Ep 5 When the taxi took a dark turn in Bogotá in the late 80s with Ellie Rusling

In this episode of Risky Routes, Olivia Goldstein sits down with Ellie Rusling, CEO and co-founder of MicroEra Power, to unpack the travel story that helped inspire the series itself.While studying abroad in Bogotá, Colombia in the late 1980s (a time marked by political unrest and cartel violence) Ellie found herself in a situation every traveler hopes to avoid. When a taxi ride suddenly veered off course into a deserted industrial area, Ellie had to rely on instinct, quick thinking, and the local knowledge she had picked up from friends to escape a potential kidnapping.What follows is a gripping story of composure under pressure, the power of community, and how people often show up when you need them most. Ellie reflects on the lessons she carried forward from that moment - about calculated risk, trusting your instincts, and building networks of people who have your back.The conversation also draws parallels between navigating uncertainty while traveling and the realities of entrepreneurship: the importance of resilience, perspective, and the courage to move forward even when things don’t go according to plan.A wild story from Colombia becomes a powerful reminder that sometimes the most uncomfortable journeys shape us the most.