A mini-blog series, by Daniel Cade

Jordi is a startup star. It’s no exaggeration to say that he lives and breathes startups. Professionally, through the different programs he manages in VentureLab, the company that he co-founded and runs as CEO, he has financed nearly 900 projects, working closely with the project teams across a range of industries from Biotech to IT, and regularly connects with them at international roadshows. And when I asked him about his spare time, he began speaking fondly about his engagements as a business angel, private investor, and board member!

As if I wasn’t already convinced of his startup credentials, Jordi also shared with me the fact that he was currently learning how to kitesurf. A high-risk sport that requires resilience in the face of almost certain failure, but one that is hugely rewarding once mastered. Could this be the archetypal entrepreneurs’ sport, I wonder to myself?

This serial entrepreneur is a perfect fit to lead a new course in the MBA programme called “Startup Week”. It is being positioned as the pinnacle of the core modules, where students will get the chance to put their core management knowledge and entrepreneurial flair to the test. “We will give them the opportunity to experience starting a company from scratch by applying the knowledge that they’ve acquired so far on the programme,” Jordi told me.

I can tell that this is a mouth-watering prospect for him. “I have led two electives in the MBA programme for several years: Business Plan Writing and Entrepreneurship. I really enjoy working with MBA students; I find them to be incredibly self-motivated with an unwavering zest for knowledge,” he remarked.

“Founding a company is an amazing human adventure,” he continued. “And while we understand that not every MBA student will go on to start a company, our aim is to instil that entrepreneurial capacity that craves experimentation, risk-taking, and collaboration to identify solutions to future challenges.” I’m sold! It’s so clear to me that this is a much sought-after attribute by many a hiring manager in today’s fast-paced, multi-stakeholder world.