WEBLOG NEWS AT IE UNIVERSITY

• El experto en negocio digital impartirá una charla, abierta al público, el próximo lunes 27 de mayo, a las 12,30 horas, en los laboratorios de la Casa de la Moneda. 
• El fundador de la consultora Open Ideas acaba de publicar “Social Commerce. 100 consejos para vender en Internet” 

La Casa de la Moneda de Segovia acogerá el próximo lunes 27 de marzo, a las 12,30 horas una conferencia que impartirá Leonard Pera, experto en negocio digital y socio fundador Open Ideas, consultora especializada en asesorar a las empresas en Internet y de facilitar la venta de sus productos y servicios a través de la Red. La ponencia, que se ofrece en inglés, abordará las claves para que las empresas sean competitivas en comercio electrónico, un negocio que está creciendo en España por encima del 20% anual, y que alcanza ya los 9.000 millones de euros de facturación.  Este experto acude a Segovia invitado por el Director del Grado en Comunicación, Miguel Ángel Gabaldón, que dirige el Laboratorio de Arte en el marco de los Labs empresariales de IE University en la antigua Ceca de Segovia.   

El E-commerce, un negocio en alza

Por Internet se venden billetes, entradas, ropa, zapatos, electrónica y servicios de todo tipo. “La cifra de negocio total crece en la red, pero es aún más significativo que se amplía el abanico de productos donde la venta en Internet supone una parte cada vez más importante del total”, asegura Leonard Pera, que acaba de publicar con gran éxito “Social Commerce. 100 consejos para vender en Internet”. En esta obra, este experto asegura que el mercado de venta en Internet va a seguir creciendo, “ha sucedido en muchos países más avanzados que el nuestro y aquí los datos no dejan lugar a dudas”. Asimismo, subraya que no se debe de minusvalorar las ventas físicas, las offline, “ que están cada vez más relacionadas con nuestra presencia en la red”. En este sentido, añade que “muchos clientes buscan información sobre la empresa, sus productos o sus directivos antes de realizar una compra”. 

Leonard Pera es Licenciado en Dirección de Empresas por la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Executive MBA por el IE Business School. Postgrado en Comercio Internacional por la Cámara de Comercio de Madrid y en Unión Europea por la Escuela Diplomática. Con más de 15 años de experiencia en el sector TIC, ha trabajado en empresas líderes como Telefónica y Deutsche Telekom, liderando equipos comerciales con resultados extraordinarios. Es también un emprendedor tecnológico que creó una empresa de servicios, WIMAX. Desde Febrero del 2011 lidera Open-Ideas como socio fundador. Preside la Comisión Internacional de la Asociación de Usuarios de Telecomunicaciones. Miembro del CATSI Consejo Asesor del Ministerio de Industria, como experto de reconocido prestigio. Miembro del Claustro de la Cátedra de Comunicación Estratégica Responsable del IE Business School.

De gran interés para responsables de pymes y emprendedores, la conferencia es abierta al público.

Conferencia Leonar Pera

Lunes 27 de mayo

12,30 horas, Casa de la Moneda de Segovia

Fourth year students of IE University’s Bachelor in Communication interviewed Miguel Ángel Paniagua as an exercise for their ‘Radio Announcing’ class, taught by the professor Ann Bateson . The interview took place after a workshop that Miguel Ángel Paniagua gave to all Bachelor in Communication students.

It’s ten-past-three and I go up to the third floor of the IE University in Segovia and knock on Ivan Wong’s door. Of course he is talking to a student, this time about  maybe creating a workshop for Manga drawing. “Ivan, when can we talk? Remember we had a meeting at three?” He looks at his timetable on the computer “Oh yes, sorry.” He’s not usually late, but he is always doing things and talking to people, especially students, to talk about their ideas and thoughts. Like his co-worker Ana Martín says “He is an incredible PR, always willing to listen and dedicates a lot of time to the students. Sometimes there are students who are talking to him for hours and when I go and ask him, he says they just needed to talk to him.” 

Ivan Wong was born in England but when he was three years old his family moved to Vancouver, Canada. His mother is a Spaniard from Burgos and his father is from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but he grew up with the Chinese community there. Ivan lived in Vancouver until he went to Montreal to study Political Science in McGill university. When he finished his studies he realised he did not like it all too much and so went back home to Vancouver and worked for few years as advisor in a bank, until a friend told him to come with him to Asia to visit new countries. “I did something I don’t usually do, I took a risk”, Ivan says referring to his decision.

After dismissing the other student he was talking to, Ivan leads the way to a class on the second floor in which we were going to meet. He sits down in front of me and says “What do you want me to tell you?” He is a man who looks like he is in his late twenties or early thirties, he probably measures about 1,80m and has a decent amount of black hair on his head. His face looks Occidental with some Asian traits, like his slightly slanted eyes. He likes to walk around energetically, wearing jeans and a shirt. He describes himself as “an open-minded person tolerant, in general, but also impulsive and lacking patience. I like to encourage the spirit of being kind and sharing and I like to hear people’s opinions and respect people as I want to be respected myself.” His philosophical approach to life nowadays is “Push yourself, but have fun.”

He went with his friend to South Korea where they stayed as a base to journey around Asia and taught English in academies there. He was there for two years in which he met many people and gathered different experiences. He laughs when he remembers the differences in culture and things that surprised him there. “There they have public saunas and I would go with other teachers, most of us from Anglo-Saxon countries, and we felt super self-conscious with so many naked people in the saunas. Some of them are like tall buildings and there was one with a terrace on the attic. Of course it was divided for men and women, but only by a wall. And actually you could see that the wall could be climbed, so it had like war-time barbed wire on the top, so that the men would not try to peek onto the women’s side. There is also a very curious thing that they did, I suppose it’s cultural; they would brush each other’s backs, so they would form long lines of men and children brushing their backs!.” He laughs at the memory.

“In hobbies I am a sort of geek, I could say it a bit softer, that that’s what I am.” He has had many hobbies throughout his lifetime, and very varied ones also. He likes to do scuba-diving, which he has done in Vancouver, South Korea and Spain, but it has been a couple of years since he did it. He has also done golf and squash for some time. He likes skiing and he did climbing for a while. Nowadays he sings in a local choir; Coralia Artists, in the tenor section, because he says that bass is less varied. In a more indoor aspect, he likes to read and watch cinema, but he also loves videogames. He has been at it since he was young and he has a PC, and Xbox and a PS3 to play. His most recent hobby came to him not even three months ago. “It was almost like waking up one day and deciding my new hobby”, this new hobby is board games. He has actually purchased seven or eight different board games during this past couple of months, and planning on getting more. They are mostly thematic, such as Lords of Waterdeep, which is somewhat similar to Dungeons and Dragons but more strategic , or Descent (which is similar to the most famous Warhammer). He not only likes these games for the fun itself, but because he loves the quality of the crafting of the pieces. “Es que flipo,” he says in Spanish, “in videogames you do not notice it, but when you receive a heavy box, with all the details in it, I don’t know, I like it a lot.”

After his two years in South Korea he went to live to Spain where his family had moved to while he was away. He did different jobs as administrative and advisor (for example for Kraft) and he worked in Clifford Chance in accounting, but when the chance to work for IE University arose, he gladly took it because when he had been working in South Korea he had realised that he liked working with younger people and actually enjoyed the company of people who were younger than him “maybe because of my lack of maturity”. This is confirmed by the fact that he gets along very well with the students at the university, as Gonzalo Muelas, a 1st year Law student says “He’s the shit, really great as a person and with a sense of humour.” “He’s a big kid, with a peculiar sense of humour.” mentions Ana Martín, “He’s our [the department's] baby.”

 Ivan is nowadays the coordinator of the extracurricular activities and also helps with the student office. He basically organizes the administrative and non-academic life of the students, like he says “If there is anything non-academic I probably have a hand in it.” “He is the best colleague you can ask for.” says Nicky Sharp, another co-worker, “He is there when times are hard, always willing to give a helping hand, he even takes me to the bus station.”

When the interview is finished he tells me that if he remembers anything else we will send me an email, and leaves because he had had an extra long day yesterday and he is leaving early today. Later on, while I interview his colleagues, I find that he hasn’t left still because he wanted to finish off some work.

La Reina Doña Sofía inauguró ayer en Mérida el XVIII Congreso Internacional de Arqueología Clásica, que reúne a más de seiscientos expertos venidos de todo el mundo bajo el lema “Centro y periferia en el mundo clásico”.  La Unidad de Arqueología de IE University presenta dos importantes comunicaciones relacionadas con el yacimiento de Tiermes (Soria) y la conquista romana de Hispania. En esta cita, que se celebra cada cinco años desde 1958, las últimas ediciones en Boston y Roma, se verán cuatrocientas comunicaciones y un centenar de posters. 

El Congreso de Arqueología Clásica, que se desarrolla del 13 al 17 de mayo, cuenta con numerosos y reconocidos expertos de la materia como el profesor Henner Von Hesberg, del Instituto Arqueológico Germánico de Roma, el profesor Carlos Fabião, de la Universidad de Lisboa, el Doctor Simon Keay de la Universidad de Southampton, el Doctor Martín Almagro Gorbea, de la Real Academia de la Historia o la Doctora Catherine Balmelle, del Laboratorio de Arqueología de la Escuela Superior de París.

Los profesores Cesáreo Pérez, Emilio Illarregui y Roberto Ruiz Salces presentan en Mérida la investigación “La conquista romana septentrional de Hispania, 2030 años después. El papel lo aguanta todo”. En esta comunicación los expertos de IE University abordan la presencia de cuerpos militares romanos en la zona norte de Hispania, centrándose en la zona central cántabra. “Con esta aportación intentamos reflexionar sobre las unidades militares que ya conocíamos y las que en la actualidad se reflejan después de los espectaculares resultados investigadores de los últimos años”, indican. 

La segunda comunicación que los investigadores de IE University presentan en Mérida tiene que ver con el foro altoimperial de Tiermes (Soria). Césareo Pérez, Emilio Illarregui y Pablo Arribas abordan la caracterización del foro termestino “incorporando los datos proporcionados por los trabajos arqueológicos de los últimos años efectuados en una zona representativa de este complejo, tomando como base el análisis pormenorizado de sus restos materiales y arquitectónicos (cerámica, vidrio, elementos metálicos, industria ósea, numismática, estatutaria y material de construcción) e integrando en este estudio una distribución espacial que posibilite la definición del área nuclear de esta ciuitas“.  Read more…

Tyba, a start-up created by three IE University students, was named to be the best start-up in the entrepreneurial community of IE. Besides this, it was awarded with the audience prize in the final of IE Venture Lab, held yesterday in Madrid. 

At the conference, held at the headquarters of the Fundación Rafael del Pino in Madrid, the top ten business projects developed by students of IE Business School and IE University this semester competed for the title of Best Start-up at the IE Venture Day formed by a panel of international entrepreneurs and investors. 

For the first time two teams from IE University participated in the final. The start-up Scramblr, a project by 3^rd year students of the BBA Esthiaque Khan and Naye Moussa was semi-finalist, while Tyba, start-up founded by a group of 4^th year students of the BBA reached the final with all merit.

Tyba, created by students Eiso Kant, Jorge Schnura and Philip Von Have, took the first place in the final and the audience award in front  of a jury that counted with the participation of Bedy Yang, 500 Startups, Gary Stewart, Wayra Spain director, Rodolfo Carpintier of Dad, Jeffrey Char of J-Seed Ventures, Avichay Nissenbaum, co-founder and director of Lool Ventures; Ehud Levy, Director at Vertex VC; Wayne Gibbins of Notion Capital, Jose Cabiedes of Cabiedes & Partners , Jose Miguel Herrero Big Sur Ventures and Javier Torremocha of Kibo Ventures. In second place was Stocard, created by students from the IMBA and in third place, 21st Century Bet, a project by students of the Master in Finance at IE Business School. 

Isabel Sánchez, Director of the BBA at IE University, received recognition on behalf of the teachers who helped the Tyba team develop its business plan.

In addition, the event counted with the intervention of experts such as Uri Levine, President of Waze.com, free mobile application that automatically updates maps and shares real-time information on the traffic situation. Levine gave a lecture on ‘The power of the crowd’.

Bedy Yang, Venture Partner of 500 Start-ups, one of the main and most recognised funds of Silicon Valley, participated in a panel discussion on ‘The Pros and Cons of accelerators and incubators of companies’. Bernhard Niesner CEO of Busuu.com

Alumnos del BBA de IE University, ganadores del IE Venture Day Startup Competition

Tyba, una joven empresa creada por tres alumnos de IE University se coronó ayer como la mejor startup de la comunidad emprendedora del IE. Además de esto, obtuvo el premio del público en la final del IE Venture Day, celebrada ayer en Madrid. 

En la jornada, que tuvo lugar en la sede de la Fundación Rafael del Pino en Madrid, los diez mejores proyectos empresariales desarrollados este semestre por alumnos de IE Business School e IE University compitieron para obtener el título de mejor Startup del IE Venture Day frente a un jurado compuesto por emprendedores e inversores internacionales. 

Por primera vez participaron en la final y en la semifinal dos equipos de IE University. La startup Scramblr, proyecto de los alumnos de 3º del BBA (Grado en ADE) Esthiaque Khan y Naye Moussa fue semifinalista, mientras  Tyba, startup creada por un grupo de alumnos de 4º del BBA (Grado en ADE) alcanzó la final con todo mérito. 

Tyba, creada por los alumnos Eiso Kant, Jorge Schnura y Philip Von Have, se hizo con el primer puesto de la final y con el premio del público, ante un jurado que contó con la participación de Bedy Yang, 500 Startups; Gary Stewart , director de Wayra Spain, Rodolfo Carpintier  de Dad; Jeffrey Char de J-Seed Ventures ; Avichay nissenbaum, co-fundador y director de Lool Ventures; Ehud levy , Director en Vertex VC; Wayne Gibbins de Notion Capital; José Cabiedes de Cabiedes &  Partners;  José Miguel Herrero de Big Sur Ventures y Javier Torremocha de Kibo Ventures. En segundo lugar quedó Stocard, creado por alumnos del IMBA y en tercer lugar, 21st Century Bet, un proyecto de alumnos del Master in Finance de IE Business School. 

Isabel Sánchez, Directora del BBA de IE University recibió un reconocimiento en nombre de los profesores que ayudaron al equipo de Tyba en el desarrollo de su proyecto empresarial. 

Además, la jornada contó con la intervención de expertos como Uri Levine, Presidente de Waze.com, aplicación móvil gratuita que permite actualizar automáticamente mapas y compartir información en tiempo real sobre la situación del tráfico. Levine pronunció una conferencia sobre ‘El poder de la multitud’. 

Bedy Yang, Venture Partner de 500 Startups, uno de los fondos de capital semilla más reconocidos de Silicon Valley, participó en una mesa redonda sobre ‘Los pros y contras de las aceleradoras e incubadoras de empresas’. Bernhard Niesner, CEO de Busuu.com, comunidad virtual para aprender idiomas, analizo las ‘Estrategias de captación de nuevos usuarios’.