EdTech Talents Conference: Entrepreneurship in EdTech
Developing researchers into interdisciplinary talents is essential for tackling today’s complex educational challenges: by blending insights from technology, pedagogy, policy and community engagement, they craft solutions that truly resonate in the classroom. When universities, industry partners, policymakers and civil society—the “four‐helix” stakeholders—engage in open dialogue, they can rapidly translate rigorous, science‐based evidence on digital tools into practical guidance for teachers and schools.
That’s why the Horizon Europe–funded EdTech Talents project—uniting partners from six countries—will convene on October 7 in Madrid for an international conference, supported by Microsoft Spain, to share best practices, forge new collaborations, and accelerate the impact of proven digital innovations in education.
Time: October 7th 2025
Venue: Microsoft offices (La Finca, Paseo del Club Deportivo, Building No.1, Pozuelo de Alarcón). See parking info here.
Participation is free of charge, a registration is required.
Agenda
| Morning session | |
| 9:30-10:00 | Registration |
| 10:00-10:15 | Welcome by Manuel Abellán, Paco Salcedo (President Microsoft Spain), Piedad Tolmos (URJC) |
| 10:15-10:45 | Eduardo Arandilla – Microsoft support program for StartUps Microsoft; Sonia Fernández – Getting VCs to say YES (Kibo Ventures) |
| 10:45-11:00 | From AI to personalised experiences, how Microsoft for startups can help scaling companies to grow by Elena González-Blanco |
| 11:00-11:40 | Coffee, networking |
| 11:40-12:00 | EdTech Overview by Manuel Abellán (Microsoft Spain) |
| 12:00-12:45 | Established EdTech’s companies experiences: Analytikus (Miguel Molina Cosculluela, CEO), Founderz (Pau García-Milá, co-CEO), TuringDream (Manuel Tarrasa, CTO – tbc) |
| 12:45-13:00 | The EdTech Roadmap to the Global Market: Actionable Go-to-Market and Product–Market Fit by Raúl Hernandez Jorge (Eiko Partners) |
| 13:00-15:00 | Lunch & networking (nearby restaurants at own expense) |
| Afternoon session | |
| 15:00-15:30 | EdTech’s Umbrella Introduction (Estonia-Liis Siiroja, Serbia-Dragana Malidžan Vinkić, Hungary) |
| 15:30- 17:00 | Panel discussion: Ugljesa Marjanovic drives, topic “Generative AI and its impact on EdTech companies” Panelists: Miguel Molina-Cosculluela, Elena González-Blanco, Pau García-Milá, Pablo García Kostrzewa, Eva-Maria Infanger |
*The agenda is subject to minor changes.
Meet the speakers
Manuel Abellán
Manuel Abellán is currently director for universities at Microsoft Spain. Manuel has over 25 years of professional experience working in technology companies such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Alcatel-Lucent. For the last 16 years, he has been dedicated to the public sector and education. Manuel holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and an Executive MBA from IESE Business School.
Paco Salcedo
Paco Salcedo has been president of Microsoft Spain since January 2025, where he leads a team of professionals committed to helping Spanish companies and public entities in their digital transformation strategies, and promoting Spain’s transition towards an Artificial Intelligence Economy based on responsible and sustainable innovation.
With a career of more than 25 years in the ICT industry, Salcedo has extensive global experience in digital services innovation, disruptive business models and growth strategies, combined with a strong technical, commercial, financial, business leadership and marketing background.
Prior to joining the Spanish subsidiary, Paco Salcedo held the position of General Manager of the Large Companies division of Microsoft CEMA (Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa). Previously, the executive was Senior Vice President of Etisalat Digital (a division of Emirati telecommunications operator Etisalat), where he led an organization focused on driving the digital transformation of companies and public administrations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In Spain, Paco held different management positions at Telefónica for 15 years, including Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Telefónica Soluciones, working with clients in Spain, Latin America and Europe.
Paco Salcedo holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, an MBA from INSEAD / Euroforum and a Master in Space Communication Systems from the École Nationales de Télécommunication in Paris. Throughout his career, he has served on the executive boards of several startups, including cybersecurity company Help AG as CEO, and system integrator Smart World.
Eduardo Arandilla
Helping organizations accelerate their digital transformation through cloud innovation.
With over a decade of international experience, Eduardo Arandilla has worked with multinational companies and leading clients across sectors such as telecommunications, banking, and public services. After several years supporting digital initiatives in Spain, he embraced a new professional challenge in Ireland, contributing to global tech environments and scaling cloud-based solutions.
Eduardo combines a strong technical foundation with a customer-centric mindset, helping startups and independent software vendors grow through strategic cloud adoption. His journey includes mentoring roles in academic and entrepreneurial ecosystems, where he shares insights on digital innovation and AI.
He holds a Diploma in Digital Business from the Irish Management Institute and pursued advanced studies in Human-Computer Interaction at Lund University. Passionate about education, sustainability, and emerging technologies, Eduardo thrives on building meaningful partnerships that drive impact.
Sonia Fernández
Sonia Fernández has over 20 years of experience leading digital businesses. She joined Kibo in 2016 and has since invested in different verticals ranging from edtech, health tech, AI, media and mobility. Sonia currently sits on the boards of Qida, Innovamat, Odilo, Acurable, Evernest, Pandago, Green Eagle and Tappx.
Sonia has extensive experience in the digital sector having founded and led digital businesses such as MercadoLibre, Match.com or Specific Media/Vindico in Spain. Sonia started her career in investment banking at Lehman Brothers in London and New York and also worked in private equity at 3i in Madrid.
Sonia holds a BA degree in Business from ICADE (Spain) and an MBA from Stanford University. Sonia has published two books on networking and social networks, was awarded the Stanford Associate Award (limited to 2,700 alumni worldwide), and is currently VP of the Stanford Alumni Association in Spain. Sonia is the chair of Level20 Spain and is member of the International Women Forum group.
Elena González-Blanco
Elena González-Blanco is the Head of Artificial Intelligence & Data for Digital Natives (Startups & Unicorns) at Microsoft for EMEA. Previously, she was the Co-Founder and CEO of Clibrain, a generative AI startup specializing in the creation of large language models tailored to the Spanish-speaking community. She is also an Independent Board Member at Traxion and formerly served as an Independent Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee at LLYC, as well as a member of the Advisory Board to the CEO of Astara, part of the M&A fund Albia Capital.
Earlier in her career, Elena was Global Head of Digital for Wealth Management and Insurance at Banco Santander (EVP), General Manager for Europe at CoverWallet—an insurtech startup acquired by Aon in January 2020—and a member of the Aon Iberia Executive Committee. Prior to that, she led Artificial Intelligence Product Development at Minsait (Indra).
Elena is an expert in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, with a special focus on language technologies and international interdisciplinary projects. She holds a PhD from Universidad Complutense, a Master’s in Digital Information Systems from UC3M, and has completed executive programs at LSE London, MIT, and ESADE. A renowned international researcher, she has worked at Harvard University, King’s College London, UNAM, Bonn, and UNED. She is currently an Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence Applied to Business at IE Business School and also teaches at ICAI and AFI.
Fluent in English, French, German, and Italian, Elena has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Female Leaders in Spain (2016, 2017, 2018) and was awarded the Julián Marías Prize in 2017 for researchers under 40. She ranked #1 and #3 in the Choiseul “100 Economic Leaders for the Future of Spain” (2018, 2019), was named among the #40under40 Insurance Leaders in Spain (2020), and received the 2021 WIDS Prize for Women in Machine Learning and Data Science. She is the mother of four children.
Pau García-Milá
Pau García-Milá is a serial entrepreneur, born in Barcelona in 1987. He founded his first company at the age of 18, which was later acquired by Telefónica. He was named Innovator of the Year in 2011 by MIT’s TR-35 publication and is a recipient of the FPdGI Princess of Girona Award.
Pau is also the founder of Ideafoster, a consultancy specialising in disruptive innovation that was acquired in 2018 by Canvia (part of Advent International), and of Founderz, an online business school and Microsoft Worldwide AI Training Partner.
Manuel Tarrasa
Manuel Tarrasa is Global Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer (CIO & CTO) at TURING DREAM, a leading company in artificial intelligence. With over 30 years of experience across both public and private sectors, Manuel has driven large-scale digital transformation initiatives in multinational corporations and government institutions.
He holds a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a Master of Laws, awarded with distinction. His career spans leadership roles such as CIO & CTO at Prosegur, where he oversaw the technology roadmap across 31 countries and 165,000 employees, and Director of Corporate Information Systems for the Madrid Regional Government, managing digital solutions for over 180,000 public employees.
In the private sector, Manuel served as VP of R&D at Meta4, co-founded Newknow Networks to develop AI-based software products, and founded AMPOLARIS, a consulting firm focused on artificial intelligence and digital transformation for venture capital firms.
Manuel is passionate about using technology creatively to generate sustainable growth and build a stronger, more resilient economy. Fluent in Spanish and English, he actively shares insights on innovation and emerging tech across professional networks and media platforms.
Miguel Molina-Cosculluela
Miguel Molina-Cosculluela has over 20 years of experience in advanced analytics and is the CEO and founder of Analytikus, a leading AI company specializing in higher education. Driven by a clear mission to empower educational institutions through analytics, machine learning, and AI solutions, Analytikus has emerged as a catalyst for innovation in Latin America. The company has received accolades such as the Global EdTech Startup Awards and has been repeatedly recognized by HolonIQ as one of the most innovative EdTech companies in the region.
Miguel is a strong advocate for educational personalization through technology, envisioning a future where every student can reach their fullest potential. His leadership has enabled Analytikus to develop platforms that help institutions personalize the student experience, identify at-risk students, tailor learning pathways, and prepare students for the job market by analyzing skill gaps.
Before founding Analytikus, Miguel held key roles at Intellego USA and World Climate Credit in Switzerland, where he contributed his expertise in information management and emerging technologies. He holds a degree in Information Systems Engineering from Tec de Monterrey, where he graduated with honors, and has completed studies in leadership and entrepreneurship at esteemed institutions such as the University of Essex in England, Berkeley in the United States, and IESE in Spain.
Fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian, Miguel is passionate about genealogy and currently resides in Spain.
Raúl Hernández Jorge
Raúl Hernández Jorge is an international expert in higher education and EdTech, with more than 28 years of experience across universities, business schools, technology companies, and educational platforms in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He has led restructurings, scale-ups, and internationalization as a CEO, C-level executive, and trusted advisor to educational institutions, multinationals, EdTech companies, investment funds, and European Commission projects.
He has operated in 30+ countries and within a network of 1,400+ universities, corporations, and investment funds. He is recognized for orchestrating channel and corporate alliances, designing effective university–industry–society engagement models, opening new markets, and accelerating innovation in EdTech by applying actionable go-to-market, international expansion, and product–market fit playbooks.
He supports startups and scaleups in investor readiness and access to funding, customer validation and segmentation, pricing and packaging strategy, the development of commercial partnerships, and the generation of enterprise pipeline with universities and large companies.
He currently leads EIKO PARTNERS, a firm through which he drives growth, innovation, and business development for the education and technology ecosystem, while also serving as a board advisor and strategic advisor on global projects.
He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), completed an advanced management program at IESE Business School, and pursued executive studies in digital transformation and innovation leadership at MIT.
Meet the EdTech’s Umbrella representatives
Dragana Malidžan Vinkić
Dragana Malidžan Vinkić is Project Manager in EdTech Center Western Balkans since 2022. She is a highly skilled professional with expertise in digital education and inclusion. With a focus on leveraging technology to drive positive change in education in Serbia.
Dragana has played a vital role in promoting inclusive education and digital accessibility in Serbia and region. She has collaborated with stakeholders and designed inclusive policy programs, including capacity building trainings and grants. She has also supported the implementation of assistive technology and digital inclusion solutions, ensuring that individuals with diverse needs can fully participate in educational opportunities. In her role as an Education Coordinator in Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of Serbia (2016-2021), Dragana has demonstrated a deep understanding of inclusive education and human capital development. She has collaborated closely with line ministries, government agencies, international organizations, and NGOs to design and manage inclusive policy and practice programs. She has also played a vital role in promoting digital accessibility solutions and assistive technology use, ensuring that individuals with diverse needs can fully participate in educational opportunities.
As an Associate for Inclusive Education in the Ministry of Education of Serbia (2015-2016), Dragana has contributed significantly to the implementation of legislation and policies promoting social inclusion. She has supported the Ministry of Education in coordinating and implementing inclusive education policies, especially policies regarding digital inclusion,with a focus on continuous improvement at all levels of education.
In addition, Dragana has actively contributed to the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (2018-2021) as the National Coordinator for Serbia, driving project coordination and increasing the visibility of EASNIE’s work. She has also been involved in the development of conference programs, specifically focusing on inclusive education, and advocating for the use of new technologies to engage all students.
Dragana combines her extensive digital competence with a strong dedication to promoting inclusive education and positive change. She holds relevant educational qualifications or certifications, continuously staying up to date with the latest advancements in digital education. With a problem-solving mindset and a passion for leveraging technology, Dragana is an asset in driving digital transformation and fostering inclusive learning environments.
Liis Siiroja
Liis Siiroja is a co-founder and CEO of KideoCall. KideoCall is helping expat families to develop kids’ native language and cultural connection via online playgroups.
Liis has a strong background in communications, but has always been attracted by education. Prior to founding KideoCall, she served as the communications manager of the educational program Tagasi Kooli (Back to School) and helped to introduce the world of work to students. As an active member of the Estonian Montessori Association, she advocates for interest-based learning and self-education with guidance.
At EdTech Estonia, Liis focuses on subjects related to language learning.
Meet the panelists
Miguel Molina-Cosculluela
Miguel Molina-Cosculluela see his bio above.
Elena González-Blanco
Elena González-Blanco see her bio above.
Pau García-Milá
Pau García-Milá see his bio above.
Pablo García Kostrzewa
Pablo García Kostrzewa, Founder and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of DigitalCube.AI, where he spearheads the development of AI-powered cloud solutions and workflow automation. With over 20 years of experience at innovative companies like GitLab, UiPath, Apptio, Oracle, and Dell|EMC, Pablo merges deep technical expertise with strategic commercial leadership to drive predictable growth and operational efficiency in large organizations.
He specializes in applying these technologies to the education sector to optimize the student lifecycle and academic operations. Fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and after living in Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Dublin, and Malaga, he is now based in Madrid.
Eva-Maria Infanger
As the founder of MatheArena, Eva-Maria Infanger combines her background as a mathematics and theology teacher with academic expertise, including a Ph.D. from the Linz School of Education in adaptive learning for mathematics education. Her journey is driven by a passion for social innovation in education and promoting equity in learning opportunities.
What began in 2014 as a spare-time project—a mathematics learning app—has grown into a platform with over 150,000 downloads. Incredible milestones like this inspired Eva-Maria and her co-founder, Gerald, to officially establish MatheArena GmbH in 2021. Together, they’ve built the application, an international community and local partnerships with Austria’s largest schoolbook publisher. Now, the idea is expanding globally with translations by local researchers and teachers into English, Indonesian, Turkish or Portugese.
People’s belief in MatheArena’s vision motivates her to keep bridging educational gaps and fostering greater equity in learning. Together, we can make change in education happen!
Ugljesa Marjanovic
Host of the panel discussion
Ugljesa Marjanovic is an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Novi Sad. Ugljesa has earned his PhD degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. He was a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering at the City University London. Ugljesa held visiting posts at Bloomsburg University, Penn State University, and helped set up the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia. He has also been an Adviser to the Minister of Innovation at the Government of Serbia. Developed numerous policy recommendations and reports in digital education. His research, teaching, and advisory activities are at the intersection of innovation, digital education, and industrial engineering. His preferred research methods are field surveys, interviews, and observations, as well as multivariate statistical analysis. Ugljesa’s research has been published in well-established academic journals, Information and Management, Information Systems and e-Business Management, Advances in Production Engineering and Management. He is an Editor-in-Chief for the International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management and a full member of IFIP WG5.7. He led numerous national and international projects and provided several consultancies, such as EC, ETF, JRC, USAID, UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank, Microsoft, ERI SEE, PwC. Ugljesa was also a branch manager at Tangled – a startup offering state-of-the-art AI solutions..
Janika Leoste
Moderator
Janika Leoste, a PhD in Educational Sciences and a M.Sc. in Economics and Finance, is an Associate Professor of Educational Robotics at Tallinn University and an Assistant Professor of IT Didactics at Tallinn University of Technology.
Her research focuses on educational robotics, STEAM education, educational innovation, hybrid and blended learning, AI in teaching and learning, and IT didactics. She has published 60 scholarly articles, including in Frontiers or Francis & Taylor.
Since 2019 she is teaching at university, including robot-integrated learning and project based learning projects. She has supervised 12 MA students and has 6 PhD students under supervision.
Janika’s previous experience includes developing accounting software and web-based games, producing cartoons and teaching robotics.
Janika has successfully applied for research funding from many national and international sources, including the EU’s Horizon Europe – for example, one of her projects is an ERA Talents project EdTech Talents.
