Secondee: Caroline Gauthier
Hosting institution: Tetuan Valley
Secondment period: 28.02.205 – 30.03.2025
Thanks to the EM4FIT project, I had the privilege of being welcomed throughout March 2025 at Tetuan Valley – Google Campus Madrid, Spain.
This experience provided a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself in an entrepreneurial environment, engage with startup founders, share meals (!), participate in discussions, and observe their practices firsthand. Overall, I gained valuable insights into the daily operations of an accelerator.
I took part in several events hosted at the campus, including the Tortilla Club (Club de la Tech), where I joined a discussion group on leveraging AI to enhance email and meeting efficiency, and the Tetuan Valley Support Club (Emprendedores Anónimos). You can find my LinkedIn post about these experiences here: LinkedIn Post.
Additionally, I conducted interviews with key Tetuan Valley members, including CEO Iñigo Peña Medrano, Campus Manager Joaquin Wu Lin, and Innovation Manager Agustina Milanini. This initial data collection focused on how Tetuan Valley integrates sustainability as a strategic priority. These insights could form the basis of a research paper exploring how organizations navigate strategic shifts toward sustainability, allocate resources to achieve such goals, and how these transitions impact entrepreneurial action and stakeholders. The Innovation Manager has also promised to share additional documents, which will serve as secondary data for further analysis.
Beyond formal interviews, I engaged in informal discussions with mentors and entrepreneurs from incubated startups, such as MOGU.
Aside from expanding my professional network, this experience has enriched my teaching by providing real-world insights to incorporate into my Strategic Management, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship courses. Immersing myself in an accelerator setting allows me to bring richer examples and case studies into my lectures, ultimately enhancing the skills of future managers in entrepreneurial fields.
Furthermore, I was warmly welcomed at the Departamento de Dirección de Empresas at CUNEF University. The Professor Sylvia Rohlfer went above and beyond to facilitate my integration into the department.
I actively participated in departmental life by attending weekly seminars and a job talk, as well as delivering a research seminar. You can find my LinkedIn post about this experience here: LinkedIn Post.
I had in-depth discussions with nearly every member of the CUNEF team and initiated a research project with Professor Ching Liao on the impact of digital transparency on firm innovation. More details can be found in this LinkedIn post: LinkedIn Post. This project is progressing, and we have scheduled weekly meetings upon my return. Additionally, I discussed a second research initiative with another CUNEF Professor focusing on innovation and creative industries.
I also had enriching conversations with faculty members from other CUNEF departments and had the chance to visit CUNEF’s new Almensa campus.
This journey also served as an opportunity to explore potential partnerships between CUNEF and GEM institutions for student exchanges. The connection between the Director of International Affairs at GEM, and the Head of International Affairs at CUNEF is now established.
To conclude, this has been an incredibly dynamic and productive journey, filled with presentations, discussions, data collection, and the initiation of new research projects.