One of the main qualities that IE university promotes is its students’ shared passion for entrepreneurship. It is common to be flooded with ideas when surrounded by entrepreneurial minds, and people from different backgrounds and experiences. Often, these ideas become ambitions, which turn into startups. Despite Segovia being a small town, the IE community is often elevated by new small businesses.
Recently, Sebastian Perilla, Eliott Lombard, and Santiago Salinero identified a shared need for food after nights out in Segovia. They decided to turn the frustration into a profitable business called Take Away Sego. A few times per week, they offer take-away meals near Canavan’s Theater, a popular nightclub amongst students. Although Take Away Sego was only recently launched, it has already surpassed a number of 120 sales in the first week, and is becoming a popular staple in the IE community.
Moreover, students have employed their managerial skills and business mindsets to create large-scale social events. Groups of students have established organizations such as BACO Events, Alcatraz, Italian Palace Studios, SENSE, and more. They arrange exclusive, themed parties for IE students and are constantly supporting the student community by working with fellow IE students as DJs, promoters, and organizers. “We noticed there was an opportunity because the parties in Segovia were very monotone, and we liked making lists and organizing dinners every Sunday,” Nicolás Cajiao, co-founder of BACO said, “with time, we had the idea to create exclusive, themed events with our friends and charge an entry fee. That’s how we started the business”. Their concept soon gained popularity, and since their beginning in 2021, they have already hosted 9 events. BACO Events are currently managing a team of 15 people, with its founders being Nicolás Cajiao, Domingos Teles da Gama, and Pedro Camacho.
Lastly, visual arts have also inspired business, as seen through Rebeca Elmudesi’s new initiative. When the pandemic began, she created an Instagram account (@espagueret) as a creative outlet to showcase her art. With time, supporters began requesting to buy certain pieces, and Elmudesi decided to start selling tote bags with her drawings. In the future, she plans to expand to other merchandise such as clothing.
Entrepreneurship is not just a concept at IE University, but a way of life. Students do not wait until graduating to take risks and start businesses, they begin from the nest. As Ghita Haloui, IE alumni and current senior consultant at Korn Ferry described, “at IE, entrepreneurship is in the air, we breathe entrepreneurship every single day; and after leaving IE, I think we’ll all be entrepreneurs.”
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