A recent MBA Global Leadership Series session at IESE explored what entrepreneurship really looks like in practice. Avi Meir (MBA’11), founder of Perk, shared reflections on building ventures shaped by conviction, trust, and evolving leadership. In conversation with Dean Franz Heukamp, Avi's message resonated with participants, reframing the MBA itself as an entrepreneurial transformation: one that demands action, adaptability, and purpose. As Dean Franz Heukamp noted, this closely mirrors the journey many students are already navigating, both professionally and personally. A conversation that clearly struck a chord across the room. Great to have Avi Meir share these insights with the community.

The IESE Business School Private Equity & Venture Capital Club hosted its annual MBA-led conference in Barcelona, attracting over 400 participants, including investors, founders, students, and alumni. Day 1 focused on Private Equity, covering value creation, exit strategies, and the role of relationships in a data-driven environment. Day 2 turned to Venture Capital, exploring opportunities in emerging sectors, shifting investor expectations, and challenges shaping Europe’s startup ecosystem. Alongside the International Private Equity and Venture Capital Competition, workshops and networking sessions rounded out a program that highlighted student leadership and global engagement. Explore highlights on the PE&VC Club’s LinkedIn page and conference site.

In a conversation with Kandarp Mehta, Senior Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at IESE, creativity and analysis emerge as complementary forces shaping entrepreneurial thinking. Drawing on a career spanning corporate roles, academia, and the arts, Kandarp reflects on the importance of combining structured knowledge with experimentation. He highlights entrepreneurship as a driver of societal progress, rooted in solving real problems and creating value. His advice is clear: take action, prioritize learning over short-term gains, and turn assumptions into knowledge—an approach that underpins both effective teaching and successful venture building. Read the full interview on our blog. 

The third session of CDL San Sebastian (AI stream), hosted at IESE Business School in collaboration with BIC Gipuzkoa, brought together ventures, mentors, and partners for a focused day of evaluation and decision-making. Across four rounds of Small Group Meetings, ventures tested progress against defined milestones, refining priorities with different mentor teams. A plenary session led by Professors Sampsa Samila and Liinus Hietaniemi consolidated key insights, with Professor Gaiza Ormazabal also in attendance. The mentor group included IESE alumni and faculty such as Mathieu Carenzo. As a proud partner of CDL San Sebastian, IESE supports scalable, science-based startups in AI and quantum technologies within a global, mentor-driven network.

IESE Business School, in collaboration with Banca March and the IESE Business Angels Network, hosted the first edition of the “Scaling Up Banca March” forum in Madrid. The initiative brought together a curated group of innovative scaleups seeking funding and visibility to accelerate their next phase of growth. Finalist ventures presented to  Banca March executives and investors at IESE’s Madrid campus, offering a snapshot of companies navigating expansion and preparing for what comes next. Learn more about related courses on the IESE Business Angels page.

An upcoming online session will explore the European Commission’s EU Inc. initiative: an optional, digital-first corporate framework designed to simplify how companies start, operate, and scale across Europe. IESE’s Mathieu Carenzo will lead the discussion, connecting the theory of innovation with the realities of launching and growing companies in Europe. The session will offer a practical perspective on what this evolving framework could mean for entrepreneurs operating across the region. Further details are available here.

What determines success in a search fund? A recent IESE Business School Insight article, based on research by Professor Jan Simon, examines the risks that define each stage of the journey: from sourcing opportunities to leading acquired companies. It highlights where searchers most often struggle and what sets successful ones apart, pointing to preparation, investor alignment, and disciplined execution. Drawing on real cases, the piece offers a closer look at the decisions and trade-offs shaping outcomes in this increasingly active investment model.

How should entrepreneurial teams balance economic and non-economic goals? Using a computational model, a recent study co-authored by IESE's Jeroen Neckebrouck compares four decision-making structures: unanimous approval, majority voting, individual autonomy, and lead entrepreneur. In stable environments, majority voting maximizes economic performance, while unanimous approval better supports non-economic outcomes. In fast-changing contexts, however, unanimous approval outperforms across both dimensions. Interestingly, goal diversity—typically a constraint—can enhance economic performance under high velocity when paired with unanimity, highlighting the need to align decision rules with environmental conditions.