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As part of Colombia's most crucial entrepreneurship event, Fuckup Nights and the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce created an honest and powerful space: Unfiltered Women.  An event that challenged the polished success narrative to reveal what truly builds innovative companies and ideas: failure.

Over five days, Gofest brought together more than 25,000 attendees across industries. Fuckup Nights turned the main stage of the festival into a space where vulnerability took center stage.

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Why talk about failure?

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The session was moderated by Karla Ferreira, Global Operations Director at Fuckup Nights,  who opened by sharing that even Fuckup Nights itself almost shut down in 2023. The company faced debt, layoffs, and tough decisions— proving that anyone can turn obstacles into powerful lessons. We are not here to talk about unicorns, but about survival, mistakes, and resilience.

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"Failure hurts. But when we speak openly about what didn't go well, we build empathy and trust."
— Karla Ferreira

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Three women, three stories, one truth: failure transformed them

Rosario B. Casas: Bridging the digital gap with humanity

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Rosario shared how a failed tech rollout—built on a platform inherited from two different developers—almost cost her a long-dreamed project and a key client for her company, BCPartners Tech. 

The system was held together by outdated code, poor development practices, and fragile infrastructure. While deploying a new version, the platform completely collapsed.

Over three days, Rosario led her team through a high-pressure technical battle while also managing the emotional toll on her client, who suffered panic attacks due to system outages affecting all users. 

At the lowest point, Rosario chose to move forward without any payment guarantee—driven solely by her commitment not to abandon someone who had placed trust in her. 

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Key takeaways Rosario shared:

• Solve real problems: Developers often chase trends and forget about everyday users. Build solutions that feel natural to them.
• Stay where you grow: Understanding the client's purpose and the value it brings to their end user is essential.
• Prepare for the inevitable:  Crises will come. You must grasp their scale, know your blind spots, and have an experienced team to navigate through them.
• Your team is everything:  In a crisis, a top-notch team and honest communication—both internally and externally—are vital. Don't take things personally. Build trust.
• Bridge the digital divide:  Cutting-edge tech is great, but helping people take their first digital steps is a superpower. 

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"The real mastery of Rosario and her team wasn't in the code—it was in closing the digital gap, one conversation at a time."
—Rosario B. Casas

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Salua García Fakih: Sometimes failing means saving what truly matters

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Saluaco-founder of Symplifica, expanded into Mexico with the dream of replicating her Colombian startup's success in a market three times the size. The timing seemed perfect: a new law formalized domestic work, and she had a proven, socially impactful model. 

She expected immediate demand—but instead, faced institutional delays, cultural resistance, and global economic conditions that made the expansion unfeasible. 

After years of effort and 1,500 clients, the hardest decision came in 2024: to shut it down.

 For Salua—leading the company while raising her first child—the closure was emotionally devastating.

 However, that decision enabled Symplifica to survive and thrive in Colombia, ultimately achieving profitability.

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Key takeaways Salua shared:

• Market timing can be as important as the product.
• Sometimes, failing is surviving: knowing when to say "no" is a form of leadership.
• Global expansion demands local talent and strong resources.
• Tough decisions must be made with your head—even when your heart aches.

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"It was a survival decision—one that had to be made at the time it was made."
—Salua García

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Alexandra Mendoza: When the "dream offer" becomes your worst move

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With over 15 years of experience in factoring, Alexandra founded Liquitech to bring innovation to the financial world. After attracting international investors, she signed a multi-million-dollar bond deal in the U.S., which seemed like the peak of her career. 

However, things quickly turned into a nightmare, marked by delays, unexpected terms, and financial instability.

At the same time, Alexandra was going through the end of a 23-year marriage. The emotional and financial pressure was overwhelming.

Still, she chose to stay, renegotiate, downsize, and rebuild from scratch. 

 Today, Liquitech operates under a new investment model and a clearer, more grounded vision.

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Key takeaways Alexandra shared:

• There are no shortcuts. Unicorns are fantasy—real growth happens step by step.
• Trust your gut.   Advisors matter, but your intuition and common sense matter more.
• ALMA keeps you grounded.   Joy, Authentic Leadership, Resilient Mindset, and Action. That's what allows you to rise again.
• Failure is just one chapter in your story.

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"I learned that everything must be done gradually—there are no magic formulas or shortcuts. You have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run."
—Alexandra Mendoza

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Reactions that remind us why we do this

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Sharing the stories was deeply valuable and healing—for both the audience and the speakers:

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"I felt so much joy sharing my story, knowing it might help others avoid the same mistakes."
—Alexandra Mendoza

"You're an amazing team. Everything was flawless."
—Rosario B. Casas

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Even members of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce team, like Jorge Mario Hurtado and Lina María Núñez, praised the energy, authenticity, and power of the event.

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Leading through vulnerability

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This event provided an opportunity to speak without filters in a typically reserved for highlight reels.   A space to share when things fell apart  —and how we built ourselves back up. 

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Because at Fuckup Nights, we believe that talking about what went wrong doesn't make us weak—it makes us human.

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Would you like to bring this transformative experience to your company?

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Our events teach teams about the "B-side" of success—showing that authentic leadership is built on failure, tough calls, and resilience.

If you want to create a space where people can speak freely, connect through vulnerability, and learn from failure with honesty, let's make it happen together.

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 Learn more about our private events here.‍

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