Yesterday I had lunch with a US diplomat who’d like to settle down somewhere, after spending many years in many different countries. “I would love to live in Madrid for good, but the problem is there is no diversity here,” he pointed out. So to the eyes of a foreigner, … Read more →
Diego Gronda: an Argentinean crafting the world from Madrid
He always dresses in black and seems reflective and calm. But he soon confesses that he lives in a constant tension in order to thrive. And that’s because we live in these “Turbulent Teens”, he explains, an expression coined by The Future Laboratory, a British consultancy, as a characterization of the … Read more →
Cultura en red: engine of opportunities, engine of growth
On Tuesday in sunny and cold Madrid, the cultural industry and the technology sector met at beautiful LASEDE COAM, our capital’s hub for architects. The occasion? Cultura en Red, a local initiative promoted by Grupo Planeta, Bertelsmann and NBC Universal. Culture on the web is the great promise. It is … Read more →
Spaniards: Don’t despair after the horribilis week
I haven’t written much since we returned from Christmas. It is hard to write about positive things in the current social and political environment. The week that is about to conclude has material enough to make us all despair. However, I connected with what journalist Jesús Cacho said in his … Read more →
Luis Vidal: the prosperous Spanish architect
It is hard to find successful architects these days in Spain. Luis Vidal (Barcelona, 1969) is among the gifted few. How he has managed to build up the largest architecture studio in our country was my first question mark, when I met with him one evening right before Christmas at … Read more →
Inspirational phrases to nurture our faith this Christmas
Dear fellow Spaniards and all global friends: I write this post, not only to wish you a Merry Christmas, but also to INSPIRE you with the following phrases and quotes. We need to nurture our faith this Christmas, we need to believe that 2013 will be a definite year for … Read more →
The IEB, an example of Spain’s ambitions in financial education
Spain’s current post-graduate education system enjoys international leadership. Three of four ranked Spanish business schools (IE, Esade and IESE) are among the top six, according to the Financial Times rankings. The Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles aims at becoming the next in the list. The IEB was founded in 1989 upon … Read more →
Álvaro de Remedios: Spanish independent courage
The story of Álvaro de Remedios (Madrid, 1968) is a story of boldness. I spent some time reading the main landmarks of his firm, Arcano, which he created in 2003, and I found a recurring word: “first.” It is also a story of independence, another word that permeates his firm’s … Read more →
Pedro Moneo: “The average young Spaniard doesn’t even know how much talent he has”
Pedro Moneo (Madrid, 1977) has a powerful story to tell, but he is waiting for the right time. He is the CEO and founder of Opinno, which stands for “Open Innovation”. Between Madrid and San Francisco, he is building a universe that very few are able to understand. He has … Read more →
Spain: Europe’s Tiger Economy
While Cataluña plays around with an unfeasible independence, Spain is gradually becoming Europe’s tiger economy. It caught my attention last Wednesday to hear from Monica Oriol, president of the pro-business lobby Círculo de Empresarios, that Spain is becoming Europe’s tiger economy. Oriol represents the interests of more than 200 Spanish … Read more →