When the world went remote during COVID, something started to disappear: engagement. Meetings moved online, teams appeared as rows of muted faces on video calls, and real connection began to fade. With an MSc in Social Psychology and 14 years leading international HR at Boston Consulting Group, Bumble and high-growth tech companies, Elena Zangeeva (Angarsk, 1991) decided to experiment with that. She built an interactive quiz to reconnect teams. And that small idea would eventually grow into Kvistly, an AI-powered platform designed to make learning interactive, efficient and fun.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

EZ: To make learning interactive, efficient and fun in every classroom in the world.

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

EZ: We are scaling globally with corporate clients like Perk, L’Oréal, DHL and 2,000+ school teachers across multiple countries. In two years, I see Kvistly as a category-defining engagement layer for learning and live events worldwide.

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project.

EZ: The idea for Kvistly was born during COVID, when teams went fully remote and engagement collapsed. I designed an interactive and personalized game about our own company—inside jokes, stories and culture. That experiment proved that learning and connection can be both meaningful and fun, and it shaped Kvistly into what it is today.

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

EZ: Building Kvistly as a bootstrapped founder. I’ve made many mistakes, and without external capital it’s harder to accelerate quickly. It taught me resilience, sharper prioritization and how to grow through real traction, not vanity metrics.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

EZ: When I started my career in 2012, our Sales Director told me: “You never get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate”

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

EZ: I used to think pushing harder solved everything. Now I believe inner peace is the real advantage. When you stay calm, protect your boundaries and don’t react to every trigger, you make better decisions and build better companies.

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

EZ: To be honest, I want to mention many people here, but I really admire Tanya Van Gastel, CEO of Rankingonai.com. She is a brilliant and intelligent entrepreneur. I also love the way she treats people with respect and dignity—it’s always inspiring.

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

EZ: Curiosity, accountability and kindness.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

EZ: AI. The backbone of nearly every other emerging technology. From automation and drug discovery to creative work and scientific research: AI is accelerating everything.

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

EZ: Brunello Cucinelli. I admire the idea of humanistic capitalism, where profit and dignity coexist. Building a successful global company while protecting craftsmanship, community and humane working conditions proves that business can scale without losing its values.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

EZ: Sport. I work out five times a week: strength training, cardio and long walks by the sea. Also cooking.

TB: A book to recommend.

EZ: ‘The Culture Map’ by Erin Meyer.

TB: A song that defines your moment in life.

EZ: ‘Thunder’ by Imagine Dragons.

TB: A recipe, a meal or a restaurant.

EZ: Simple Italian pasta done perfectly.

TB: A place in the world.

EZ: Lake Baikal. Raw, powerful—a frozen and serene paradise.

TB: Where would you invest €100k?

EZ: In early-stage founders who sell before they fundraise.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

EZ: I’d be a People & Culture leader in a great scale-up, building A-player teams.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

EZ: It’s a place to connect.

How many of you would be able to say what blockchain is and what it’s used for?

Xavier Armengol (Barcelona, 2001) is part of a generation that has closely witnessed the rise of this technology and has known how to turn it into an opportunity. A graduate in International Business, he discovered the Web3 world five years ago and since then has focused his efforts on education and training in this field. As founder of CAAS Live & CAAS Community, a private investment program in decentralized finance, he teaches people how to generate returns within the DeFi ecosystem in a sustainable and secure way.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

XA: We teach adults (between 30 and 60 years old) how to generate returns through decentralized finance (DeFi) in a sustainable and secure way.

TB: At what stage is your project now and where do you see it in two years?

XA: We are currently in an expansion phase, focused on reaching more people and increasing awareness of the program. We want to consolidate the community and expand our impact. In five years [not two], I see myself stepping away from training to focus on managing a DeFi fund.

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project.

XA: Learning to say no and to focus on what truly matters. The Eisenhower Matrix [a productivity tool that prioritizes tasks by classifying them into four quadrants based on urgency and importance].

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

XA: Leaving my previous job to start my own venture and follow my own path. It taught me to be brave and to take action.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

XA: “Less is more.” Simplifying, focusing, and avoiding overcomplication is often the key to moving forward with clarity.

TB: We all change over time. Have you changed your mind about anything?

XA: Of course. Every entrepreneur starts out doing one thing and ends up doing something different. The process transforms you.

TB: A professional role model who inspires you.

XA: Pablo Gil. He speaks from a deep knowledge of the markets and does so with honesty and clarity.

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

XA: Proactivity and the willingness to work thoroughly.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

XA: Artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. I believe the combination of both will transform the world we live in.

TB: A startup or company you admire and why.

XA: Revolut. They’ve intelligently penetrated the market, clearly differentiated themselves from competitors, and built a very attractive value proposition for the end user.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

XA: Go for a run, although not as often as I’d like.

TB: A book you’d recommend.

XA: Many! Right now, I’d say ‘$100M Deals’ by Alex Hormozi.

TB: A recipe, a dish, or a restaurant.

XA: The carbonara made by Gonzalo, your Membership Coordinator at Tech Barcelona and a good friend of mine.

TB: A place in the world.

XA: Australia.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

XA: In Bitcoin, clearly.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

XA: I’d like to work at a family office.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona to you?

XA: Support and a space for connection.

As an art historian, Sònia López (Barcelona, 1972) spent nearly 20 years leading the digital media department at MACBA before launching Deckard Cultura Digital, a consultancy that supports museums and cultural institutions in the conceptualization of digital projects and the curation of content.

For the past few months, she has also been working from the BSC AI Factory, the European artificial intelligence hub located at Pier07 of Tech Barcelona. “We believe innovation happens at the margins: when different disciplines meet, when an unexpected conversation opens a new thread. That’s why we especially value being in an environment where artificial intelligence, creativity, engineering, and strategy intertwine and engage in dialogue,” she wrote on LinkedIn when announcing her office move.

Listening, flexibility, and presence: values that shape her way of leading creative and complex projects. They also define her vision of the future—one in which innovation makes it possible to connect culture with everyone.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

SL: Deckard’s purpose is to help museums remain relevant in society’s everyday life.

TB: At what stage is your project now, and where do you see it in two years?

SL: Increasingly, we work on complex projects where coordination, translation between teams, and clear decision-making are essential. In two years, I’d like Deckard to be even more established as a boutique partner in digital curatorship and strategic support, with more scalable processes without losing craftsmanship.

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project.

SL: Naming and defending our work as digital curatorship—a transversal task that mediates between academia and technology—and building the studio around that role of conceptual design and technological mediation.

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

SL: It may sound cliché, but the biggest challenge I’ve experienced is personal, and I mention it because it has impacted everything I do. Becoming a mother taught me to listen, to be firm, and to be present—that shapes everything I do. Motherhood affects the kind of professional you become.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

SL: Setting boundaries is offering a space of safety.

TB: We all change over time. Have you changed your mind about anything?

SL: Yes, of course—about many things. I don’t trust people who never change their minds. Nor those who don’t understand that changing your mind is possible.

TB: A professional role model who inspires you.

SL: I have to make an effort because there are many people I look up to, each for different reasons. For this interview, I’ll choose Genís Roca, for his analytical and communication skills when it comes to technology.

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

SL: Their creativity—being surprised by them and pushed to say, “Wow, I hadn’t thought about this from that angle.”

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

SL: That’s a hard one! AI is already permeating our daily lives. I read in The New York Times about a journalist who tried to avoid it and found it impossible—even his home faucet depended on AI. In my sector, conversational interfaces built on knowledge graphs don’t just “generate”; they connect, contextualize, and provide intelligent access to archives. Personally, the technology I’d like to shape the future would be matter teleportation with zero carbon footprint.

TB: A startup or company you admire and why.

SL: Musa.Guide. They’re a small startup that has developed a simple, beautiful solution for audio guides in museum environments. They use AI to adapt content to users. It’s much better than I’m able to explain.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

SL: Watch two or three films in a row—ones that have always been on my watchlist and that no one else at home wants to see.

TB: A book to recommend.

SL: The Volume of Time by Danish author Solvej Valle. It’s published in Catalan and Spanish by Anagrama. If they don’t release the third volume (and the following ones) soon, I’ll be forced to learn Danish.

TB: A song that defines your current moment in life.

SL: There are so many to choose from that I always go back to the foundations: I’ll say any piece played by John Coltrane.

TB: A recipe, a dish, a restaurant.

SL: Any Italian pasta made with wisdom—like the kind they prepare for you at Raffaelli Ristorante on Lluís Antúnez Street in Barcelona.

TB: A place in the world.

SL: Venice.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

SL: In the development of teleportation, of course.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

SL: I’d devote myself to a profession where I could use my hands to make or repair things.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona to you?

SL: It’s an opportunity to hybridize my practice with other innovation processes, to share experiences, and above all to connect my world—anchored in the slow, repetitive processes of museums—with innovation and more disruptive opportunities.

At just 15 and 16 years old, three high school classmates won the Audi Creativity Challenge with Sharge, an app that allowed sharing charging points for electric vehicles. That award took them to Silicon Valley, the global mecca of startups, where they were able to develop the platform and soak up new ideas.

Ten years later, David Andrés (Barcelona, 2000) still maintains his entrepreneurial spirit. Double graduate in Business Administration and Law from ESADE and former consultant at Deloitte, since 2024 he has been a founding partner of Two.Zero, an innovation agency specialized in designing and developing tailor-made digital solutions for companies.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

DA: To help companies implement technology intelligently, with real impact and aligned with their strategy, combining innovation, talent, and execution.

TB: Where is your project at now, and where do you see it in two years?

DA: We are a digital services company focused on developing mobile and web applications for businesses. Currently, 70% of our clients are from the United States. A year ago, we were managing 4 projects in parallel, and today more than 29. In two years, we see ourselves scaling the team, consolidating in the international market, and leading higher-impact projects.

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project.

DA: Strategically partnering with FlutterFlow. Betting heavily on this technology has allowed us to position ourselves today in the top 6 worldwide FlutterFlow partners, top 1 in Europe, and accelerate our growth.

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

DA: Scaling with many more projects in parallel without losing quality. It has taught me the importance of attracting talent, creating solid processes, and trusting the team.

TB: The best advice you’ve received.

DA: Putting things into perspective is important; in entrepreneurship, not everything is as serious as it seems, and almost everything has a solution.

TB: We all change over time. Have you changed your mind about anything?

DA: Yes. I used to be more idealistic; today I’m much more executive. I haven’t lost the creative side, but I’ve understood that execution is key.

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

DA: Xavier Verdaguer. He has been a mentor and friend for years, and a clear reference in innovation, entrepreneurship, and global vision.

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

DA: Honesty, loyalty, commitment, transparency, and ambition.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

DA: Artificial intelligence, for its ability to transform processes, productivity, and decision-making across all sectors.

TB: A startup or company you admire and why.

DA: Vicio, for the powerful brand they have built and how they have connected product, community, and culture.

TB: How do you disconnect?

DA: Doing sports and watching sports. Very ‘perico’.

TB: A book you’d recommend.

DA: ‘Nexus’ by Yuval Noah Harari or ‘The Singularity Is Near’ by Ray Kurzweil.

TB: A song that defines your current stage in life.

DA: ‘Viva la Vida’ by Coldplay. 

TB: A recipe, a dish, a restaurant.

DA: The bravas of Tomás, in Sarrià (Barcelona).

TB: A place in the world.

DA: Sant Cugat or Calella de Palafrugell.

TB: ¿Dónde invertirías 100k?

DA: In one of my projects.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

DA: A sports journalist or technology consultant, something linked to communication and technology.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona to you?

DA: A strong community to connect with top people, grow professionally, and, on top of that, have fun.

“I survived NATO bombings in Belgrade, raised my son as a single father in the UK, and rebuilt my career in Barcelona.” A solid introduction.

It’s clear that Cal Smyth (Bristol, 1975) knows how to tell a story. A screenwriter and video director, he co-founded Diigima Creative Studio to merge narrative and technology, creativity and innovation, with the goal of bringing more stories that deserve to be told to life. Among them, many that unfold at Tech Barcelona events.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

CS: We combine storytelling and technology to create videos that emotionally impact every audience.

TB: Where is your project now, and where do you see it in two years?

CS: Well, we just survived our first year! We’ve completed some really interesting projects, but now we’re focused on securing long-term clients. In two years, our goal is to be able to pay our salaries and keep our accountant happy.

TB: A key decision that shaped your project.

CS: It happened on a train ride from Barcelona to Madrid. Sitting with my future partner, the idea came up—we bought the domain and shook hands to become co-founders of Diigima Creative Studio.

TB: The biggest challenge you’ve faced and what it taught you.

CS: Raising my son as a single father while he had to overcome racism and bullying taught me to show love, resilience, and perseverance in the face of any obstacle.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

CS: Probably from our accountant, who told us to always put everything in writing in a contract before starting any work. Countless times, I’ve wished I had listened.

TB: We all change over time. Have you changed your mind about anything?

CS: Phew, about many things. For a business to succeed, you have to be flexible. I think nowadays the word everyone uses is “pivot.”

TB: A professional figure who inspires you and why.

CS: I’ll choose someone local but also internationally minded. As owner of Blue Book Theatre Company, Aileen Kelly pours her soul into making it work: a passionate project that also needs to be financially viable. Plus, we have a lot of fun creating trailers and recording plays for her.

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

CS: Luca, my co-founder at Diigima Creative Studio, is incredible at learning and implementing new tech skills to fit all my crazy creative ideas—whether designing our website or filming and editing a dystopian romantic thriller with Barcelona as an empty urban landscape.

TB: One technology that will shape the future.

CS: AI, obviously, is what everyone talks about, but rather than letting it shape us, I think we should see it as an amazing tool for humans. Otherwise, we’re practically doomed.

TB: A startup or company you admire and why.

CS: From a distance, I admire Questo, an interactive walking exploration game app. I don’t know the ins and outs of their business model, but I love the mix of technology, storytelling, and physical experience.

TB: How do you disconnect?

CS: I’ve always found it hard to switch off my mind, but I take daily walks and go for a run once a week to clear my head.

TB: A book to recommend.

CS: Well, there are some really cool novels written by a guy named Cal Smyth, but I guess I can’t recommend my own. So I’ll go with The Border by Don Winslow: a fantastic noir novel, a masterful portrayal of drug trafficking between Mexico and the U.S., and a powerful human story that hits you right in the gut.

TB: A song that defines your current moment in life.

CS: Right now I’m revisiting OK Computer by Radiohead because my son is learning to play it on guitar.

TB: A recipe, dish, or restaurant.

CS: Thai noodles. It’s my own creation. I also love Can Paixano, just around the corner from Pier01 at Tech Barcelona: cava and burgers for just a few euros. An amazing place.

TB: A place in the world.

CS: So many places. Barcelona and Belgrade are my favorite cities. For island getaways: Hvar, Elba, and Crete. Also the Path of the Gods in Amalfi. Oh, and being atop Montserrat on my fiftieth birthday.

TB: Where would you invest €100k?

CS: In Greenland’s military defense? I’m not sure €100,000 is enough to unite the world in harmony, but maybe more wind turbines should be built in Europe.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

CS: Sometimes I still dream of playing for Liverpool, which honestly could use a defender lately. I’d say being creative and making films, but that’s already what I do. So I’d stick with living on a remote island, writing stories, and swimming every day.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona to you?

CS: A support network where you can meet incredible people. At one of the Afterworks, I met people who became great friends, and that’s how we landed our first job with Tech Barcelona itself. I’m very grateful for that—it shows Tech Barcelona works on both levels: social interaction and creating job opportunities in the tech sector.

Gabriela Margareto (Barcelona, 1989) is a telecommunications engineer with more than a decade of experience in the industry, leading mobile network deployment projects.

After working at Eurona and Cellnex Telecom, in 2024 she joined the team at APFutura, a company that helps businesses and public entities deploy connectivity solutions such as fiber optics, WiFi, IoT, FWA, and private networks. As Director of Business Development, she channels all her technical knowledge into a more strategic vision, leading the expansion and growth project in the industrial sector.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

GM: In an environment of constant change and service digitalization, at APFutura we help companies and public administrations deploy connectivity solutions that adapt to their needs, supporting them throughout the digitalization process in a secure, transparent, and reliable way.

TB: What stage is it at, and where do you see it in two years?

GM: We are in a growth stage and expect to see major results in two years.

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project.

GM: The decision to commit to the industrial B2B market was our turning point: a move that required us to completely reorient our commercial approach.

TB: What is the biggest challenge you have faced, and what has it taught you?

GM: Structuring the sales area and aligning all areas of the company toward the same growth objectives.

TB: The best advice you have been given.

GM: We must focus on the present, but if we want to move forward, we must always keep our eyes on the future.

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

GM: I have been fortunate to work alongside highly talented professionals, but if I have to choose, I would go with all the women engineers who paved the way before me and from whom I have learned a great deal, both professionally and personally.

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

GM: I value people who know how to contribute as part of a team. In the end, that is what gives soul to what we do and what truly allows us to grow.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

GM: We are in the era of AI, and we are going to see extraordinary things.

TB: A startup or company you admire and why.

GM: Innovamat, for trying to rewrite the way mathematics is taught to boys and girls, and for fostering understanding and critical thinking.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

GM: Meeting up with my friends and laughing with them.

TB: A book to recommend.

GM: “I Gave You Eyes and You Looked into the Darkness”, by Irene Solà.

TB: A song that defines your current moment in life.

GM: “Berghain”, by Rosalía. 

TB: A recipe, a restaurant. 

GM: The roasted red pepper escalivada from the Palo Verde restaurant.

TB: A place in the world.

GM: Ilha Grande, Brazil.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

GM: In a cure for cancer.

TB: If you were not a business developer and engineer…

GM: I would like to lead a project that had a direct social impact on citizens and on the common good.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona to you?

GM: For me, Tech Barcelona is a way to meet other people with curiosities and concerns similar to mine, and with a desire to share experiences.

Daniele Lezzi (Lecce, 1977), PhD in Computer Engineering from the University of Salento, has spent over 25 years engaged in advanced computer science research. Today, while continuing his role as a Senior Researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, he is also CTO and co-founder of OneCareAI, a BSC spin-off that applies AI to assess ischemic stroke risk using a single
electrocardiogram.

Daniele is turning years of research into products that actually save lives – working from the BSC AI Factory at Tech Barcelona’s Pier07.

TB: What is the purpose of your project? 

DL: We develop an AI-powered platform to assess ischemic stroke risk, enabling doctors to detect early warning signs from a single electrocardiogram. The idea is to spot early warning signs before it’s too late.

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

DL: We are now starting pilot studies with hospitals to both collect relevant data from stroke patients and to validate the AI model. We are aiming at releasing our first certified product by 2028.

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project. 

DL: Starting the collaboration with the genomics stroke research group at IR-Sant Pau has given us the uniqueness to our value proposition.

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

DL: Our biggest challenge –then and now– has been clearly communicating the purpose of our product. Deep technology is inherently complex, and I’ve learned that removing words often adds more value to the message.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received. 

DL: The best advice I’ve ever received was to focus on clarity. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

TB: We all change over time. Have you changed your mind about anything? 

DL: When I lived in Lecce, I was convinced I would stay there forever…  Then I moved to Barcelona, and everything changed.

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

DL: Bernat Ripoll, Holded’s Co-CEO. Even after a holiday, he still goes straight to the office and develops code.

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

DL: Responsiveness and the ability to adapt to changing workloads. 

TB: A technology that will shape the future. 

DL: Wearables are the future of preventive healthcare. At OneCareAI, we already use smartwatches to continuously monitor patients and detect anomalies. 

TB: A startup or company you admire.

DL: Holded. It’s a product I use every day and a great example of what committed co-founders can build together. 

TB: What do you do to disconnect? 

DL: I play golf, often with my family. 

TB: A book to recommend. 

DL: I love the series of Andrea Camilleri’s ‘Inspector Montalbano’ books 

TB: A song that defines your moment in life. 

DL: ‘Italiano a Barcellona’ by Roy Paci.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant. 

DL: At home, they say my carbonara is perfect, and at work they love my tiramisu; maybe I should run my own restaurant. Casa Jondal in Ibiza is a perfect mix of food and nature. 

TB: A place in the world.

DL: Barcelona, of course. It’s a unique place in the world.

TB: Where would you invest 100k? 

DL: In my children’s education and professional training. 

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur… 

DL: I’d still be a researcher at the BSC, constantly looking for new technologies to transfer to the market.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you? 

DL: It’s a great environment to connect with relevant people and make us visible.

Yolanda Calvo (Barcelona, 1974) has built her career by connecting cultures and global business for more than 25 years. Since 2017, as Business Development Manager, she has brought that international perspective –shaped between Europe, the Americas and Oceania– to JCV Shipping, a maritime freight forwarding company founded over 30 years ago… in Zaragoza.

Today, from BlueTechPort, the blue innovation hub of the Port of Barcelona located at Pier01, Yolanda supports companies from different sectors in their international growth through maritime transport.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

YC: To connect companies with their international clients through maritime transport, building solid relationships based on trust, innovation and results, always with a long-term vision.

TB: What stage is it in, and where do you see it in two years?

YC: After more than 30 years, JCV continues to connect people, projects and opportunities across the sea. In 2028, JCV will expand from the Moll de Sant Bertran, driving a new phase marked by sustainability, innovation and maritime consulting.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

YC: For example, the Customer Day: we open JCV’s doors to listen, learn and grow alongside those who trust us. They tell us why they choose us and what challenges they foresee, while we show them our facilities, the depot and the rail siding that links Zaragoza with the Port of Barcelona.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

YC: Adapting to a volatile and constantly changing sector, when I was used to one with a high level of planning and an engineering mindset.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

YC: Give the best of yourself, but remember that some things are not up to you.

TB: A role model.

YC: Mr. Navarro, international director, for his support, for trusting me and for giving me the opportunity to open the German market.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

YC: A technology that will undoubtedly shape the future is applied artificial intelligence—not only as a tool, but as a transversal technology that will transform the way we work, make decisions and interact.

In logistics and maritime transport, its impact will be enormous: demand and route forecasting to optimize costs and emissions; intelligent automation of operational and documentary tasks; advanced data analytics for faster, more accurate decision-making; and personalized customer experience, with proactive tracking and real-time communication.

Applied AI in maritime logistics will be the helm guiding the supply chain toward greater efficiency, sustainability and connectivity.

TB: A startup or company.

YC: Freightos.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

YC: Walk in the sun, spend time in nature and exercise.

TB: A book to recommend.

YC: Diagonal Manhattan, by Xavier Bosch.

TB: A series, film or song that reflects your current moment in life.

YC: The series Modern Love.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

YC: Tomato, mozzarella and arugula salad. As for a restaurant: Yamadori, in Barcelona.

TB: A place in the world.

YC: Sierra de Guara.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

YC: In a care and wellness center.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

YC: Tech Barcelona represents a gateway to Barcelona’s technology ecosystem, a commitment to innovation and an environment where we can strengthen our impact in digital transformation, sustainability and maritime logistics.

Last October, Rocío Alcocer (Madrid, 1989) was included among the 100 Women in Tech in Europe, the Sifted list that recognizes some of the women who are transforming the innovation landscape across the continent. In her current role as Managing Director of Norrsken Barcelona, the largest European hub for impact and technology, she works to ensure that entrepreneurship and the new solutions created by startups can contribute to solving global challenges.

With more than 13 years of experience in sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation, Rocío holds a double degree in International Business from ICADE and Dublin City University, and a master’s in Sustainability and Social Innovation from HEC Paris. She has co-founded and scaled several companies and has advised major corporations on their impact strategies.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

RA: To help impact-driven entrepreneurs solve the main problems we face as a society, in order to build a world in which we can live fulfilling lives within planetary boundaries.

TB: What stage is it in, and where do you see it in two years?

RA: We’ve been open for exactly two years, so in another two we’ll have twice the life! I like to think that we are still in a learning phase, building networks within Norrsken and also with the rest of Barcelona’s ecosystem, which is very rich. In two years, I’d like to still see us in a learning process. The world is changing very fast, and over time I’d like to maintain this flexible, open, curious and reinventive spirit that you have at the beginning.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

RA: Moving to Barcelona almost 9 years ago.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

RA: I’m going through it now. I’m keeping it to myself.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

RA: Nerves about the unknown are a sign that your senses are awake and can help you become the best version of yourself.

TB: A role model.

RA: A librarian who worked at the university in Dublin where I studied. She was the best person in the world at recommending books and dedicating time to getting to know each student, so she could do her job well. I really admire people who do their work with passion and give it 100%. She’s also the one who gave me the previous piece of advice when I was on my way to my first job interview. And it’s advice I’ve reused in many moments of my life.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

RA: Biomimicry. Nature is so resilient that it has found very intelligent ways to adapt over time. I am convinced that many of the answers we are looking for (in areas like health, efficiency, etc.) are already solved, in different ways, in the natural world.

TB: A startup or company.

RA: Patagonia. It sounds cliché, but I have my reasons: creating a company from scratch without needing VC funding, scaling it globally while maintaining its values and culture, and then, after 50 years, transferring 100% of the shares to a foundation so that the planet becomes its sole shareholder—this seems to me a unique and inspiring model.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

RA: Going to the mountain with my husband and my dog Wanga.

TB: A book to recommend.

RA: ‘Predictably Irrational’ by Dan Ariely.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your current moment in life.

RA: ‘Don’t Look Up’, directed by Adam McKay.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

RA: Origo Bakery, objectively and subjectively; it’s my husband’s project 😉

TB: A place in the world.

RA: Bhutan, the most fascinating country I have ever studied and visited.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

RA: In one of Norrsken’s funds, leading by example.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

RA: I wouldn’t be motivated. In anything I do, I need to feel like an entrepreneur.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona to you?

RA: An ecosystem in which I still have a lot to discover.

An economist by training, Axel Plaza (Barcelona, 1991) is a partner in the Coleo textile group, where he began working nine years ago on new models of industrial innovation and textile recycling. He currently heads Wastex Technologies, the group’s start-up, a technology division responsible for providing the physical and digital infrastructure necessary for the sorting of textiles, as well as for the recovery and traceability of waste.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AP: To transform the textile industry. In particular, the way we manage and recover textile waste through the development of artificial vision and traceability technologies.

TB: What stage is it at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

AP: In 2025, we have started to close important contracts. In two years, we want to have our traceability systems implemented in several regions around the world.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

AP: Calling my grandmother every morning. From a totally different perspective, on all levels, she is one of the wisest people I know.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

AP: Coleo’s rapid growth, because ideas were moving much faster than our ability to consolidate teams.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever been given.

AP: ‘Don’t avoid conflict and give honest feedback’. David Puyuelo, CEO of Coleo, told me that. Given my personality, it took me a long time to learn this, but it has helped me enormously.

TB: A role model.

AP: Enric Figareda taught me almost everything I know about the textile industry. If there were an antonym for ‘brown-noser’, it would be him. His feedback is radically honest, and he always thinks about the problems that will arise: essential for things to work.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AP: I’d like to say something more original, but Artificial Intelligence…

TB: A start-up or company.

AP: Reju, a company that I think is well focused on the challenge of chemical textile recycling.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

AP: Read biographies or historical novels.

TB: A book to recommend.

AP: ‘No Rules Rules’ by Reed Hastings (founder of Netflix) and Erin Meyer.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your current stage in life.

AP: Series, “The Office”. And song, “No Surrender” by Bruce Springsteen.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

AP: Artichokes with ham, Bar But restaurant, in Gràcia.

TB: A place in the world.

AP: Yellowstone Park in the United States.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AP: In Coleo, which is the key to scaling up textile recycling in Europe, with all the regulatory changes that are coming.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AP: I’d be a farmer in Menorca.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

AP: A way to connect with other entrepreneurs and connect with new innovative ideas.