From the classroom to the pitch: real stories of entrepreneurial university talent
Every year, hundreds of university students develop ideas with the potential to transform their environment. What makes the difference isn't just talent or creativity, but the context in which those ideas can evolve. When the classroom is opened to business reality, and academic knowledge is faced with concrete challenges, entrepreneurship ceases to be an abstract concept and becomes a transformative experience.
In Santalucía Impulsa we have been direct witnesses of that change. Through our programs with universities, we have accompanied young people who, without previous experience in innovation or business, have been able to propose viable, sustainable solutions aligned with real challenges in the insurance sector. From the first draft to the final pitch, every step of the process has allowed them to discover capabilities that they didn't even know they had.
A journey that begins with an idea
It all starts with a challenge: designing a solution that responds to a specific need in the sector. Multidisciplinary teams made up of students face this proposal and, with the support of mentors, begin to build. They do this through agile methodologies, prototyping, early validation with users and practical sessions in which knowledge is applied, adjusted and becomes useful.
Along this path, many students they discover their entrepreneurial vocation. They learn to listen, to pivot, to make quick decisions and to defend their ideas with solid arguments. They also understand the importance of teamwork, time management and connection to the environment. The pitch, that final moment in which they present their project to professionals and potential allies, is not a simple exercise: it is the symbolic closing of an experience that marks a before and after.
From theory to impact
The most valuable thing about these types of programs is that they allow us to connect what we learned in class with the real impact. Those who have participated in initiatives such as Santalucía Impulsa Universities have not only created proposals to improve services, digitize processes or respond to new social needs; they have experienced how a good idea can grow, mature and resonate within a company.
These experiences not only strengthen employability, but they awaken a new attitude: that of the entrepreneur. Young people who will not necessarily create a startup, but who will be integrated into teams with an open, critical and proactive mentality. Teams capable of innovating from within, of driving change and of providing value wherever they are.
Building an entrepreneurial future from university
Giving university talent a voice means trusting their abilities, but also giving them tools, spaces, references and support. For this reason, it is key that universities and companies continue to work hand in hand to create environments where these types of experiences can be replicated, scaled and consolidated.
At Santalucía Impulsa, we believe in that model. One in which the classroom is not a limit, but a starting point; in which the pitch is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a new professional phase. Committing to university entrepreneurship is investing in the future, in purposeful innovation and in young people prepared to lead change.
