# Ignia > Reimagining Higher Education through action-focused programs that ignite the maker potential in every person. Ignia is an education company founded in June 2025 in Bogota, Colombia, by Camilo Bonilla and Salomon Muriel — two entrepreneurs who share a conviction that higher education moves too slowly for the speed of the world. Ignia exists to build a new kind of education: one designed for doers, that leaves the classroom behind and learns in and for the real world. Our country and region need to educate differently to have a different future. We need people who go out and build, reinvent, and create. ## Our Vision Ignia's long-term vision is to become the most recognized learning center for its efficiency, its ability to unlock human and professional development, its "joie de vivre," and its community — inspiring other institutions to replicate the model. We aim to reach at least 2,000 students per year directly and 100,000 through other institutions adopting our approach. ## The 4 Pillars Everything Ignia builds rests on four pillars that guide our learning philosophy: ### 1. Practical Content (Learning by Doing) We believe the best learning happens through practice and real projects. Our in-person workshops are oriented toward experimentation — building things, testing ideas, embracing failure as part of the process of learning, growing, and creating. Students integrate knowledge and tools by applying them immediately. The real world and the city are our classroom, because the greatest learning and the best experiences in life happen outside — in the streets, in businesses, in people, in lived experiences. ### 2. Usable Content (No "Relleno") Every piece of content we deliver is designed to be directly applicable. No filler, no padding, no theory for theory's sake. Our instructors are practitioners — top professionals who teach from their real-world successes, stumbles, and lessons. We complement in-person workshops with virtual content, tools, and tutorials that students can access flexibly, at their own pace, and as many times as needed to solidify concepts and methodologies. ### 3. Community (Connections that Multiply) We are convinced that when there is a powerful network, impact and growth become exponential. Valuable connections, collective learning, and friendships don't just add — they multiply. Ignia builds a support network of peers, mentors, and professionals who accompany each other through the process of creating, building, and growing. ### 4. Vibe / Vibra (Learning through Joy) The best learning happens when we feel intrinsically motivated and in a state of flow — connected with what we are doing. Ignia creates fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences because knowledge is better retained through enjoyment. We hold sessions in inspiring venues across Bogota, provide food and drinks, and design every interaction to feel energizing rather than draining. ## The Action Lab The **Action Lab** is Ignia's flagship program — a 3-month, in-person experience designed to transform ideas into reality and take existing projects to the next level. ### Program Structure - **12 weekly in-person workshops** (3 hours each, every Wednesday from 6 to 9 PM in Bogota) - **Taught by top 1% practitioners** in their respective fields — not traditional academics, but people who have built, failed, and succeeded in the real world - **Real project development**: participants work on their own real project throughout the program and come out with something built - **Community of driven peers**: a network of professionals and creators who share the drive to build - **Networking meetups** with the broader ecosystem - **Digital AI experiences** to complement each session - **Exclusive perks and benefits** from partner organizations ### Learning Path The Action Lab curriculum covers a comprehensive range of practical skills: 1. **Launch & Mindset** — Unlocking individual and collective potential 2. **Design Thinking + Systems Thinking** — Building coherence between process and outcome 3. **Value Proposition + Prototyping** — Defining and validating your value proposition 4. **Finance** — Solid finances as a foundation for growth 5. **Sales** — Creating a predictable sales system 6. **Pricing** — Setting the right price for your product or service 7. **AI + Automation** — Practical tools to modernize and scale your business 8. **Personal Branding** — Building a memorable brand 9. **Marketing & Growth** — Getting known and building trust 10. **High-Value Communities** — Expanding your strategic network 11. **High Impact + Sustainability** — Creating sustainable projects with impact 12. **Strategy + The Future** — Designing your path forward Additional optional meetups include sessions on exponential leadership, managing high-impact projects, and a closing event — each featuring exclusive sessions for fellows plus open community spaces. ### Who Is It For? The Action Lab is designed for: - Entrepreneurs and independent professionals who want to take their projects to the next level - People who want to make a new project a reality but don't know how to start or haven't been able to overcome inertia - Professionals looking to update and strengthen skills in AI, tech, automation, agile project management, design thinking, and leadership - Anyone seeking a community to accompany them in the process of creating and driving projects ### The Ignia Experience - **In-person workshops** in inspiring venues across Bogota (restaurants, creative spaces, coworking hubs) — because the city is our classroom - **A community of people with fire** who accompany each other to navigate, co-create, and enjoy the process - **Talks with top leaders** from all sectors and industries sharing how they've taken theory to practice - **Real project development** — follow the program and come out with something built - **Exclusive perks** from official partners across education, entertainment, gastronomy, health and wellness, entrepreneurial services, sports, technology, and travel ## Community & Events Ignia has a vibrant, active community of over 1,000 members — people with fire ("perrenque") who are building, creating, and reinventing. Beyond our programs, we host over 70 events per year, most of them free, in-person, and open to anyone. Our signature weekly event is **Jueves de Coworking** (Coworking Thursdays) — a gathering where people with fire come together to work side by side, connect, and attend a talk or workshop led by an inspiring person on an inspiring topic. It's a space designed to make driven, passionate people meet, share ideas, and fuel each other's projects. All community events and upcoming gatherings can be found at [https://ignia.lat/comunidad](https://ignia.lat/comunidad). ## Our Founders **Camilo Bonilla** (Co-Founder) — Passionate about education and social impact since adolescence. Background includes leading social entrepreneurship initiatives, co-founding education ventures, and building community-driven organizations across Colombia. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilobonilla/) **Salomon Muriel** (Co-Founder) — Over a decade building with technology. Serial entrepreneur with experience founding and leading multiple tech startups (some acquired, some failed), including roles in data science and new product development. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/smuriel/) They met by chance at a restaurant, each having independently quit their executive jobs to pursue their vision for better education. They joined forces to create Ignia — a story written by many hands, inspired by conversations with diverse leaders, and a shared vision of education that ignites the maker potential in the world. ## Our Roadmap 1. Launch a 3-month program with our educational approach and prove the model (Action Lab — launched) 2. Launch a 6-month program connected with employers and industry 3. In addition to professional education programs, launch a 1-2 year program that competes with traditional higher education 4. Become the most recognized learning center for efficiency, human and professional development, community, and joy of learning — inspiring replication by other institutions 5. Reach at least 2,000 students per year directly, and 100,000 through other institutions ## Contact - Website: [https://ignia.lat](https://ignia.lat) - Location: Bogota, Colombia - Action Lab applications: [https://ignia.lat/action-lab](https://ignia.lat/action-lab)