It’s never too late if the outcome is good. After more than 30 years in the advertising industry, María Rivas (Barcelona, 1971) co-founded a tech company… and believe me, it’s packed with technology.

Zentinel DMS has developed an integrated solution for the digital collection of operating data from any machine: the ZentNode adapters read data such as energy consumption or temperature sending it straight to the customer’s information systems, while the ZentEdge server visualizes the collected information in real time to solve possible anomalies and improve machine performance.

For María, venturing into the creation of a hardware and software company has been, and continues to be, “a fascinating challenge.” “I step out of my comfort zone, without limits or fears.”

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

MR: We offer a disruptive technology for gathering data in order to convert it into qualified information in a reliable, sustainable and cybersecure way. We provide reliable data for mainly industrial algorithms.

TB: Where are you at now and where do you see it in two years?

MR: We were born in 2022 in Barcelona and we are currently in an expansion phase. We have opened an office in Brazil and we want to put the focus and energy in Latin America, since in Spain we see that there is a lack of interest in knowing how to produce to improve, at least in the industrial sector. In one year we will begin to address the presence in Europe, and in two years we see ourselves established in at least six countries in Latin America.

TB: A good idea you had.

MR: Putting our technology at the service of a social problem. The entire founding team decided to create SPASM (Multiple Sexual Assault Prevention System) using sensor technology. It was born with this purpose and then we saw that it had potential and that we could expand its prevention and alert service to other social problems such as transphobic aggressions, bullying or drug trafficking, among others.

TB: What is the biggest challenge you have faced?

MR: Starting a technology company, without being an engineer, but being an openly practicing analogist with a background in communication and advertising. The ‘sub-challenge’ has been to create a technology company as a woman.

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

MR: My father, Jaime Rivas, told me, “Maria, if you decide to do it, do it right. If you don’t, don’t do it.”

TB: A role model.

MR: Carmen Gamazo, my grandmother. She fought against established norms, both social and family, and was one of the first women to study pediatrics outside Spain. Her determination has always been a reference for me.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

MR: Any technology that has reliable data as a source of development.

TB: Face-to-face or remote?

MR: Hybrid and flexible. Minimum three face-to-face days in the office. Human relations are a must.

TB: A startup or company.

MR: SOM-HI, a platform that contacts companies and individuals to help them with sustainability policies.

TB: What makes you disconnect?

MR: Until the end of August, I went out to oxygenate with my faithful friend Keco to the beach in the Maresme, but in general I like to read and enjoy quality time with my partner and family. I also don’t say no to a trip or a cultural or gastronomic plan. And I would like to go horseback riding again.

TB: A book to recommend.

MR: The dictionary. I try to look up a word every day. I recommend it.

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

MR: “Nessun Dorma”and Pavarotti. Sublime.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

MR: Fried eggs with ‘puntilla’ and french fries at Casa Feli (my mother’s). We always say that the best restaurant in the world is in our house. There is always a table, delicious food cooked with love and you pay with a kiss.

TB: A place in the world.

MR: Family home. I know it’s surprising that I have such a connection with my parents, but really, when you’re at an age like mine you realize a lot of things, to value what you have. That bond of security and reassurance is the best thing you can have: an advice, a conversation, a caress, a “don’t worry”, a “are you okay?”, a message of support, a “we are proud of you”, a “you are an awesome boss”, a “congratulations”, a “don’t worry, it will be fine”…. All that love is priceless, it’s what really defines you and where you want to be. I want to give importance to emotional balance and my balance, my beacon, is my family.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

MR: In a circular economy project. I already have one on the radar.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

MR: First a meeting place, to become an ecosystem of creation and organic technological development. Tech Barcelona puts at your disposal a wide range of resources, both human and technical, that separately you may need to spend a year of investment to identify, contact and activate. It is a highly creative environment, within a context with a Mediterranean identity, very fresh and dynamic, intercultural talent, highly competitive, but above all professional support in the phases of projection and consolidation.

Very interesting projects are emerging from Tech Barcelona and the presence of world reference companies with your DNA will surely increase. The support, which sometimes we do not see or do not value enough, and the dissemination made by the communication team is of high quality. If you want to be, you have to be in Tech Barcelona.

MundoSeat (Seat), YoLeoGas (Naturgy), Mediacoach (Mediapro)… are all creations of Roger Vilanou (Barcelona, 1979) who heads Doonamis, a leading app development company in Spain. With over 20 years in the IT sector, this computer engineer from UPC and UOC decided in 2010 to leave his job as a software development manager to live his own adventure as an entrepreneur. An adventure he has shared with more than 100 clients and thousands of users who rely on his apps every day.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

RV: We put technology at the service of people through innovative solutions, using the potential of apps, and combining them with cutting-edge technologies such as AI.

TB: Where are you at and where do you see yourself in two years?

RV: I founded Doonamis in 2010 with two partners, and thanks to the constant effort and drive to excel, we are now a team of 30 people committed to helping companies create their innovative apps. We have important clients such as MotoGP, Baqueira Beret or the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. Our goal is to grow organically, both nationally and internationally.

TB: A good idea.

RV: Leaving a demotivating job and creating my company.

TB: What is the biggest challenge you have faced?

RV: The beginnings of entrepreneurship are very challenging due to limited resources and fear of failure. This, undoubtedly, has been the biggest challenge. But the excitement of creating something that will be yours is enough motivation to overcome the obstacles and achieve your goals.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

RV: If you try hard and give it your all, you are not required to do more.

TB: A role model.

RV: I have many, such as Elon Musk. But my father, Conrad Vilanou, Professor of Pedagogy at the University of Barcelona, has been a role model for turning his hobby into his job.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

RV: Without a doubt, Artificial Intelligence. It is already shaping the present.

TB: Face-to-face or remote?

RV: Both. The combination is the ideal balance.

TB: A startup or company.

RV: Tesla.

TB: What makes you disconnect?

RV: Running at six in the morning about 10km every 2 or 3 days.

TB: A book to recommend.

RV: “El libro negro del emprendedor: No digas que nunca te lo advirtieron”, by Fernando Trias de Bes.

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

RV: “Show must go on”, by Queen.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

RV: The ‘arroz negro del senyoret con calamares y gambas’, which is a regular on Sundays. And the restaurant ‘L’Home dels Nassos’, in the neighborhood of Sants.

TB: A place in the world.

RV: New York.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

RV: In a new startup based on AI.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

RV: I would like to be the innovation director of a company that is strongly committed to new technologies.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

RV: An excellent meeting point for all the actors that have an interest in the multiple technological initiatives of our beautiful city.

More than 20 years of experience in Fortune 100 companies weigh on the resume of María José Martí (Valderrobres, 1976), a UPC engineer who flew to the United States as a technology consultant and consolidated her position as CFO of the largest American Express business and CRO of MetLife for Latin America.

Until one day she decided to quit her job and create a startup.

From New York, the entrepreneurial bug led her to create ZeroError, an AI platform that analyzes data and helps detect possible anomalies. And after presenting her project on bigger stages such as Mobile, and other more familiar ones such as Tech Barcelona’s Afterwork, María José has recently been awarded as the best entrepreneur at the DonaTIC awards.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

MM: ZeroError is the tool I always needed when I was an executive on Wall Street, but it didn’t exist yet. An artificial intelligence platform for data analytics that detects errors using complex anomaly detection techniques. It’s aimed at data-driven organizations and leaders who have to make decisions and need to know if they can trust them.

TB: Where are you at and where do you see it in two years?

MM: We are scaling, with a lot of traction in Operations and Supply Chain areas, where we can get tangible results in a few weeks. In two years ZeroError will become the standard for data quality in any industry.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

MM: Launching ZeroError.

TB: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

MM: Well, several. But each one of them helps you grow and forge your character: from moving to the United States, staying there, balancing family life while accepting promotions and positions of greater responsibility… Not to mention that my latest challenge has been to leave a ‘steady’ job to start a startup.

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

MM: Years ago, at the beginning of my career, I was very shy in meetings and had a lot of accent speaking English. But my boss told me, “If you don’t speak in the first five minutes of a meeting, chances are you won’t speak for the whole meeting. No matter how good your analysis is, people have to notice you, or else you’re not relevant. You have to decide if you want to sit at the big boys’ table.”

TB: A role model.

MM: Elon Musk is very controversial and does not inspire me on a personal level. In fact, we couldn’t have more different values. But professionally he takes the bull by the horns. He always says that he is ultimately responsible for engineering decisions, and he says it while sending rockets into space. And this is totally what I have been doing all my life and continue to do with ZeroError. I have a great team of advisors and experts, but the ultimate responsibility for critical decisions, both technology and business, is mine.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

MM: Definitely Artificial Intelligence (and how well we use it).

TB: Face-to-face or remote?

MM: There are advantages to both models. The important thing is to be productive.

TB: A startup or company.

MM: American Express. I spent most of my career at the New York headquarters and it helped me develop, especially as a leader. I had great mentors and made a lot of friends there.

TB: What makes you disconnect?

MM: 3 things: spending quality time with my kids at home, having dinner with my husband or friends, and doing pilates, several times a week, because without disconnecting you don’t follow the class.

TB: A book to recommend.

MM: “De la Sabana a Marte” by Professor Xavier Sala i Martín. It is an indispensable book for understanding Artificial Intelligence…. and in a few months the second part is coming out!

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

MM: “No Surrender”, by Bruce Springsteen, and “Atento”, by my friend and singer-songwriter Rafa Pons.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

MM: If it’s in Barcelona, “Hisop” and “Bodega Sepúlveda”.

TB: A place in the world.

MM: Valderrobres, Barcelona and New York.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

MM: In the person. I have never made a mistake by investing in the person, in their startup, in their passion to move the project forward and knowledge of the problem.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

MM: Now it’s hard to think about having another profession. It seems that everything I have done in my professional and personal life has been to get to this point.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

MM: Incredible partners! The work they do to foster relationships between business, startups and research are fundamental. I’m their number one fan and the proof of that is that we don’t stop doing things together.

In addition to the most ‘British’ English, Spanish, Catalan, French and Italian, Christopher Morton (Alicante, 1971) also speaks the language of the entrepreneur and the engineer, adapting with ease to any register, from the most scientific-technical to the most commercial. This aeronautical engineer attended Imperial College of London and delved into research of numerical methods at CIMNE-UPC before embarking on his business career that has taken him to Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Spain. Altair France (2001), Samtech UK (2005), and, since 2018, ELEM Biotech, “the virtual humans factory”.

From the heart of Barcelona, at Pier07, a team of biomedical engineers developers and computational modeling experts works under the direction of Chris creating virtual simulations of human organs to predict and cure diseases. That’s how ELEM operates. And that’s how Chris thinks…

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

CM: We create virtual human populations with which we can predict the outcome of pharmacological therapies and medical devices. In other words, we provide the biomedical industry with a powerful supercomputing-based platform so they can test their products, from pacemakers and ventricular pumps to drugs. These are the clinical trials and personalized medicine of the future.

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

CM: We are just starting now with the commercialization of our first cardiac safety assay platform ‘V.HEART’. In two years, we anticipate inorganic growth, having demonstrated the impact and economic value our technology will have on the therapeutics industry.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

CM: Very few [laughs].

TB: What is the greatest challenge you have faced? 

CM: At a business level, raising funds is always a challenge. And getting the first customers, too.

TB: Best advice you’ve been given. 

CM: No one knows your business better than you, but listen to your customers. Also, when someone gives you money, take it.

TB: A professional role model that inspires you.

CM: Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Mariano Vázquez [co-founder and CTO of Elem Biotech] and I met Larry in San Francisco, shortly after joining the Oracle Accelerator program for startups. More than a decade ago, Oracle was a traditional company, focused on mainframes and software licensing, with not very exciting databases. Today Oracle is a leader in Saas, PaaS, Cloud and AI technology.  What impresses me most is how Larry at some point, decided that the company culture had to change. And he made it happen.

In addition, as a sailing enthusiast, I was also impressed by his participation in Australia’s toughest offshore race, the Hobart Yacht Race. Imagine how tough it must have been for him to say he would never do it again.

TB: A technology that will shape the future. 

CM: Virtual Flavour.

TB: In-person or remote?

CM: In-person, at least with a certain frequency.

TB: A startup or a company.

CM: My friend Jeremy O’Brien‘s company, PsiQuantum, which aims to produce the first viable quantum computer to address the grand challenges facing our planet. His vision and determination are admirable.

TB: How do you unwind?

CM: I don’t do anything in particular.

TB: A book to recommend. 

CM: I recommend: “Thinking, Fast and Slow”, by Daniel Kahneman; “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”, by Milan Kundera; or “Le fusil de Chasse”, by Yasushi Inoué.

TB: A series, movie or song that defines your life right now.

CM: “Porque te vas” and “Y viva España”.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant. 

CM:  The ‘insalata fior di zucca’. And the Ćatovića restaurant, in Montenegro.

TB: A place in the world.

CM: Fujiyama, in Japan.

TB: Where would you invest 100k? 

CM: In my company.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur… 

CM: I would invest in a sailboat and in the stock market.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

CM: It’s the best startup association I know. If the working environment or the location are already fantastic, the Tech Barcelona team is even more so. They understand the needs of startups and their difficulties, accompany you, learn about your project, include you in their network of contacts and companies, and give you all the visibility and support you need.

Quique Llaudet (Barcelona, 1975) quiere “contribuir al bien común con ciencia y tecnología”.

Tras estudiar Química Orgánica, doctorarse en Ciencias Biológicas y ejercer de investigador, complementó su formación con un MBA para maximizar el impacto de su conocimiento en la sociedad. Un camino que le ha llevado a emprender con cuatro startups: Sarissa Biomedical, NLAB Bioscience, Leukos Biotech y, más recientemente, Ephion Health, una empresa de salud digital que utiliza inteligencia artificial para detectar biomarcadores y evaluar la salud de pacientes crónicos.

TB: ¿Cuál es el propósito de tu proyecto?

QL: Ofrecer nuevas herramientas digitales que ayuden al paciente y al médico durante todo el proceso, desde la diagnosis, pasando por el monitoreo, hasta llegar a la terapia personalizada.

TB: ¿En qué momento se encuentra y dónde lo ves dentro de dos años?

QL: Tenemos un primer producto en el mercado y estamos empezando a facturar con dos tipos de clientes: hospitales y empresas farmacéuticas. En dos años, tendremos presencia a nivel internacional.

TB: Una buena idea que has tenido.

QL: Subcontratar las tareas que no son esenciales y estratégicas.

TB: ¿Cúal es el mayor desafío al que te has enfrentado?

QL: El proceso de certificación de nuestro software como Dispositivo Médico según la normativa MDR.

TB: El mejor consejo que te han dado.

QL: No hay enemigo pequeño. A veces tendemos a subestimar los desafíos más pequeños, pero la realidad es que todo puede tener impacto.

TB: Un referente.

QL: Luis Ruiz Ávila, con quien coincidí en Leukos Biotech. Además de tener una amplia experiencia en el sector de la salud, es una persona que siempre piensa en los demás y está dispuesta a ayudar.

TB: Una tecnología que marcará el futuro.

QL: La biología sintética (SynBio). La capacidad de diseñar y modificar en Biología tiene mucho potencial.

TB: ¿Presencial o remoto?

QL: Híbrido. 50-50.

TB: Una startup o compañía.

QL: Ginkgo Bioworks.

TB: ¿Qué te hace desconectar?

QL: Leer si tengo un momento. Salir en bici si tengo más tiempo.

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

QL: “Something New”, de John Mayall.

TB: Una receta, un restaurante.

QL: Los guisantes con chocolate de mi abuela.

TB: Un lugar del mundo.

QL: Palau, en Oceanía.

TB: ¿Dónde invertirías 100k?

QL: Ephion Health.

TB: Si no fueras emprendedor…

QL: Sería científico. La ciencia siempre ha sido mi pasión y lo que me mueve.

TB: ¿Qué es para ti Tech Barcelona?

QL: Es el punto de encuentro y cooperación para todos los emprendedores de la ciudad.

Daniil Khanin (Ulaanbator, 1980) used to study the electronic structure of nanomaterials during his Master’s degree in Physics in the early 2000s. Paradoxically, he soon developed an interest in programming and entrepreneurship, applying similar concepts about small units and their capabilities to this new field. With over 20 years in startups and IT, selling five companies and achieving one exit as a business angel, Daniil has become a reference in Unit Economics, demonstrating how each unit generated by a business is crucial for making data-driven decisions. ueCalc.com is one of his latest projects.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

DK: ueCalc, the flagship service of d2decisions, is designed to empower entrepreneurs and startups by enabling them to build robust financial models based on product unit economics, using Goldratt’s theory of constraints. We aim to revolutionise financial modeling for businesses, making it easy and clear.

TB: The project is currently in what stage?

DK: We have just begun our first sales and have over 8,800 users and 20 paying customers.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

DK: One of our boldest ideas is the belief that ueCalc can supplant Excel in the financial modeling market.

TB: What is the greatest challenge you have faced?

DK: The greatest challenge we’re working with is to compete with and potentially surpass Excel.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

DK: A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of work and a little luck, by Mark Rich.

TB: A professional role model who inspires you.

DK: Best-seller author Ash Maurya, for his data-driven vision. He wrote “Running Lean” and “Scaling Lean,” as well as the foreword to my book “Unit Economics.”

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

DK: Artificial Intelligence, coupled with advanced Data Analysis.

TB: In-person or remote?

DK: It doesn’t matter, but in-person is more comfortable.

TB: How do you unwind?

DK: By traveling.

TB: A book to recommend.

DK: “Unit Economics”, by me 🙂

TB: A series, movie, or song that defines your life right now.

DK: Twin Peaks.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

DK: Okroshka, a cold Russian soup.

TB: A place in the world.

DK: Istambul.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

DK: I would invest it in my own project, ueCalc.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

DK: I would likely remain true to my origin, and be a scientist.

“Somos un laboratorio de aprendizaje radical.” Berta Lázaro (Bilbao, 1978) cofundó TeamLabs con una visión clara de futuro: capacitar a jóvenes emprendedores a través de la acción para que puedan enfrentarse cualquier desafío que se les presente.

Arquitecta por la Universidad de Navarra y con un Máster en Diseño Urbano por la Universidad de Berkeley, así como un Máster en Team Academy y otro en LIT Facilitación y Aprendizaje, Berta ha construido y diseñado los “laboratorios” de TeamLabs, espacios innovadores donde los diferentes equipo de emprendedores desarrollan sus propios proyectos, enfrentándose a todo lo que ello implica.

TB: ¿Cuál es el propósito de tu proyecto?

BL: Nuestro propósito como equipo y como comunidad emprendedora es desarrollar proyectos que nos permitan enfrentarnos al futuro y solucionar los problemas de nuestra sociedad o, como los llamamos en TeamLabs/, los Big F*cking Problems.

TB: ¿En qué momento se encuentra y dónde lo ves dentro de dos años?

BL: Tenemos 13 años y 3 laboratorios en España: Málaga, Barcelona y Madrid. Ahora estamos desarrollando dos nuevos laboratorios en Málaga y Barcelona con foco en la economía circular y la industria 4.0. El laboratorio de Madrid representa las nueva economías y por eso ahí estamos trabajando para crear nuestro Venture, para crecer más y dar oportunidades a los proyectos emprendedores de nuestra comunidad.

TB: Una buena idea que has tenido.

BL: Incontables. “Busco problemas a la altura de mis soluciones”, que diría la micropoetisa Ajo.

TB: El mejor consejo que te han dado.

BL: Las fechas especiales no las marca el calendario.

TB: Una tecnología que marcará el futuro.

BL: En TeamLabs/ y en LEINN, el grado universitario que llevamos a cabo con la Universidad de Mondragón, creemos que la tecnología más poderosa es el diálogo y creemos que marcará el futuro y el presente.

TB: ¿Presencial o remoto?

BL: Presencial.

TB: Una startup o compañía.

BL: Husk Ventures.

TB: ¿Qué te hace desconectar?

BL: El mar.

TB: Un libro para recomendar.

BL: “Las ciudades invisibles”, de Italo Calvino.

TB: Una receta, un restaurante.

BL: Gazpacho; con un kilo de tomates, un pimiento, un pepino, medio ajo y dos rodajas de pan. Y el noodle bar Red Ant en Barcelona.

TB: Un lugar del mundo.

BL: Pompeya.

TB: ¿Dónde invertirías 100k?

BL: En la educación de mis hijxs y en empresas del sector agrícola.

TB: ¿Qué es para ti Tech Barcelona?

BL: Un ecosistema tecnológico importante a la hora de conectar nuestra comunidad emprendedora con startups y empresas del sector. Hace posible que nazcan siempre nuevas alianzas.

Robyn Marino (New Jersey, 1979) attended university and law school in the USA, eventually becoming a licensed attorney practicing law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She then served as the Head of Procurement Legal for The Cigna Group, a Global Fortune 15 company specializing in healthcare insurance, where she worked with digital solution providers in all stages for the benefit of 165 million customers.

And since 2024, Robyn has also been based in Barcelona, working as the founder of Global Link Law, a law firm and legal advisory business.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

RM: Our project is designed to help businesses in overcoming the challenges of entering new markets, negotiating contracts with Fortune 500 companies, and finding compliant ways to add revenue and strategize on new products. With insights from someone who has been on the inside while providing access to a global network from C-Suite executives to value driven legal experts.

Many companies see hiring legal counsel as a pain point and miss the value the right legal partner can provide. I’ve seen contracts delay for 18 months for lack of understanding on a contract that takes other companies 3 months to get done.

TB: Where do you see yourself and your projects in two years?

RM: We currently are in Barcelona and Philadelphia, and expanding into Asia. Many companies, facing expense pressure, are offshoring functions to places like India, which are a haven for compliance issues that can result in heavy fines and even criminal actions for executives. We have solutions in place to help protect these companies.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

RM: Expand globally, with the right perspective. It’s a global world made small.

TB: What is the greatest challenge you have faced?

RM: Starting a business in new country surely comes with its challenges – understanding cultural differences and learning a new language are obvious– but you also have to understand how people do business and think. There is a learning curve no matter what your background and experience is.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

RM: Invest in youserlf.

TB: A professional role model who inspires you.

RM: While I’ve been lucky to have many role models along the way, I recently interviewed Mary Ann Boccolini on LinkedIn who shares her journey from Nurse to CEO. Mary Ann is a retired CEO of a U.S. health care company. As CEO, she created a company culture where employees wanted to be their best self and bring their best skills forward every day. Mary Ann leveraged her skills and learnings from her days as a nurse to do this during times of tremendous growth for the company over 25 years. I found her story to be very powerful.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

RM: There’s only one right answer in the foreseeable future – AI.

TB: In-person or remote?

RM: Mix.

TB: A startup or company (other than your own).

RM: Sword Health started as a small company in Portugal. They expanded to the U.S. and as of this week are valued at $ 3 Billion.

TB: How do you unwind?

RM: Taking my dog to our local park. Plus, taking in the views of Barcelona and the sea never gets old.

TB: A book to recommend.

RM: “The Obstacle is the Way”, by Ryan Holiday.

TB: A series, movie, or song that defines your life right now.

RM: Acapulco on Apple TV – everyone has had their first job which prepares you for something bigger– it’s a good mix of Spanish and English. This means I can work on my Spanish while enjoying the show.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

RM: Jara Sushi in Barcelona. Some of the best sushi I’ve had, ever!

TB: A place in the world.

RM: The Ocean City Boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. I grew up working on the boardwalk during the summer, and then later in life was able to bring my kids there as a mom. If you get the chance to go, try Manco’s pizza, Johnson’s caramel popcorn and sof-serve ice cream, and don’t forget to bring back some fudge and saltwater taffies for your family and friends.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

RM: Split among a group of starts up that I think have the best chance for success.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

RM: I would be a general counsel for a company. Right now, I want to help as many companies as possible. In the long term future, I can see myself investing my time and expertise in one company I believe strongly in.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

RM: It’s a blessing. I get to help businesses understand that expanding to new markets is critical for their success and that perceived obstacles – whether it is the U.S. regulatory framework or class action lawsuits – is just a cost of doing business in the largest economy in the world.

Astghik Zakharyan (Dilijan, Armenia, 1996) is a passionate investor and ecosystem builder. Driven by entrepreneurial innovation and leadership, and fascinated by cultural dynamics and interpersonal connections, you could easily imagine her either presenting at a conference or participating in one of Tech Barcelona’s numerous afterworks.

With a LEINN degree and a background in entrepreneurship, she’s cultivated projects in China, the USA, the Netherlands, and currently in Spain. Serving as the regional manager of SIA-Startup Investor Accelerator, she is now dedicated to empowering new business angels and assisting startups in their growth journey.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AZ: Bring more and better angel investors into the startup ecosystem.

TB: Where do you see yourself and your projects in two years?

AZ: We have now grow from USA into Europe, have trained 763 business angels, who have collectively invested over 250M in startups. We would like to reach further areas across Spain and Europe, to help more ecosystems have their strong investor communities.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

AZ: Like many others, I come up with a few ideas a day. But the key is execution. I dream of a more harmonious and sustainable world. When something comes up, we will know.

TB: What is the greatest challenge you have faced?

AZ: Keeping a balance is a never ending art: balance between ambition and satisfaction; balance between rest and drive; balance between peace and chaos. If i have to pick an event – closing a startup I have worked on for years is perhaps the most demanding process I have gone through. It was harder than building it up.

TB: The best advice you’ve been given.

AZ: Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

TB: A professional role model who inspires you.

AZ: I take inspiration from many people. I have been looking for an exact role model for a long time, but I haven’t found an example that is exactly where I want to be. I guess my future self is my role model for now.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AZ: I see we are going towards a world where a combination of AI/Machine learning, IoT/ robotics, accompanied by Cybersecurity will assist our lives.

TB: In-person or remote?

AZ: A mixture. I love human interaction, being with people, and working together, but I also find it overstimulating sometimes, and thrive in peaceful uninterrupted working environments.

TB: How do you unwind?

AZ: High-intensity workouts, spending time in the wilderness, and through time spent with people around whom I can let my guard down.

TB: A book to recommend.

AZ: “Ego is the enemy”, by Ryan Holiday.

TB: A series, movie, or song that defines your life right now.

AZ: Hard to pin down one. I am currently taking a lot of inspiration from Bruce Lee’s life documentary series. I feel quite identified with his passion, drive, clarity of priorities, and strive to his level of commitment to cause.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

AZ: Depends on who’s cooking! Love spending time in the kitchen, and creating something new (I rarely follow a recipe to the detail), but don’t often make time for it. As for restaurants, I care about the ambiance more than the food (I’m not a big foodie).

TB: A place in the world.

AZ: My childhood home. I grew up in a big house, surrounded by nature, big mountains, and purity. There every season is well defined, has it’s natural sounds, dishes, and costumes. So much nostalgia, so much happiness left in that far-away place.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AZ: I would divide it into 20 pieces, and invest in different startups.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AZ: I could be anything. chineses traditional medicine doctor; teacher; biologist; business advisor, linguist, travel agent… anything!

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

AZ: It’s like a center, that has been there for so long, that gives the impression that it’s always going to be there. It is a long-term partner.