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Entrepreneurship at IE University: Innovation and Impact

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IE University embodies entrepreneurship at its core, shaping innovative leaders since the 1980s. Ranked #1 in Europe for entrepreneurship teaching, our proactive ethos infuses every aspect of learning.

From the IE Venture Lab to international pitch events, we empower students to turn ideas into impactful ventures. Explore our dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem and discover your potential today.

Driven to succeed by following his own path

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Hieu began working various jobs while studying in Japan, which inspired a new dream—to start his own business. He felt that the environment in Tokyo wasn’t giving him what he needed to succeed, though. I realized I wanted to learn more new things and push myself to be in a more challenging environment. Charles (Hieu) […]

Everything you need to know to prepare for the Bachelor in Design

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If you’re preparing to start the Bachelor in Design or the Dual Degree in Business Administration + Design, it’s important to get prepared with the right attitude and tools. The Bachelor in Design is a four-year program that prepares you to become the creative and innovative designer that companies are looking for. Combining theoretical and […]

Pursuing a Passion for International Relations In and Out of the Classroom

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Antoine Brimbal considers himself a product of globalization. His parents, from France and Serbia, met on a UN peacekeeping mission during the Yugoslav wars—which is why he’s always felt strongly connected with the theme of political conflict. He knew from a young age that he wanted to study international relations, driven by a desire to […]

Adeno: Getting the Youth Out to Vote With Technology

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François Mari first burst onto the global scene in 2022 during the French presidential elections. Along with his friend Grégoire Cazcarra, he created Elyze, a Tinder-like application that matched voters with their ideal candidates based on shared values and priorities. Soon, Elyze became the most downloaded app in France for that year. Now, François is […]

Taking Risks and Finding Success in Entrepreneurship

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What drives your passion for entrepreneurship? My bachelor’s degree in information systems management allowed me to understand technology in a unique way. Now, I think not only about the beauty of it, but also about how people can benefit from it. Tell us more about Talamo. What is your mission and vision? Talamo is a […]

The Impactful Startup Fueled by IE University’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

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Can you tell us about yourself? My educational journey has spanned continents, from Kazakhstan to Canada, Norway and, ultimately, the vibrant academic environment of IE University in Spain. This global exposure has fueled my curiosity about world affairs and my desire to make a significant impact.  This diversity of experiences also ignited my curiosity about […]

How One Entrepreneur is Taking on Costa Rica’s Retail Industry

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What inspired you to start your own business? During my internships at IE University, I had the chance to work for great serial entrepreneurs and their startups. This environment was the perfect fit: I felt very aligned with the values of creative problem-solving and the dynamic, risk-taking scene. Also, I was motivated to pursue a […]

From Caracas to Madrid: One Alum’s Story of Entrepreneurial Success

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How did your background motivate you to pursue entrepreneurship? Raised in Caracas, Venezuela, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of living in a country with untapped potential. This experience motivated me to seek a better future at IE University, where I found an environment that inspired me to make a difference. ValdeAr confirmed my belief that […]

From IE University to PepsiCo

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At IE University, I initially enrolled in the Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences program. But after having better connected with the Bachelor in Data and Business Analytics classes, I changed my mind and my career path. Ultimately, I am a techie and enjoy the efficiency and ease of working on computers, so learning to […]

Strategic Innovation with Rafaela Valencia-Dongo

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Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born in Arequipa, in Peru, and moved to the capital, Lima, when I was two. I’ve been privileged to be able to explore Peru from a very young age. It helped me understand the gaps we have in the country—from our broken political system to the inequality […]

Celebrating The Black History Month with the IE Africa Club

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For Kenyan-born Gayle Trisha Were, Black History Month is a time to laud the people who inspire her—those who have impacted their communities in positive ways. After spending her early years in South Africa, where she completed her advanced-level qualifications at the African Leadership Academy, Gayle discovered a burning passion for storytelling. She wanted to […]

Entrepreneurial Spirit – Bachelor in Design

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Rafaela Valencia-Dongo, founder of Retablo, on finding the courage to realize her dreams Rafaela Valencia-Dongo was born in Arequipa in Peru, but her go-getter attitude led her to journey all the way to Madrid in order to pursue the Bachelor in Design—a program Rafaela hoped would give her the expertise to redefine traditional design processes […]

IE University labs: a decade of successfully connecting students with top companies

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Designed to be an innovative alternative to internships, the labs allow students to carry out projects for real clients from their first year. The 24 labs offered by IE University this year are divided into three types: entrepreneurship, consulting and social projects. For IE University, it’s of vital importance that its students engage in professional […]

Atil: a documentary on Saharawi Refugee Camps located in Tindouf Algeria

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Atil is a documentary about the life of the Saharawi people living in the Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria.  There are no limits in this place. After all, creativity and innovation give rise to ideas that change the world. This documentary follows the lives of five young Saharawis who show, day by day, that anything […]

How IE University alumni turned their startup, Bleane, from passion into reality

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Frederic and Fatih also share a similar passion for innovative ideas and projects. In fact, when Frederic talked about this when introducing himself to the class, Fatih simply answered, “the same as him.” Together, they decided to turn their vision of Bleane into reality the very next day. Can you tell us a bit about […]

Campus Life: making a difference

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Elisa Hicks is the senior associate director of IE University. In a recent podcast Campus Life: giving you roots, helping you soar, she shared how students are helped to overcome challenges and encouraged to become not just entrepreneurs, but leaders and better humans. Doors always open Campus Life, Elisa told us, serves as the “nexus […]

IE Venture Day Madrid 2022: a celebration of entrepreneurship

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IE Venture Lab plays a pivotal role in this process. Our startup incubator is a dynamic platform that allows students and alumni to take their academic projects or business ideas to the next level, training and mentoring them as they explore, validate and develop ready-to-launch startup ventures. This model’s success is most evident in our […]

Dat Tien Dinh: driving growth through internships

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I first learned about this internship opportunity from the official Deloitte career website. I applied hoping to put the knowledge that I’ve learned at IE University into practice while also bolstering my financial skill set even further.  The application process was quite extensive and involved resume screening and a financial analysis presentation of a retailing […]

The data privacy startup helping users take ownership of their data

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Data privacy software = transparency Have you ever wondered who, where, and how companies sell your data? According to the Shield Data team, most modern-day internet users have little knowledge or control of how enterprises own—not to mention sell—people’s private information. With such a lack of transparency, the startup’s mission is simple: to empower internet […]

Student entrepreneurs pitch their startup ideas at Venture Day 2021

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What is Venture Day? Venture Day is an event where IE University students, alumni, and anyone with an interest in entrepreneurship come together in the spirit of both competition and comradery. Lasting the better part of an afternoon, the event serves as the culmination of many students’ hard work in the IE Venture Lab—a startup […]

IE Entrepreneurship Summit: How and why two students launched this aspirational initiative

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Diego Rubio and Eugenio Gulminelli are two business-minded IE University students on a mission: to make entrepreneurship even more accessible for students. When passions converge Diego was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, though he always dreamed of moving far away to “explore everything the world has to offer and my place within it.” Coming […]

Julia Costa de Araujo on being Unapologetic about her true self

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Alongside Valeria Mendez, her project partner and co-founder, Julia has been on her own journey towards self-acceptance and has brought many other members of the IE University community along with her.  With video interviews and graphics, Julia and Val have been starting conversations and embracing their differences, all while letting their creativity thrive. Julia has […]

Camila Monguzzi: An entrepreneur giving back to IE University

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Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m Peruvian and Argentinian, and I studied the Bachelor in Communication & Digital Media at IE University. In September 2018, in the midst of my studies, I created my first startup called Fitclub Collective. Fast forward to today, it’s now my job and everyday motivation. We currently have a […]

Mateo Ploquin: innovating the digital world one startup at a time

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Inspired by a statistic—75% of Americans were found to be concerned about their data but didn’t know how to take action—Mateo realized there was no existing solution, and took it upon himself to fix it. He contacted a wealth of experienced and knowledgeable IE University students to design his startup, Shield. Together they have entered […]

Area 31 Segovia: the first step for entrepreneurs

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IE University—The pandemic has flipped our reality upside down, and in turn, opened a range of opportunities for entrepreneurs who have a vision for the future. Economists, philosophers, and leadership experts agree that the post-COVID-19 era is going to signal a boom in entrepreneurship. In a context as complicated as the current one, young entrepreneurs […]

Believe in yourself: The key ingredient in entrepreneurship

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This Dual Degree in Business Administration and Laws grad has been making waves in the eSports world since graduating in 2018. Now the CEO of eGoGames—a mobile eSports platform currently valued at €3m—Alejandro chose IE University for its emphasis on entrepreneurship. He wanted to join a university that pushed its students and encouraged them to […]

International Women’s Day 2021: Fostering Female Entrepreneurs

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Read on to discover how IE University has supported Nur in her exciting and dynamic journey. An entrepreneur at heart Originally from Madrid, Nur Younis is an entrepreneur at heart. She began studying the Dual Degree in Business Administration and International Relations in 2019. True to the innovative spirit of the IE University community, Nur […]

IE University opens a new space on campus dedicated to the Creativity Center

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Whoever walks down the second-floor corridors at the Santa Cruz la Real campus in Segovia will discover a space that will forever leave a mark: the new corner at IE University’s Creativity Center, designed by Meteorito studio and developed by Segovian artist, Alberto Fernández Hurtado. A combination of yellow, fuchsia, and blue over a black […]

Arvid Friberg on finding your billion-dollar idea

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We sat down with him to talk business and about his plans for the future. He told us how socks, bamboo and the meaning of a billion-dollar idea drive him to continue creating. Tell us about yourself and why you chose to study at IE University.  I’m from Stockholm, Sweden. I’m a first-year Bachelor in Business […]

Cutnut founders: Bejamin Ranft, Philipp Nette & Teiko Wilenius | Your Own Path

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These IE University graduates are taking the entrepreneurial world by storm. The trio created Cutnut, a B2B software used by companies to produce, and distribute high-quality story content for their social media platforms, websites, and apps. They have been featured in this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 list for European media and marketing, and their […]

Giacomo Coppola on business, tech, and going big or going home!

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This year, graduation was a bit different—Giacomo had to celebrate it online. Students had the opportunity to take part in all types of activities, which ranged from a Fortnite tournament, cooking with renowned chef Dani García, and being part of the after party with Steve Aoki, a world-famous DJ. This was all great fun, but […]

Business Plan Challenge 2020: A bright vision for the future

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After a lot of hard work putting their ideas to paper and ironing out the smallest details, seven teams of IE University students gathered to pitch their up-and-coming business ideas at this year’s edition of the annual Business Plan Challenge.

Sofia Kritikopoulos: How IE University fosters student initiatives

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Sofia is a first-year Bachelor in International Relations student at the campus in Segovia. Alongside other first-year Bachelor in International Relations and Dual Degree in Laws + International  Relations students, Sofia has set up a new campus group to support the UN’s 2030 Agenda of reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

How a good negotiation strategy can transform your business

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A good negotiation strategy is more than something individual professionals should develop to get what they want, or a skill to list on their resumes. It is something companies can and should define in order to increase profitability and business outcomes across the board. Poor negotiating techniques or undefined negotiation strategies can lead to lost […]

A Vegan Startup Project at IE University

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High-quality “leather” pieces for young people, sold at affordable prices. The idea is very attractive. If the handbags, wallets and purses are made of vegan leather—a material made without any animal products—and produced with attention to sustainability, the environment and the development of indigenous communities, then we must be talking about Tumbao. This company, created […]

Female entrepreneurs at IE University

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Why do you study Communication and Digital Media? Martina Hinojosa and Catharina Doria are undoubtedly clear in their answer. “We believe in the importance of storytelling; we want to give a voice to those who don’t have one,” Martina says, exchanging a knowing smile with Catharina. The two women are studying the Bachelor in Communication […]

Students with a creative eye at IE University

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The main hall of the IE University Creativity Center, located in Segovia’s ancient mint, is hosting “Localismos sin fronteras.” It gathers together works by various students who took part in an art workshop run over several months by recognized artist Alberto Fernández Hurtado (Segovia, 1975). The exhibition, which opened last Thursday, is sponsored by IE […]

Three IE University graduates created their own company: Cutnut

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Three IE University students, Teiko Wilenius (Dual Degree in BBA and LL.B.), Philipp Nette (BBA) and Benjamin Ranft (BBA), have become entrepreneurs after completing their studies and starting their own company. They have been  featured in this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 list for European media and marketing. 

The young humanitarian entrepreneur

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“Being an entrepreneur doesn’t just mean being able to set up a business, it’s much more: entrepreneurship is about taking action.”

“Pet Cupid,” the app that helps your pet find love

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“Pet Cupid” is a fresh idea that arose from the enthusiasm of a group of college entrepreneurs at IE University, studying subjects as diverse as International Relations, Information Systems Management, and Law.

What you need to know before working for a unicorn

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Unicorn companies have been a topic of discussion for the past two years, and every young entrepreneur—in Silicon Valley or elsewhere—wants to be the next CEO of these private companies valued at $1 billion or more.