I had the enormous privilege to participate as a guest speaker in the commencement of MBA ESADE 2022, one of the most prestigious universities in the world recognized as the leading MBA for women in Europe by the Financial Times.
Barcelona, a place I once called home, welcomed me once again with a different challenge: inspiring three graduating classes through the challenges, achievements and key learnings of my professional career.
During my speech, I shared the stories that changed my life with the goal of inspiring these graduates to leave their own limiting beliefs behind, to dream big and challenge the status quo. “Skirt The Rules” is a guiding principle that I have lived by and adopted in my professional career which has ultimately allowed me to transform times of crisis into opportunities.
This is a remarkable milestone that marks the beginning of their professional lives, and I am hopeful that I inspired them to lead with their heart and to never give up, even in those times when life presents adversities.
I invite you to watch the full commencement speech and get to know a part of my journey, which has been instrumental to being where I am today.
Skirting the rules and redefining the metrics of success: ways to achieve our highest potential
As part of my commencement speech for the MBA ESADE graduates, I shared how important it has been for me, especially as a Latin American woman, to think big and create my own set of rules to reach success. And, what being successful means to me.
The path to where I am today wasn’t a straight and narrow line. Unlike men, women are still assessed based on facts and not potential. For instance, in the United States, female founders only secured 2% of venture capital in 2021. And not too long ago, we weren’t even part of the world work force.
It is obvious that rules weren’t made to favor women entrepreneurs. So, what should we do? Rethink them. Skirt them without breaking them.
I also shared how important it is to learn from a crisis. Eric Schmidt, Google´s former Chairman, once said “scarcity brings clarity” and that quote resonated with me ever since.
Times of crisis bring out our most creative self and help us to find better solutions. A clear example of this was when I had to raise capital to scale my business. I was able to hack traditional funding vehicles to become the first Latin American woman to lead a unicorn company valued at more than $1 billion.
Democratize access to encourage new businesses
This achievement was the fuel and inspiration to create two powerful vehicles to democratize wealth for the masses. On the one hand, Unicorn Hunters, a pioneering business show that democratizes access to funding, giving founders the possibility to raise expansion capital from millions of viewers around the world, and gives people the opportunity to invest in pre-IPO opportunities alongside business luminaries, like Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple.
And on the other, Unicoin, a next-generation coin that solves for volatility, the greatest challenge of traditional crypto, by offering inherent value instead of perceived value through equity positions in the high-growth companies that are part of the Unicorn Hunters platform.
I encouraged the graduates to redefine what each one of them considers success. In the past, it was measured through money and power, and although today they are still two important factors, there are other metrics like happiness, purpose, and pride.
To me, success is about leaving a legacy by leading businesses that have a positive impact in the world, trusting my instinct.
My final message to those of you who are reading this today is: if you are told that you don´t have what it takes to accomplish your goals or that you won’t receive the support you need, transform that negativity into inspiration to give your best and get what you want. Tell them: “Don´t believe me, just watch me succeed.”
—
You might also be interested in:
- A Tour to Democratize Access: Unleashing the Wealth Revolution in the Middle East
- “Inspiring Entrepreneurs”: Master Class with E!’s Escuela Imparables
- UNICORN HUNTERS: Entertainment and investment opportunities for founders and potential investors
- This is the perfect time to create a 100% remote company
