In order to give more detailed information on the new activities to support entrepreneurship, on 12 May, the first IQSTF Talks x VICIO took place with Oriol de Pablo, IQS Alumnus and founding partner of VICIO.
IQS Tech Factory, the innovation and entrepreneurship division at IQS, is launching a series of innovative activities with the aim of strengthening the entrepreneurial spirit within the entire IQS community. In order to give more detailed information on the new activities to support entrepreneurship, on 12 May, the first IQSTF Talks x VICIO took place with Oriol de Pablo, IQS Alumnus and founding partner of VICIO. Albert Vilà, creative director, and Pablo Amade, brand creator and branding expert, also took part in the event. During the session, they spoke with attendees about the process of creating the company, its disruptive branding, and how this has guided their subsequent marketing strategy.
The aim of IQS Tech Factory is inspiring, educating, incubating, and accelerating entrepreneurial talent through various initiatives that provide support and tools to undertake projects from the initial phases up to release on the market. One of these activities is IQSTF Talks, a series of talks and roundtables on current issues and inspiring discussions with disruptive professionals.
The Teatro de Sarrià in Barcelona hosted the first talk session with entrepreneurs, led by IQS Alumnus Oriol de Pablo, co-founder of the successful start-up VICIO. VICIO is a business that was created right in the midst of the pandemic and has experienced exponential growth thanks to a disruptive digital and communications strategy. According to De Pablo, "the main asset VICIO has is its brand. Behind an idea, there's always a story. 81% of today's brands could disappear and consumers wouldn’t even realize it." With this in mind, VICIO has gone beyond just selling hamburgers – first for delivery and now at its seven locations as well – and the company has flipped the script through provocation and brand relevance.
During the event, Oriol de Pablo spoke about the company's creation and its meteoric growth. Pablo Amade highlighted the process of creating the brand, from the name to its now iconic typography and powerful imagery. The session came to a close with Albert Vilà, the company's creative director, who spoke to attendees about the VICIO marketing strategy and the importance of having coherence between images, messages, and actions.
“Entrepreneurship isn't easy. You must be resilient, committed, and visionary. It's definitely not for everyone, but it can change your life," said Pablo. He continued, "there's no right age to become and entrepreneur, but for me the following has held true: from age 20 to 30, connect with a leader, from 30 to 40, do what you're good at, and from 40 on, teach what you know." Regarding advice for future entrepreneurs, the VICIO co-founder focused on the importance of people: “Talent is everything. Whoever has the best talent comes out on top. So my advice in becoming an entrepreneur is to surround yourself with a solid team, but always with a long-term vision yet simple steps." Pablo Amade further added, “one of the keys is for the team to bring contributions from different backgrounds because different opinions enrich the project." Albert Vilà concluded, “no one is born an entrepreneur. You just have to jump in."
In addition to the IQSTF Talks, which will showcase talks and roundtables on current issues and inspiring discussions with disruptive professionals, IQS Tech Factory will also carry out other activities:
- IQSTF Idea. Actions related to idea contests, hackathons, and visits to companies.
- IQSTF How-to Pills. Educational capsules on specific topics during the academic year.
- IQSTF Start-up Challenge. An internal IQS programme that will be held during the summer in which several projects led by IQS students will be selected so they can bring their business idea to life.
IQS Tech Factory supports the innate entrepreneurial spirit among many of its students not only through mentoring and incubators but also through its acceleration programme. This new series of actions aims to inspire and aid the IQS community in realizing their business ideas.