How Latin America is rethinking work with empathy, experience and innovation

As the world of work continues to shift at speed, Latin America is stepping confidently onto the global stage of workplace innovation. Against a backdrop of social change and rapid technological evolution, the recent WORKTECH LATAM conferences in Colombia and Costa Rica tackled pressing questions about how we lead, design, and sustain workplaces that are not just productive, but human, purposeful and resilient.

During both days of the conference, an expert lineup of speakers addressed topics from the impact of artificial intelligence to the evolution of organisational culture. AI, in particular, was presented not as a threat but as an opportunity to enhance human potential. Daniel Strode, an expert in culture, innovation, and strategy, commented that, ‘Succeeding in the era of AI is not a technological challenge, it’s a cultural challenge.’

Reimagining work environments

One of the key messages from the conference was that current work environments are not fit for purpose. Víctor Feingold, CEO of Contract Workplaces, proposed imagining offices on Mars as an excuse to rethink how we inhabit Earth. ‘Dreaming of Mars reminds us that the greatest challenge remains making Earth habitable,’ he affirmed. His perspective opened the conversation towards a more conscious, sustainable, and visionary design of work environments.

The need to rehumanise work environments also took centre stage. Regan Donoghue, founder and CEO of Futurian, proposed concrete practices such as creating rituals, sharing stories, and making time for reflection. In her vision, future leadership is based less on control and more on connection.

Developing talent and leveraging data

Talent development is increasingly rising up the corporate agenda, as highlighted by Santiago Fernández Escobar, founder and CEO of Acros Training. In his talk, he questioned the traditional corrective logic of high performance and proposed focusing on individual strengths as the true engine of growth. ‘Your talents are where you can find the most leverage for high performance,’ he stated.

At the intersection of data and empathy, Carolina Astaiza, VP of Human Resources LATAM at Edelman, highlighted the potential of ‘People Analytics’ as a tool for making more human, intelligent, and fair decisions within organisations. People Analytics can be strategically aligned to corporate objectives, incorporate criteria based on behavioural traits, and address the ethical and technical challenges posed by data analysis in complex work environments.

Designing meaningful experiences

Creating human-centred workplaces revolves around experience and culture as much it does space. Adam Scott, Founder and Global Creative Director of FreeState, provided a comprehensive view on how to design experiences that connect purpose, ecosystem, and action, starting with small decisions that have a real impact. He pointed out that for thousands of years, humans have designed experiences to connect, transform, and thrive. He emphasised experience design as a universal foundation for creating more meaningful environments and responding authentically to social change.

The conference highlighted that LATAM is a key region for anticipating trends, sharing knowledge, and opening dialogue about what work needs today to evolve. By embracing empathy, creativity, and a bold reimagining of what work can be, the region is offering powerful lessons for the global stage.

Find more information about WORKTECH LATAM and future editions here.