julian mentioned specifically two of the ideas they have been able to grow.
FreshWater // is a product that improves the health and quality of life in areas where water is scarce or of poor quality, producing purified water from air. In Chile there are approximately 195,000 inhabitants who do not have access to drinking water (In Latin America and the Caribbean, about 34 million people lack access to safe sources of drinking water). This product was developed using technology that allows purified water to be obtained from the atmosphere by simply connecting it to a 220V electrical source, either through its own battery or coupled to a solar source, without having to connect to a drinking water network and not be concerned about the logistics and supply of bottles or lorries.
Algramo //
A new system which reduces the prices of a family’s grocery shopping. They identified the problem of people being punished on price when buying in small quantities. Single customers face a 40% cost increase compared to buying on larger scales. So Algramo was established as a new company, using larger scale cost reductions to reducing the purchase price of families who are buying at small scale. They offer products of the highest quality 40% cheaper than competitors.
Julian is interested in the way larger corporations are getting engaged and involved in social change, and he believes there is a scale of investment and impact that can be achieved through the partnership with the commercial sector.
We are a group of hippy capitalists… using the same rules, we are creating change for the better. Raising money, but exporting love”
Their intention always is to build a better world through business. He talks a lot about empathy, human connections, and compassion.
“we believe in the economy of love”
looking south 
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