Carlota Grau Calzada is a 23-year-old Barcelona native. Patricia Gil Olloquiegui, 24, is from Valladolid. Both are preparing for their final exams as they complete their double degrees at the University of Navarra’s School of Economics and Business Administration. Each has participated in two exchanges, in Canada and China, and both began the degree program on the same day, in the preliminary course offered by the School to brush up on basic concepts before the start of the hectic Bologna schedule. Since then, they have followed the same path as the rest of their class. However, each has an extra line on her résumé highlighting her off-campus business ventures.

Carlota has created a business and a product called Protect Your Smile, a lens cover for computer webcams. “It’s an attractive product made of wood that can be personalized,” she explains. The full story is available on the website, www.pysmile.com, but the abridged version begins with the University’s Entrepreneurs’ Club:

“I was waking up from a nap when I had the idea. I always used to put a Post-It note over the camera in case hackers tried to access it, and it just didn’t look very nice. I mentioned it to a classmate, and we realized that creating a solution wouldn’t require a very big investment. After conducting a small market survey at the university, we saw that people would be willing to buy the product we had in mind. My classmate is an architect, so he took the lead on the design. Then we recruited two more people to work on marketing and social media management. It took us a while, but we finally launched in March 2016. We started off with a Kickstarter campaign, and it worked out really well. We were shooting for €1,000, and we got €4,000. They’re buying our product in China, Australia, the United States — all over the world — at €4 a unit, plus €1 for shipping. Now we’re trying to figure out whether we should keep this a little university venture or try to turn it into something bigger."

Patricia’s story is a bit different. After launching an unsuccessful business that exported Rioja wine to Tanzania — “I chose wine because it’s a family tradition,” she said — she still couldn’t shake the idea of starting her own business. She had done a few internships at the Spanish embassy in Tanzania, thanks to an agreement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which led her to a new idea that did take off.

“I wanted to make the most of my time in the country, so I was looking for a way to go on safari. My friends and I realized that the only thing companies were offering were package deals — you couldn’t find anything personalized! So we jumped right in and started our own made-to-order safari business. We cater to clients who want a personal chef, so they can eat what they want, as well as backpackers and honeymooners. Anything you like, starting at €1,450 for 10 days. So far, it’s going really well! www.safarikaributanzania.com (“karibu” means “welcome” in Swahili).

What’s more, her experience in Africa left an imprint and her company is working in collaboration with MOMOI, a local NGO. “Now we’re starting an €80,000 project to bring potable water through a 15-kilometer stretch of Northern Tanzania. The local population has to walk great distances just to get drinking water and we think we’re in a good position to help them out,” she said.

However, both friends have no doubt that the best part of their University experience is the people they have met, the fellow members of their graduating class. “It’s about more than just getting a degree. Here, we have countless opportunities to figure out where our passions lie, like the Marketing and Sales Club, the Entrepreneurs’ Club, school events and the chance to intern in one of the School’s departments — to name just a few!”

For Patricia, the turning point was the IESE Program. “It helps you learn how to think things through, to tackle challenges and find solutions, and to address much more practical subjects,” she said. “Understanding the case method is essential for finding work.”

Now these two friends have nothing left to do but take their final exams and enter the workforce. “Piece of cake!” they laugh. “It can be rough going. There’s a lot of rejection and a lot of pressure. We’ve been job hunting since September, but we’re still sticking to last year’s graduates’ advice: dream big, don’t get discouraged and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”