Darden Emerging Markets Podcast, Episode 2: Rethinking Growth... Trade, Tech, and Transformation in Latin America

Latin America is undergoing a strategic shift - driven by nearshoring, climate innovation, and a wave of tech-driven growth. In this episode of the Darden Emerging Markets Podcast, we explore how the region is responding to global challenges across trade, investment, and innovation. From shifting supply chains to digital ecosystems, the conversation highlights how nearshoring is reshaping U.S.–LatAm trade flows, how innovation is scaling across diverse markets, and how deeper hemispheric collaboration is redefining the region’s global role.

Our guest is César Buenadicha, Chief Discovery Officer at IDB Lab, the innovation arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)—an international development finance institution that provides long-term financing and technical expertise to countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. With over two decades of experience and a unique perspective grounded in field engagement, César brings fresh insight into the forces shaping Latin America’s economic trajectory.

Hosted by second-year MBA students Giordano Di Giorgio, Giriraj Heda, and Siddarth Jain, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Gaurav Chiplunkar.

This episode was created in collaboration with the Latin American Student Association (LASA).