We're here to work! Estamos acá para trabajar

Ya llegamos!

When we first arrived, we felt like we were on vacation, Spanish circling around us flowing from every direction, avocados hiding in every sandwich, palm trees providing shade during hot sunny days, (in January no less). And yet, here we are, one month into our adventure and I know the insides of office buildings, supermarkets and Chile's version of Home Depot (to furnish our furnished apartment) better than the hottest tourist spots.

Four weeks after we arrived, we finally feel like certified card-carrying Chileans (yes, we actually have national ID cards, story on that to come). We have an apartment, internet, phone plan, bank accounts (currently empty), and BIP! cards (to use public transportation, which is awesome in Santiago, and yes, the "!" is part of the name).

Why we came to Chile:

While we intend to explore the beauty of Chile from the northern desert, Atacama, to the southern Patagonia and others, we're here on work visas through the government sponsored program, Start-up Chile. The program is designed to "attract world class early stage entrepreneurs to start their businesses in Chile". Our business, Backyard Brains, is the Neuroscience Revolution! (shameless plug: now you can do neuroscience anywhere, anytime, for cheap). In terms of economic development, Chile's approach is absolutely fascinating. Their intent is to inspire change in the local business environment by bringing in a large group of international entrepreneurs, with varied experience and expertise. Their research revealed constructing extensive sophisticated infrastructure was not the best way to fuel a local economy- investing in human capital is the way to go. Start-Up Chile is amassing a huge concentration of talent, believing economic growth will ensue.

To do this on a massive scale necessitates government support. Chile's government streamlined the entire immigration process to ease the transition. They expedited all the nitty gritty details of establishing oneself in a foreign country (obtaining visas, bank accounts, short-term phone plans, etc.). It would be fascinating if Detroit were able to emulate this program. Of course, this requires the government to recognize the immense value immigrants bring to a society.

Food for thought:

What would Detroit look like if our government ran a similar program- offering promising entrepreneurs (from around the world) seed money to relocate in Detroit for a minimum of 6 months?