Menu

Thanks to Professor Joan Jane, a small group of students have been introduced to local social enterprises that are seeking professional consulting but are not able to afford it. It has given us a chance to apply our learnings in the classroom to real life situations before graduation, and most importantly the opportunity to do this while having a positive impact on society. Our aim is to set an example with this pilot initiative, therefore increase awareness within the IESE community and ultimately connect more students with similar projects. It is in our belief that to become effective leaders of the future, it’s important that we start acting responsibly from Day One and what better way to do it than extending our help and expertise to those in need.

We have had the privilege to join the Estel Tapia family last November. It was only a few months after we started analysing the status quo and defining a marketing strategy that we encountered our first roadblock. The first challenge was the data gathering. Most business related data had been kept by volunteers, and unfortunately it was scattered and incomplete. The new director had joined only a year ago so had some fresh ideas but no clear implementation plan so we started with documenting every visit/discussion, our week to week deliverables and future steps. The second challenge was creating a network of important contacts, which is still an on-going task. We wanted to reach out to people who could offer us guidance and free service for implementation. The responses we are receiving are so far very positive. Recently, Estel Tapia proudly showcased their products during the IESE Doing Good Doing Well conference (See pictures). Moving forward, we hope to obtain more industry and academia collaborators. We also wish to publish our progress regularly and stay connected with the IESE community.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON ESTEL TAPIA

The Estel Tàpia Social Work Centre (registered as CET “Centro Especial de Trabajo” since 2013) was launched with the objective of promoting autonomy and a high quality of life for those who suffer from physical, mental or sensory disabilities, by working to assist and improve their integration into society. The creation of the Centre follows the strategy of the Estel Tàpia Association to provide dignified work opportunities to the most marginalised people in society, where they can develop individually and professionally.

The Association provides formal training and certification accredited by the University of Barcelona. Under the brand name Ecogo; Estel Tapia Work Center team use recycled banners and other promotional materials to create a large range of eco-friendly bags, purses and similar consumer products. Furthermore, services include textile manufacturing for up and coming designers and some other product handling.