Lightning bites! (English version)

A few months ago, as part of the UNIC alliance at the University of Deusto, I was invited to give a talk on my experience of entrepreneurial education as part of the so-called lightning bites. You know that it is hard for me to say no, and what’s more, I wanted to do it. What I didn’t know is that I would have to do it from Cork (Ireland), where I am working this month. So last Tuesday, 13 May, at 13:00, there I was, of course, talking about, among other things, teachepreneur. My only problem was the lack of time, I wanted to tell so many nice ‘things’.

In any case, I’ll take this opportunity to share my presentation with you, in case you are interested in having a look at it.

Presentation.

Have a nice weekend!

OMG, 10 years!

Who was to say to me that I would reach 10 years with this blog. It’s not that I don’t believe it, I have worked hard for it, but it seems like yesterday when one day in November 2014 I introduced myself and this blog.

Today I want to say THANK YOU to the more than 2,000 active subscribers, who week after week are there. THANK YOU for giving me part of your time, either to read the post at full speed, to read it calmly, to read it at the same moment you receive it, to read it “when the time comes”, to read it with “all the ones I’m accumulating”, or to postpone it “because life and its main path, does not let us deviate for a while” (although I think it’s worth it). THANK YOU to all the people behind each post, because without you, this blog would be nothing, but even less would the entrepreneurial world and the world “just like that”. THANK YOU Juan, Tamara, Ainhoa, Ellin, Marianella, Álvaro, Anaska, Amaia, Toni, Anik, Camelia, Diego, Germán, Javier, Itziar, Gaptain, Marisa, Nagore, Muxote Potolo Bat, María, Mamen, Miren, Iratxe, Go Basquing, Arancha, Emakumeekin, EntreComp y EntreCompEdu, DeustoStart, Garbiñe, Andoni, Patricia, Arruti Consulting, Kristian, Asier, La galga menta, Harri kontari, Alupé, Kietoparao, Nuria, Ro, Mikel, Perico, kekelis, WOP… Hey, but I thank you as representatives of the many women entrepreneurs and men entrepreneurs, in short, P.E. that have passed through these pages, and as representatives of the projects and ideas that I have been able to talk about and echo. You are so many people that, from the bottom of my heart, I would love to have you all together and thank you with a huge hug (even more than the one you see in the photo) and “something else” that you deserve, I have no doubt at all.

This week I also have the pleasure and honor of being able to celebrate these 10 years with the Bantani Foundation, in Brussels, working with them and, in addition, being able to participate in the event, for me, of the year: Being Entrepreneurial 2024: Innovate Learning. Because, as you know, for me, being an entrepreneur is one of my passions, and being a teacherpreneur and being able to “shout it to the four winds” so that the attitude, mentality and entrepreneurial spirit reaches more people, is even more so. At this point, I have to give a special THANK YOU to the University of Deusto for giving me the opportunity to develop this facet. ESKERRIK ASKO, BIHOTZEZ!

By the way, I attach the agenda of the event, in case anyone is a little late but would like to come to Brussels and share with many people passionate about entrepreneurship that day.

Shall we go for another 10 years? Come on, let’s go for the next 5.

Alupé, alupé (English version)

If I start the song that many of us have sung as children, I’m sure you will follow it. Come on, I begin: “Alupé, alupé”, come on, do not be shy, “sentadita me quedé”. That’s what the protagonists of today’s post, Ici and Bego, thought when 11 years ago, on November 13, they decided to launch their brand, because they wanted something “catchy”. Did they succeed? Read on to give your opinion. (more…)

Cows can fly

Last March 2024, the ZUR_EKIN project (which means “with you” in Basque) was presented in the auditorium of the Bilbao campus of the University of Deusto (UD). It is a mentoring program aimed at accompanying and developing gifted students in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, in which professors from different faculties of the UD (Law, Engineering, Deusto Business School, Education and Sports, Social and Human Sciences) mentor the students.

It is run and managed by the Unit of Support for the Development of High Intellectual Abilities, which is part of the Faculty of Education and Sport of the UD, in collaboration with the Department of Education of the Basque Government. My “good luck” this year, among others, has been to have the privilege of being part of this Unit (in which we have worked, and a lot). Although I have not been in direct contact with the students and teachers of the project, as a Unit, we have developed several lines and tasks of research that we consider very necessary to provide a quality educational response to this type of students.

In this first edition of the pioneer project in the Basque Autonomous Community, around thirty students from different schools have participated. On June 12, 2024 they presented, in a closing session of this edition, the projects they have carried out accompanied by their mentors.

Unfortunately, I could not attend the first part of the event, but I was able to enjoy many of the presentations made by the students in the second part, as well as the round table in which students and teachers participated.

It is great that, finally, visibility is given and work is being done for and with this type of students!

We know that there are things to improve, because nobody is perfect, but today I want to focus on the positive aspects of the June 12 session (we will leave the improvements to work on them). This time, this post is for the gifted students. Their presentations have been very diverse, from projects based on cows that can fly or cows that listen to music to produce better quality milk, to entrepreneurial projects based on the interests of young people or companies that bet on social economy and integrated social value.

I would like to highlight some of the characteristics of this group of young people, who have had the courage to face an audience of students, teachers and families who are very proud of them and the opportunity they have seized:

  • Involvement
  • Effort
  • Collaboration
  • Peer learning
  • Listening
  • Trust
  • Very positive attitude
  • Appreciation
  • Desire for more (to know, to learn, to work, to learn about new topics)
  • Extra-curiosity
  • Enjoyment
  • Ability to communicate orally
  • Desire for freedom of expression and to ask questions to learn

The challenges they have worked on, besides satisfying many of their varied interests, have opened their minds even more, have allowed them to open up to new possibilities in an uncertain future for some of them, and have allowed them to demonstrate that they are very capable of solving problems in a creative way and even using totally unknown tools that, at the beginning, are used in very advanced educational courses compared to the ones they are in right now.

Congratulations for your achievements and thank you for teaching us. I am sure that what you showed us a few days ago is only the beginning of your path to success.

Enjoy July.