How 94 People Changed Their Way of Doing Business Thanks to Alibaba

"Once upon a time, in a world of toy bricks, children could build the cities of their dreams." This could be the beginning of a story about Estralandia, the iconic toy from Industrias Estra. But times have changed, and so has storytelling. The question now is:

How do you breathe new life into one of Colombia’s most traditional and beloved products, and captivate a new audience for a game that has been around for over 50 years?

For Carolina Gómez, Jaime Alejandro Gómez, and Julio Gallego—Marketing Director, Planning and Development Manager, and CTO of Industrias Estra, respectively—this challenge was at the forefront. They knew the essence of Estralandia was not just the physical blocks but the spirit of creativity, ingenuity, and values learned through play. However, they struggled to land on a new business model until they found the perfect partner.

In 2021, Alibaba arrived in Medellín through a partnership with Ruta N, making the city the first in South America—and the second in the Americas—to join the Chinese e-commerce giant’s Global Digital Talent Program. The program's goal? To share key knowledge and tools for digitizing Colombia’s economy and fostering social and economic transformation through digital education.

A crucial aspect of the program was “tropicalizing” Alibaba’s expertise. As Sinki María, leader of Ruta N’s Internationalization Program, explains, this meant “not only translating knowledge from English to Spanish but also studying Latin American cases to make the concepts relatable to everyone.”

And who better to partner with than the global master of digital transformation and e-commerce?

China’s success in digital commerce is undeniable. According to the World Bank of Indonesia, China has significantly reduced poverty over the past two decades, thanks to its digital economic transformation. From accounting for less than 1% of global e-commerce, it became the first country where digital transactions surpassed traditional ones, representing 52% of global online commerce.

That’s why Ruta N partnered with one of China’s leading e-commerce companies to reshape the mindset and business practices of 29 startups and 41 mentors in Medellín.

The Estralandia Transformation Journey

For Industrias Estra, the solution was clear: digitize their iconic product. “Children are our future customers, so we wanted to connect with them naturally. Today, kids are 100% digital, so we saw the need to take this physical game into a digital world through a video game that incorporates the brand’s experience and values,” explains Jaime Alejandro Gómez. This initiative became one of 29 business models presented during the Digital Entrepreneurship module certification ceremony in April.

“We saw something we had never experienced in so many courses we’ve taken before. This may be the most comprehensive course I’ve attended in a long time, and it was the most enriching experience we’ve had in this post-pandemic stage,” shared Alejandro Starkov from OE, a startup working on an online simultaneous translation project for companies expanding internationally.

The journey began in June 2021 with 41 participants from 32 organizations, including associations, governments, universities, startups, SMEs, large companies, and investment funds. They joined Alibaba’s Online Train the Trainers Program, working directly with Alibaba experts to become mentors and build digital capacity within Medellín.

This training evolved into the Digital Transformation module, where over 600 people nationwide gained knowledge in digital economy adoption, platform-based businesses, digital infrastructure, and smart logistics. Of those, 135 advanced to the Digital Entrepreneurship module, where they refined their business plans, with 94 participants successfully certifying 29 business models.

Agents of Transformation

Today, these individuals, startups, and companies are driving change. “Now that they’ve built this capacity, the idea is for them to continue transferring knowledge,” says Sinki María. “What they do has the potential to contribute to the development of the city and the country.”

Thanks to this collaboration, Estralandia is on its way to becoming a digital product, allowing new generations to experience the same creativity and ingenuity it inspired for decades—only this time, through a digital lens.