GEMBA’24 and ’25 participants visit to Barcelona and Madrid: A journey of insights and innovation
For two weeks, as part of their global journey, we had the pleasure of hosting GEMBA participants in Barcelona and Madrid. Besides attending entrepreneurial sessions with IESE professors as part of the GEMBA program, their schedule was filled with enriching visits, insightful panels, and networking opportunities that brought together program participants, IESE GEMBA alumni, and industry leaders. Here are some of the highlights:
Madrid
In Madrid, IESE GEMBA’25 participants attended a panel session hosted and moderated by Professor Jose Martin Cabiedes. This session provided insightful perspectives from GEMBA alumni, highlighting their experiences and giving our GEMBA ’25 participants an idea of the diverse entrepreneurial paths available before, during, and after the GEMBA program. The panelists included:
- Javier Poveda Sánchez (GEMBA ’16), Managing Director at Almond Capital, specializing in Private Equity services.
- Antonio García Romero (GEMBA ’17), Founder and CEO of Fintep and CEO of Teldat, a fintech company.
- Juan Carlos Garavito (GEMBA ’20), Co-Founder of Moxe Foods, focusing on the food and agriculture sector.
- Rubén Valiente (GEMBA ’21), Founder, CEO, and CPO of Wattson Charge, an energy company.
- María José Cascajo (GEMBA ’22), Founder of Cloverty, a pharmaceutical company.
Barcelona
The visit of GEMBA’24 to Norrsken’s Barcelona House on June 4th provided a unique glimpse to one of Europe’s Biggest Hub for Tech & Impact Startups. Norrsken, with hubs in Stockholm and Kigali, is dedicated to fostering impact entrepreneurship, innovation, and positive change. The Barcelona House offers a vibrant space for the tech community and impact-driven entrepreneurs.
During their visit, participants had the chance to explore the Barcelona Norrsken premises, learn about Norrsken’s impact tech-driven mission, and network with notable impact entrepreneurs such as:
- Timo Buetefisch (MBA’04), founder of Cooltra, a mobility company.
- Julietta Rueff, founder of FlamAid, a security-focused company.
- Sergio Balcells (PDG’14), founder of Solfy.net, a photovoltaic company.
Entrepreneurship for good
Additionally, GEMBA participants attended a sustainable entrepreneurs panel session hosted by Professor Desirée Pacheco. The panel featured:
- Magda Cebrián, Co-Founder of Go Zero Waste.
- John Grange Sabaté (MBA’11), CEO at Enerside Energy.
- Eva Romagosa (MBA’13), Co-Founder and CSO at BUSUP.
These entrepreneurs shared their insights on impactful entrepreneurship, offering valuable perspectives on sustainability and innovation.
Last but not least, GEMBA ’24 participants, alongside Professor Mª Julia Prats, visited the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), home to the supercomputer MareNostrum, and Spain’s leading supercomputing center specializing in High Performance Computing.
MiM Entrepreneurship Club organizes a top entrepreneurs panel in Madrid
MiM students took part in an engaging entrepreneurship panel moderated by Professor Edi Soler, featuring:
- Igor de la Sota (40under40, MBA’11), Co-Founder and CEO of Cardumen Capital.
- Iván Rodríguez (40under40, EMBA’11), Co-Founder of Modelia, Co-Founder of Parclick.
- Luis París (40under40, EMBA’11), Co-Founder and CEO of Parclick.
This session provided valuable insights into the entrepreneurial landscape. MiM students had the chance to exchange questions and views with successful entrepreneurs on topics such as persistence in the entrepreneurship journey, the importance of choosing the right partner in business, and keeping a clear long-term focus.
EMBA Munich Entrepreneurship Club: Sustainability and circularity in entrepreneurship
The Munich Entrepreneurship Club organized a talk with entrepreneur and circularity expert Dr. Marianne Kuhlmann and AI and sustainability expert Vera Meinert. The session provided guidance for both startups and established companies to embrace circular economy models in response to the climate crisis and highlighted the innovative approaches being adopted within the ecosystem, showcasing real-world applications of circular economy principles.
The discussions at the event reinforced the notion that the time for action is now, inspiring the IESE EMBA’25 class to become proactive champions of sustainability and circularity in their respective fields.
EMBA Brazil: Starting the entrepreneurial journey
Professor Yuliya Snihur hosted the panel ‘Starting the Entrepreneurial Journey,’ with EMBA participants from Brazil. The panelists were accomplished entrepreneurs:
- Adrià Cortés (MBA’18), CEO and Co-Founder of Amphora Logistics.
- Marina Rigau (MBA’16), CEO and Co-Founder of MiMARK.
- Christian Campillo Dachs, CEO and Founder of Yumminn.
Thank you
A heartfelt thanks to all the participants, panelists, and friends at Norrsken and Barcelona Supercomputing Center for their contributions to the success of these events. The insights, experiences, and networking opportunities provided a rich learning environment, fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among the GEMBA, EMBA, and MiM communities. Together, we continue to cultivate a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit at IESE and beyond!