Aida Galera (Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, 1993)

Aida Galera studied International Business Economics at UPF and began her career as a business consultant at Deloitte and digital transformation at Damm. At the same time, she began to collaborate as a professor of innovation and project management at universities and business schools. It was then that she realised that she wanted to be part of the “current educational change”, focused on “developing the skills and needs of the 21st century”: after studying a master’s degree in Educational Innovation at the UNIR and discovering that in the USA they had been teaching entrepreneurship to children for more than 20 years, she decided to found StartKidsUp, an extracurricular entrepreneurship activity for young people that is offered in schools and coworking spaces in Barcelona.

StartKidsUp is part of eWorks, ESADE’s edtech accelerator.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AG: To help children and adolescents (6-19 years old) develop the mindset, skills and confidence to create opportunities for themselves and their environment.

TB: A good idea you have had.

AG: When I was 17 years old, I organised afternoon snacks in English with the aim of learning the language in a relaxed way.

TB: A bad professional experience.

AG: My first internship in Paris. The lack of connection with my manager and the language barrier were a learning experience that marked my values as a professional.

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

AG: Better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

TB: An inspiration.

AG: The singer Rosalía. A Catalan, millennial, disruptive woman who takes risks while remaining true to her vision. In moments of doubt or insecurity in my daily life, I think… “What would Rosalía do?”

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AG:Voice technology for the inclusion of people with low digital literacy, whether they are children, the elderly or people with different capacities.

TB: What are you worried about?

AG: The speed at which life goes by – we have no time to lose!

TB: A startup.

AG: Adopta un abuelo.

TB: A book to recommend.

AG: “Eat, pray, love” by Elizabeth Gilbert.

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

AG: “This is Us”.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

AG: The carrot cake and potato pie with meat (my grandmother’s version) or with fish (my grandfather’s). As a restaurant, I choose Kibuka in Barcelona.

TB: A city, a journey.

AG: There is no city better than Barcelona. But if you want to travel, Mexico has the perfect combination of food, scenery, people and culture.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AG: In the development of three projects created by StartKidsUp children.

TB: And a million euros?

AG: In creating a university for educators at the cutting edge of technology, methodology and innovation.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AG: I would run a college or university.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

AG: The connection of Barcelona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with each other and with other key stakeholders for its development: public institutions, corporations and international organisations.

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Astrid Camprubí (Barcelona, 1981)

Trained in Business Administration and MBA by ESADE, in Drama by EÒLIA, and in logistics and time management by “entrepreneur mother of 3 little monsters”. Astrid Camprubí, current CEO of Aqtiva Data Tecnologies, has specialised in the creation, coordination and strategic development of start-ups, their growth in the international market and in the search for funding for their viability. Now, at Aqtiva, her goal is to help companies improve their decision making through data quality analysis.

“I am passionate about people, technology, travelling, music and theatre. And I couldn’t live without doing sport”.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AC: Helping any company to eliminate bad data easily and flexibly, so they can make strategic decisions based on quality data. “Good data is the new oil.

TB: A good idea you have had.

AC: Be more selective with people and surround myself with people who are motivated, positive and eager to move forward.

TB: A bad professional experience.

AC: I have had some very demanding moments in some of the projects I have been involved in. Instead of calling them “bad”, I prefer to think that they have helped me grow professionally and made me develop new skills. However, I will leave in the “bad” corner all those situations in which I have suffered from differences or undervaluation because of the fact that I am a woman.

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

AC: In life, everything depends only on you. If you want something, go for it and forget the noise around you.

TB: An inspiration.

AC: I am inspired by people who have a purpose and go after it in a persistent and resilient way. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by entrepreneurs who strive every day to bring their solutions to market and build viable and sustainable businesses, even though it is not always easy.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AC: We are certainly living a paradigm shift with the emergence of blockchain. I am also excited about the hyper-connectivity of things thanks to 5G and the range of options it offers, especially in the healthcare field.

TB: What are you worried about?

AC: The lack of enthusiasm and effort of the younger generations, as well as their dependence on being validated in networks, or the vulnerability and lack of resources they present in any slightly complicated situation. I think it is essential that we encourage critical thinking more than ever.

TB: A startup.

AC: The Blue Box Biomedical Solutions by Judit Giró, with whom I have had the honour of sharing sessions in the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) programme of Foment del Treball and the US Consulate General in Barcelona.

TB: A book to recommend.

AC: “Aliment” by Martí Sales for its creative virtuosity. And “Les Misèrables”, as an essential classic.

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

AC: The film “Little Miss Sunshine”. A race to pursue the dreams of each of the family members.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

AC: As an essential recipe, escudella. A good meal is one you share with people you love and toast with a good natural wine. And, without a doubt, the best restaurant is “Follia” in Sant Joan Despí.

TB: A city, a journey.

AC: A city: Paris. A trip: Bali, for the magic of the place and, above all, for how special it was to travel alone with my mother. Even so, I wouldn’t change my home for the world.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AC: In startups with a high social impact. Not everything has to have an economic return.

TB: And a million euros?

AC: It would create an efficient fund to promote start-ups to improve the situation of culture.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AC: I would be a film executive producer.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

AC: It is the essential piece in the startup ecosystem of our country and who, with his good work, puts Barcelona on the map to attract talent and investment.

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Montserrat Vendrell (1964)

Montserrat Vendrell, PhD in Biology from the UB, is a key figure in the development of the Catalan ecosystem of scientific innovation. She has been general director of the Barcelona Science Park, Biocat and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, and vice-president of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. She is now also involved in the investment world as a partner and executive of Alta Life Sciences, a venture capital fund specialising in life sciences.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

MV: It helps to bring health innovations to the patient. There is excellent science in our country’s research centres. Our role is to participate in translating this science into solutions for patients by providing access to capital, but mainly through strategic and operational support.

TB: A good idea you have had.

MV: Prioritise what makes me feel good about myself. Ideas have value, of course, but success is in their execution. A good idea for me is one that, by carrying it out, allows me to enjoy the day to day, but also to visualise the future impact of my contribution.

TB: A bad professional experience.

MV: Those where decision-making capacity is affected by external interests.

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

MV: The one who works has the knowledge. A bit like the Anglo-Saxon concept of “take the scenic route”. More than arriving, the objective is what you learn along the way. I have tried to look for paths where I could learn, perhaps that is why I have always been involved in projects from the beginning.

TB: An inspiration.

MV: My father. A doctor born into a humble family, with a great vocation, he forged his future with enormous effort and ability. His values are an inspiration to me: integrity, on a personal and professional level; effort, as an indispensable component for success; and passion for work and knowledge.

TB: A book to recommend.

MV: “Les veus del Pamano”, by Jaume Cabré.

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

MV: The Durrells.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

MV: Lo Paller del Coc, in Surp (Alt Pirineu).

TB: A city, a journey.

MV: To New York, a journey to my youth. I lived there during my postdoctoral research.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

MV: In our next investment fund.

TB: And a million euros?

MV: Idem.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

MV: A networking and visibility platform for the startup sector.

Nicholas Waller (1987)

Nick Waller is the founder of Global{M}, an international technology talent consultancy, specialising in growth programmes for companies, scale-ups and start-ups. He studied Sports Science at Durham University, and his career has been focused on talent acquisition, investments and property development.

“I love sports (I do a lot of horse riding), travelling, DIY and gardening”.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

NW: We are a holding company that supports talent acquisition, start-up investiment and property development. We like to give back to the tech community and invest in projects like MigraCode and Hello Hubs. I was born and raised in Africa, and i feel a connection and responsibility for the continent, hence why we donate to such causes. We also have an African business based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

TB: A good idea you have had.

NW: Zoom (virtual) weddings 🙂

TB: A bad professional experience.

NW: There are many. Missing a flight to get to my business meetings. Sending a business proposal with the wrong company name (my excuse was I did it after a long bike ride). Or being unable to connect to a critical call due to bad WiFi.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

NW: Follow and trust your instincts.

TB: An inspiration.

NW: Humanity inspires me; most people want to do good, and this is inspiring. Seeing the work doctors and nurses have done, and the selflessness they have.

TB: A startup (that’s not your own)

NW: THIS, a plant-based meat start-up. I would love to know how to replicate and manufacture the taste of meat, and they have created an amazing brand.

TB: What worries you?

NW: Ensuring that the world is equal, promoting diversity, reaching potential. Also, war in Ukraine and the global changes that are happening. Global{M} relocated one of Ukranian employees via the UK government who is now living in Cambridge.

TB: A book to recommend.

NW: “Shoe Dog”, by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. Amazing story about the company, how it started from his parents bedroom, how it almost failed, and stumbled on the name “Nike”.

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

NW: I have been compared to Harvey Specter from “Suits”.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

NW: English roast, lamb, and chicken are the best ones!

TB: A city, a trip.

NW: Paris, as it is beautiful and also the city my parents met, so I owe a lot to it.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

NW: Into property.

TB: And a million euros?

NW: I would split it across property, creating and building a new business, investing in European start-ups and creating a small tax efficient investment fund.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepeneur…

NW:  I’d be focused on sports, using my experience gained in my company; working with people, and using data to better understand improvements that can be made.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

NW: It is a place to meet like minded people, either those working in start-ups, in the start-up ecosystem or founders. I love the diversity of thought, the events and being able to work amongst creative people in tech. We also love to organise Talent Acquisition events in the Urban Tech Campus venues.

Francesc Font Cot (Granollers, 1980)

Co-founder and CEO of Incapto Coffee, startup that promotes a sustainable coffee culture, without capsules. He is also a partner and advisor in several startups such as Matcha&Co, Marketpay and Orain.

“I have a degree in Business Administration from the UAB, where I have been teaching business creation for the last 14 years. I have been a serial entrepreneur for almost two decades. And I am passionate about value creation and business models, with a keen interest in circular economy”.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

FF: To try to do our part – in our case, with coffee beans – to contribute to sustainability, as well as to improve the coffee drinking experience in both households and businesses. As we like to say, ‘think out of the capsule’, in coffee and everything else.

TB: A good idea you have had.

FF: Walking Talks: for every call lasting more than ten minutes I go for a walk in the street.

TB: A bad professional experience.

FF: To communicate to your employees and investors that a project has nit worked and therefore the startup should close.

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

FF: Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, cash is power.

TB: An inspiration.

FF: Anyone who gives up their time to improve everyone’s lives.

TB: A startup (other than your own)

FF: Recover fiber.

TB: What are you worried about?

FF: The disconnection between the university and the real world, and climate change.

TB: A book to recommend.

FF: At the corporate level, “Subscribed” by Tien Tzuo. On a personal level, “Address Unknown” by Katherine Kressmann.

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

FF: Bohemian Rhapsody. Madness and genius, a rollercoaster ride.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

FF: Scrambled eggs with cod, onion and potatoes, paella and “espai Kru”, in Barcelona.

TB: A city, a journey.

FF: New York, or getting lost for a week in the Alt Pirineu.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

FF: In a circular economy company.

TB: And a million euros?

FF: In renewable energies.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

FF: I would work for a company that wants to change the world with a high impact on climate change.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

FF: A great project that brings together and creates a great entrepreneurial ecosystem for Barcelona, as well as a great example of private and public collaboration.

Check out other Members Calling here.

Laura Ruiz Porcel (Barberà del Vallès, 1983)

Laura Ruiz, with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and more than 16 years of experience in the communication sector, is co-founder of the agency V3rtice, created in 2011 together with Sergio Vicente. Currently, her team of 15 employees has coordinated communication, digital marketing and design projects with clients such as Factorial, CBRE and Lidl.

TB: Why your project?

LR: It is a dream that became a reality and is now in a moment of growth and expansion.

TB: A good idea you have had.

LR: To found V3rtice.

TB: A bad professional experience.

LR: In one of the agencies where I worked, the director was too authoritarian and his communication was far different from my way of understanding it. For me, communication has to be human and close, and in the agency where I worked, the values were the opposite.

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

LR: With hard work and effort you will get where you want to be.

TB: An inspiration.

LR: My mother.

TB: A book to recommend.

LR: Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights”.

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

LR: Outlander.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

LR: Some lentils with bread rolls from my mum

TB: A city, a journey.

LR: Mykonos.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

LR: In V3rtice, for digitisation.

TB: And a million euros?

LR: In V3rtice, for its expansion.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

LR: I would be a film critic.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

LR: It is a platform that can be very productive in generating synergies.

Àlex Ardévol (1994, Barcelona)

Àlex is co-founder, CTO and CPO of Omnios. After finishing his studies in Aeronautical Engineering at UPC, he started his first venture with CLEX, an IoT-based startup, accelerated by ANZA Technet in San Francisco, with a factory in Shenzhen. In other projects, he expanded his skills in Cloud application development, and discovered his passion for Artificial Intelligence, specifically Natural Language Processing technologies.

He currently leads the technical and product department of Omnios, with a team of 15 people, which helps companies such as Alcon, Cuatrecasas or FC Barcelona to optimise processes and make better decisions with solutions based on artificial intelligence.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AA: Omnios develops solutions using NLP (Natural Language Processing) technologies, a technology that allows processing unstructured information such as videos, texts or audios. This means that our technology is very transversal and can be applied in sectors as diverse as pharmaceuticals, public administration and the legal sector.

TB: A good idea you have had.

AA: Create and promote spaces for technical discussion. These spaces allow the different Omnios teams to work in a more standardised, efficient way that promotes continuous training of developers.

TB: A bad professional experience.

AA: I don’t consider myself to have had a bad professional experience, but I have experienced periods of great stress and tension, which have been really hard. However, I have always learned something new in these situations.

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

AA: “Build The Right Thing and Build the Thing Right”. In many cases, profiles with the ability to build products are thrown into developing and perfecting products that may not have a market fit. It is worth going through a validation process before hitting the first key.

TB: An inspiration.

AA: Elon Musk, for the background to his projects.

TB: A start-up (other than your own).

AA: Oliva. For his focus on providing support in the area of mental health to workers and company managers.

TB: A book to recommend.

AA:”Antifragile” by Nassim Taleb.

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

AA: “Voilà” by Barbara Pravi.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

AA: The “galta al vi” of Bodega Gelida in Barcelona.

TB: A city, a journey.

AA: Touring Iceland by caravan.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AA: On any platform that is driving the development of no-code or low-code applications, such as Bubble.io, for example. This type of technology is lowering the entry barrier for developing applications, even for non-technical profiles.

TB: And a million euros?

AA: In Heura. It will revolutionise the world of food and environmentalism.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AA: He would be a professional bachata dancer.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

AA: A space for sharing knowledge, connecting with other entrepreneurs and allowing Barcelona startups to make themselves known and position themselves on the international scene. Its work to create synergies between corporates and startups is also very relevant.

Gimena Uhrich (Buenos Aires, 1984)

Founder of INHAUS, a digital talent agency with offices in Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and Barcelona.

“As a graduate in Business Administration and Human Resources, I have a background in Talent Acquisition, a background in Services and Consulting, and a real passion for data, marketing and technology.”

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

GU: We aim to unite opportunities and expectations, accompanying people and organisations in their professional projects. To be a real connection between talent and business.

TB: A good idea you have had.

GU: Working by listening to people. That’s where great stories come from.

TB: A bad professional experience.

GU: Being in spaces where creativity and diversity of ideas were not valued. In any case, I have learned a lot from each experience.

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

GU: Trying and failing is much better than never having attempted at all.

TB: An inspiration.

GU: Photography and trekking. From the heights everything has a different perspective.

TB: A start-up (other than your own).

GU: Nuwe, a startup that promotes challenges and events in the technology community, accompanying the inclusion of women in the digital world.

TB: A book to recommend.

GU:”Many Lives, Many Masters” by Brian Weiss.

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

GU: “Viva la vida” by Coldplay.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

GU: Italian food, especially desserts. And restaurants with great views of Barcelona are my favourite.

TB: A city, a journey.

GU: Without a doubt, the trip I made to the West Coast of the USA a few years ago with my family, when one of my daughters was still very young. It was quite an adventure.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

GU: In projects that provide solutions to environmental problems and promote access to health globally.

TB: And a million euros?

GU: I would love to produce series or documentaries with stories of entrepreneurs, to inspire those who are just starting their own project and need confidence and drive.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

GU: I would be thinking about how to become one.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

GU: A true community of entrepreneurs that promotes activities and initiatives to share experiences, get to know new projects and, above all, get inspired, as well as continuing to position Barcelona as the home of digital talent.

Jordi Esquerigüela (Barcelona, 1981)

Founder and CEO of the digital marketing agency Jevnet, specialised in paid media, organic traffic and inbound strategies. He also teaches at La Salle’s MsC in Digital Marketing and is a mentor for technology startups.

“I am interested in innovation and technological evolution, in any field”.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

JE: I am fortunate to belong to a generation that lived through the Internet disruption. As I learned, and the ecosystem evolved, I understood that most businesses needed to work on their digital presence and, at the same time, make their services or products known through digital media. It was clear to me that I wanted to help all the people who wanted to advance digitally in their businesses. This was the first step, and the constant evolution led me to offer organic positioning and advertising services.

TB: A good idea you have had.

JE: To start the Jevnet project with a clear and defined purpose.

TB: A bad professional experience.

JE: I have always believed that we should learn from bad experiences: although there are no bad experiences, only opportunities.

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

JE: Dream big, but always awake.

TB: An inspiration.

JE: I am inspired by nature, sport and people who are able to overcome bad times with passion.

TB: A startup.

JE: Because of their values, I would choose MiCuento, a collaborative reading platform for children, and Hannun, an emerging furniture and handmade decoration company.

TB: A book to recommend.

JE: “Una hormiga en París” by Marc Vidal and “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek.

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

JE: For better or worse, I’ll stick with the series “Mad Men” and the song “Pa amb oli i sal”, by Balumut.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

JE: Without a doubt, my father’s paellas.

TB: A city, a journey.

JE: Edinburgh: for its history, castles and incredible nature.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

JE: In Jevnet.

TB: And a million euros?

JE: In startups with a high social impact or where innovation fills a need.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

JE: I would strive to be one.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

JE: It is the place where the entrepreneurial, technological and digital ecosystem of the city of Barcelona must be for its growth to be sustainable and guided.

Paola Pardo (Barcelona, 1996)

Ingeniera informática y cofundadora de Qbeast, una spin-off del Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) dedicada al análisis de Big Data a través de su solución Open Source, un sistema de indexado multidimensional que permite examinar grandes volúmenes de datos de forma productiva.

“Dedico mi tiempo a divulgar sobre el Open Source, las nuevas tecnologías de datos y las series, libros y películas que me gustan”.

TB: ¿Cuál es el propósito de tu proyecto?

PP: Tanto los datos como el estrés en los ingenieros están creciendo, y necesitamos ser más eficaces a la hora de organizar la información y las personas.

TB: Una buena idea que has tenido.

PP: Empezar a cuidar la salud mental.

TB: Una mala experiencia profesional.

PP: Encontrarse con que la mayoría de equipos (técnicos y no tan técnicos) están formados por hombres desalienta un poco. Pero soy positiva: cada vez se organizan más eventos para impulsar materias STEM en mujeres.

TB: El mejor consejo que te han dado.

PP: No pasa nada si te equivocas.

TB: Una inspiración.

PP: Suena a tópico, pero mi equipo. Y el último disco de la Rosalía.

TB: ¿Qué te preocupa?

PP: No ser capaz de ayudar a todo el mundo.

TB: Una startup (que no sea la tuya).

PP: Amalfi Analytics. Ayudan al sector médico a gestionar mejor las cargas de trabajo con machine learning e inteligencia artificial. Hoy en día, después de todo lo que hemos pasado, es muy importante poner el foco en mejorar los procesos de la forma que sea.

TB: Un libro para recomendar.

PP: “Gente Normal”, de Sally Rooney. Me lo estoy leyendo ahora, y da una perspectiva muy natural sobre la evolución de las relaciones.

TB: Una serie o película o canción que defina tu momento vital.

PP: La comedia “Silicon Valley”. Ahora entiendo muchas cosas que pasé por alto al verla.

TB: Una receta, una comida, un restaurante.

PP: Las albóndigas en salsa de tomate que hace mi abuela.

TB: Una ciudad, un viaje.

PP: Una ciudad, Barcelona. Un viaje, el Interrail que hice con 18-19 años.

TB: ¿Dónde invertirías 100k?

PP: En formación. Siempre quedan ganas de aprender.

TB: ¿Y un millón de euros?

PP: Siento ser imparcial, pero en Qbeast.

TB: Si no fueras emprendedora…

PP: Me dedicaría a cualquier cosa relacionada con la escritura.

TB: ¿Qué es para ti Tech Barcelona?

PP: Un espacio para dar voz a todo el ecosistema startup de la ciudad. Es apoyo y solidaridad.

Consulta otros TB Members Calling aquí.