By Paola Velasco
The Fourth Global True North World Forum was held at León’s Bicentennial Theater on April 5-6, with a focus on “the orange economy,” also known as “the creative economy.” UNESCO defines the orange economy as the bringing together of sectors of the economy «whose main purpose is the production or reproduction, promotion, dissemination and/or the marketing of goods, services, and activities that have cultural, artistic, or patrimonial content.»
Speakers traveled to this year’s León forum from all over the world to share their views on the orange economy model—a developmental model in which cultural diversity and creativity become pillars of a country’s social and economic transformation and provide tools for cultural, social, and economic development.
The forum occurred thanks to Lucía Padilla, founder and CEO of Global True North and the International Forums Global True North, Woman True North, and Engaged. Padilla is also a founding partner of Work Group Mexico, Glat and Audiens. Her favorite phrase is, “I love being a matchmaker,” and her mission is to develop people’s talents.
Eli Davidson represented San Miguel de Allende as forum speaker. She is the winner of three national book awards for her first book, “Funky and Fabulous,” which became an instant bestseller in Brazil, and she hopes to publish it in Spanish soon. Davidson has been featured on the “Today” show, in The New York Times, and on CNN in 93 countries.
Soli Kapadia, renowned Indian singer-songwriter and well-known columnist in major Indian newspapers and several magazines, also participated. He has performed at over 4,000 concerts around the world so far.
José Ángel Gurría was another prominent guest. He is an economist by profession and has a 33-year career in public service. Currently, he is an adviser to numerous private companies, multilateral institutions, and non-profit organizations focused on international finance, development, and globalization.
