Raquel is an Alumni of the Master’s Degree in Automotive Engineering, while Esther completed her studies in Tourism and Advertising & Public Relations. Both from Universidad Europea de Madrid. Today, together with their team, they will tell us about their sports app SportDone.
Please tell us when you studied and which faculty and campus you were at. How was your journey after completing your studies at Universidad Europea until the creation of your project?
(Raquel) I studied the Master’s Degree in Automotive Engineering in 2018-2019 in the Faculty of Engineering at the Villaviciosa de Odón Campus.
Since finishing my studies at Universidad Europea, my journey has been diverse. I have been working in consultancy and data analysis in large multinational firms such as EY and Quironsalud. I’ve learned a lot working at these firms. I’ve been lucky to work with important people who have taught me a lot. Entering the working world generally isn’t easy, and doing it at one of the Big Four was, of course, a challenge. After that stage and having learned a lot, I decided to form a team and launch a sports-related project, a project I consider disruptive in the world of sports.
(Esther) At Universidad Europea I studied 2 undergraduate degrees, both at Villaviciosa de Odón Campus, Urb. El Bosque. The first was in the Faculty of Tourism from 1997 to 2000, which was the year I graduated.
The second degree was in the Faculty of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations from 2000 to 2003.
After finishing my studies at UE, I was able to find a job immediately and use my acquired knowledge and gradually build up my experience to pursue the following career:
I was head of advertising in the department of communication at a travel agency in Madrid, which allowed me to gain my first professional experience and fine-tune both general and direct marketing strategies. Then I was director of marketing and advertising for the brand BELSON. Thanks to the international expansion of the brand, I was able to work on all aspects of marketing required by a consumer electronics and TV brand, adapting the strategy to each country and culture in their language. I was then offered a position as director of marketing and advertising at THOMSON Spain. I had the opportunity to work on expanding the brand’s white goods range and smartphone range. Now, I am head of the department of communication and marketing at SPORTDONE, a company that began as a start-up in the sporting world in Madrid, which is expanding across all of EUROPE, USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, ASIA and LATIN AMERICA.
Tell us a little more about your work. What do you enjoy the most? What challenges do you face on the daily? Do you have an anecdote you would like to share?
(Raquel) Currently, within the department of communication, I am in charge of information, analysis and marketing strategies, as well as relations with partners and sponsors.
What I like most about SportDone is that it is a company with direct links to the sporting world. I am very much in favour of health and wellness-related apps/startups as I have always been a person who tries to make time every day to take care of myself and do some sport.
In my day-to-day work I face many challenges. Entrepreneurship is not easy and you have to be willing to give your all every day when you wake up. I would say that one of the main challenges for an entrepreneur is that you have to learn a lot about different topics in very little time.
I have so many anecdotes I could tell because with this kind of project you don’t fall into a routine very easily. There is one particular anecdote that represents the great energy and enthusiasm we have within the team:
In our process of obtaining funding in recent months, we had a meeting with a well-known person from the United States. Because of the time difference, we had to make a 2-hour call at around 9pm so that he could connect but, despite disrupting our schedule a little, it was not a problem for any of us. It was actually an honour for us that he dedicated that time to us and there we were, the whole team connected via the screens we needed to have everything under control, because a certain look, gesture or a single word can get you different responses in these sorts of processes.
(Esther) My current work is so exciting, since at SportDone, the marketing and communication goals are huge and have repercussions on a global scale. SPORTDONE is a networking business with various important elements:
What I like most about this job is how diverse it is, with work in direct marketing, traditional advertising and on social media in these 3 business areas.
As I mentioned, SportDone is available internationally in 6 languages, and the greatest challenge we have is to understand the cultures that exist across 5 different continents, in order to adapt our range and communication to attract customers.
Why do you think your project is important? What impact could it have on other people?
(Raquel)I think SportDone will represent a before and an after in our lives. The pandemic has changed certain aspects of our lives. We now prefer to do sport outdoors rather than sharing a small room with other people, we like to socialise with other people and even meet new people. SportDone offers the perfect solution that combines these two aspects.
The impact that SportDone could have would be huge, since there is nothing like it on the market. We believe that people will not only use our app to play the sport they love when and where they want, but they will also use it to meet other people with similar tastes to their own.
(Esther) This project is, without a doubt, the most important one that I have taken part in during my professional career. It is a project that brings people and whole communities together as opposed to dividing them. Sport on a global level has that power of socialisation that has no language or cultural barrier. Sport unites people, and the hard work involved means lots of friendships are created.
In short, if I had to define SportDone, I would say it’s a social network for sports where you have to socialise by going to meet-ups with other people without any preconceptions. It has both a physical and psychological impact on people, since it promotes people meeting up to do physical activity, thereby leaving behind the sedentary lifestyle that came about during and after the pandemic.
Why did you choose Universidad Europea? What values and characteristics do you think it has that have contributed to your professional development?
(Raquel) I chose Universidad Europea for several reasons, for its variety of opportunities and schedules, for its prestige among Spanish universities and for its impressive facilities.
From Universidad Europea I have adopted values such as an entrepreneurial and non-conformist spirit, the outlook of someone who fights to achieve their dreams and, above all, professionalism and commitment in any job.
(Esther) The first reason was because I am from the Canary Islands and I wanted to study on the mainland at a university that offered international-level studies. Also, UE offered me on-campus accommodation, which made integrating easier in terms of social life and logistics.
The first thing to highlight about UE is its campus. It was amazing to be able to study surrounded by nature every day, and to be able to enjoy a wide variety of sports facilities, contributing to both my intellectual and physical development: “Mens sana in corpore sano”. Another thing I liked the most was being able to study in small groups, meaning there was proximity between professors and students. This proximity helps you to prepare for your final degree project, set yourself straight and enter the working world with your best foot forward.
What is your best memory from Universidad Europea?
(Raquel) The best memory I have of the University is the day I presented my master's thesis, a project to which I dedicated several months and in which I applied much of the knowledge I learned during the master’s degree. The day of the presentation of this type of work is a really important day, where you have to stand in front of professors, examiners and family members to present the work you have dedicated yourself to during the last months, bringing an end to one of the most important stages of life, that of a student.
I also have a special fond memory of each and every one of the professors I had. All of them were very professional and at the same time very warm, and I learned something from each one of them.
(Esther) My best memory was undoubtedly my life in the student residence. I met so many people studying different degrees from all over the world. I made so many friends thanks to those years studying. But to be honest, my best memories are of the fun parties organised by students.
What advice would you give to those who have just finished their studies and are now going out into the working world?
(Raquel) I would advise them to keep an open mind because their life is going to change. They will have to learn a new meaning of the words “responsibility” and “commitment”. Although many already apply these two words to their day-to-day university career, entering the professional world is a major change and, although there are lots of good sides to it, such as starting to be more independent, you also have other types of responsibilities.
Since I was a child I was told “make the most of your time at university because it is the most beautiful time of your life” and it’s true, even years after leaving university I totally agree with that statement.
(Esther) It’s really difficult to give advice, because everyone studies at their own pace and aims for the career paths and companies that most attract them.
But I can say that you have to prepare yourself for the working world from the first year of your degree, because university life and business life are very different. Nobody really prepares you for that, which is why I would advise doing all the internships you possibly can at the companies you like the most, to understand the day-to-day work of an SME or large company.
Also, when you are looking for your first job, it is not the same for a student who has done internships and scholarships at a company, who has that initial experience and training, as it is for one who has to start from scratch.
Why could SPORTDONE be useful at UE?
SportDone is a social network for sports. It is important for students to socialise with each other and for different faculties to do exchanges. SportDone offers you the perfect tool for organising matches and challenges in any sport. You just need to download the APP to use all its features, including the chat feature (like WhatsApp) and a profile to allow you to upload photos and videos of your meet-ups.
SportDone has no limits: so it will be fun to organise matches between students and professors in order to break the barriers that we put up for ourselves.
Also, with the help of management at UE, we will suggest hosting several meet-ups and events on campus with brands and professionals where possible.