Meet Andrs Colmenares Co-Founder Of Internet Age Media

Andrés Colmenares is a trend researcher and strategist, who is passionate about the beauty of imperfection, time, complexity, serendipity, the moon, and GIFs. Along with partner Lucy Rojas, he runs the strategic foresight company wabi-sabi lab and co-founded Internet Age Media. IAM is a platform for understanding the future of culture and media in the Internet Age and hosts a yearly event, the IAM Weekend.

Co-Founders Lucy Rojas and Andrés Colmenares

What is the most unusual request you’ve had?

Last year we were asked to do research about trends in the regulation of the so-called sharing economy and recently about the futures of security and safety industry. We usually do futures research in fields closer to media, learning and internet culture, so we learned a lot doing these tasks.
What advice would you give to someone who was trying to break into the business?

First step is to define and visualize your dream/goal/purpose. Then it is all about hard work (done wisely), looking and learning beyond your bubbles, and most importantly having fun in the process. Enjoy the ride. If you are passionate about what you choose to do, then you will.
What’s next?

2016 is going to be very exciting. Next April we are doing the second Internet Age Media Weekend, a three-day event in Barcelona about the futures of media, learning and internet culture. We will also launch our second video series, a Futures of Media & Publishing experience and some promising creative collaborations with key partners.

Andrés Colmenares at Calvert Forum – Kazan 2015

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would share the advice Jeff Hamada from Booooooom.com gave during the first IAM Weekend: ‘Let the fear of letting fear dictate your life dictate your life’.
If you could only bring three things to a desert island, what would they be?

– A camera with 4G (or the best possible Internet connection), solar charger and basic apps

– A super powerful telescope or VR headset

– A fancy yacht, or a huge drone that takes me back home
How would you describe Internet Age Media in 80 characters?

IAM is a platform that connects the futures of media+learning+internet culture

Andrés Colmenares presenting IAM Weekend 2015

Apple or Android? Android.

Picasso or Miró? Picasso and Miró.

Coffee or tea? Coffee a.m., tea p.m.

Love or friendship? Love.

City-break or countryside escape? It depends on my mood. Mostly city-breaks.

Gabriel García Márquez or Jack Kerouac? Gabo, mostly because of his fight against useless spelling rules dictated from Spain that cuts freedom of expression, an issue that is deeply rooted in the education system and yet is still highly ignored.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.