Moving abroad is often synonymous with an exciting new beginning.

However, as Amber Jackson (United States, 1989) knows from personal experience, it can also be an “isolating and overwhelming” journey. When she relocated to Barcelona in 2022, she found herself urgently needing to hire an immigration lawyer. Without one, she risked having to leave the country. Fortunately, she could also rely on her circle of friends, what in Catalonia we might call a “penya”, a close-knit group of people you trust and can count on. That experience showed her the value of having a reliable support network and ultimately inspired the creation of Penya.AI, an AI-powered platform that helps expats navigate life in a new country.

Before founding the startup, Amber built a 14-year career spanning the technology and media industries. A graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, with an exchange program at IESE Business School, she held a variety of roles at companies such as Hulu and King, where she led growth initiatives and forged partnerships with some of the world’s leading technology companies.

TB: What is the purpose of your project? 

AJ: Penya was created to help the growing globally mobile population improve their lives. Living abroad can be incredibly exciting, but also isolating and overwhelming when trying to find trusted services, communities, and recommendations. Our goal is to make navigating a new city more human, intelligent, and community-driven.

TB: Where’s your project at and where do you see it in two years? 

AJ: We’re preparing to launch our Beta app and lining up strategic partnerships. In two years, I see Penya expanding into multiple cities and becoming the go-to platform for trusted local discovery among expats and globally mobile professionals.

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project. 

AJ: Choosing to remain a solo founder has been an extremely difficult yet rewarding decision. It challenges me every day, but I’ve learned an immeasurable amount while still finding ways to ask for and receive help.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and what has it taught you? 

AJ: Bootstrapping is challenging. Every decision is a tradeoff, but it’s taught me how to be creative and resourceful.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received. 

AJ: At the end of each “How I Built This” episode, Guy Raz asks his guests: “How much of your success was due to skill and hard work, and how much was due to luck?” There’s a general consensus amongst the guests that I always keep in mind: you need to do the hard work to not only create your own luck, but be ready when luck finds you.

TB: We all change over time. What have you changed your mind about? 

AJ: In the olden days, it was vital to have a technical co-founder to build anything and achieve success, so solo founding felt like a huge risk. As AI democratizes access to knowledge and technology, my choice feels more justified, especially since around half of startups fail due to co-founder friction.

TB: A professional role model who inspires you and why.

AJ: My mother. She is the most resilient woman I know, has always excelled at any task she’s given, and can truly turn nothing into something astonishing.

TB: What do you value most in the people you work with? 

AJ: Curiosity, integrity, adaptability, and kindness. I value people who are ambitious but collaborative; the kind of people who are willing to solve hard problems together without ego.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AJ: Fintech for globally mobile professionals. Navigating financial systems as an expat, banking, taxes, and cross-border payments, is still far more complicated than it should be. Companies like Wise, N26, and Revolut are making real progress, and I use all three myself. As more people choose to live and work across borders, the technology that makes financial life seamless for internationals will become essential infrastructure.

TB: A startup or company you admire, and why.

AJ: Spotify. I admire how they combined technology, personalization, and culture to completely reshape how people discover and experience music globally.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

AJ: I go out dancing and see live shows – music forces me to be in the moment and just enjoy the experience.

TB: A book to recommend. 

AJ: These days I consume podcasts more than books.  I’d highly recommend “How I Built This”, hosted by Guy Raz. It covers the entreprenaurial journey of the founders of some of the biggest companies today and often serves as inspiration or encouragement. 

TB: A song that defines your moment in life. 

AJ: I often have the song “Nothing Even Matters” by Lauryn Hill ft. D’Angelo on repeat. It reminds me not to sweat the small things, to keep moving forward past setbacks, and that there are more important things in life.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant. 

AJ: One of the things I really miss about the US is breakfast! So I frequently go to Caravelle, which is one of my favorite breakfast spots in the city.

TB: A place in the world. 

AJ: I love Japan. It’s lively, creative, and modern while, at the same time, full of history and tradition. It’s a fascinating intersection of cutting-edge technology and early civilization.

TB: Where would you invest 100k? 

AJ: In my own business!  

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur… 

AJ: I’d probably still be working in the entertainment industry in some capacity because I loved being at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and culture.  

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you? 

AJ: I met some of my first and best entrepreneur friends in line at a Tech Barcelona event, so to me, it means community.