King Felipe VI presides over the opening ceremony of the ‘Talent tour’ in Madrid, which promotes young talent and emotional well-being
- Inspiring stories, transforming talents
- Connecting Ibero-American talent: inspiration, art and social commitment
- Music as an educational and emotional tool
- Announcement of the Princess of Girona International Award
- Talent, purpose and innovation with an Ibero-American accent
- CEO & Leadership Talks – Stories that inspire, talent that transforms
- Connecting young entrepreneurs and companies
- A week to activate talent
- Collaborators and partnerships
Around 700 attendees, most of them young people, took part in the ‘Princesa de Girona CongresFest’, the opening ceremony of the ‘Tour del talento 2025’ in Móstoles, held at the Teatro del Bosque. The event focused on the connection with Ibero-American talent and was hosted by journalists María Gracia and Fernando López.
His Majesty King Felipe VI, accompanied by Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities; Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid; Manuel Bautista Monjón, Mayor of Móstoles; Abraham Duarte, Rector of the Rey Juan Carlos University, and Francisco Belil, President of the Princess of Girona Foundation, among other authorities and patrons, presided over this emblematic event that turned Móstoles into the epicentre of inspiration, innovation and youth entrepreneurship. The event was organised by the Princess of Girona Foundation, with TRIVU as a strategic partner, together with the Móstoles City Council and the collaboration of Radisson Hotels Group, Cinesa and Móstoles Desarrollo.
Inspiring stories, transforming talents
As part of CongresFest, the Rey Juan Carlos University hosted Princesa de Girona INSPIRA, a session led by Íngrid Aznar, director of the Princess of Girona Awards, which brought together four previous award winners - leaders in fields such as technology, education, art, social innovation and entrepreneurship - to share their stories of overcoming adversity, innovation and commitment with the aim of inspiring new generations.
His Majesty the King was present during the presentation ‘The Pulse of Youth’ by Sergio Álvarez Leiva, co-founder of Carto, Tinybird and General Partner at Kfund and winner of the 2016 Princess of Girona CreaEmpresa Award, who has revolutionised the way geospatial data is interpreted, facilitating more visual and intelligent decisions in both companies and public administrations. After leading innovation projects in companies such as Zara, he talked about how he promotes start-ups from the world of venture capital, contributing strategic vision and creativity. His Majesty the King was present during his presentation ‘The Pulse of Youth’.
The conference also featured Begoña Arana, director and founder of Nuevo Hogar Betania, an association that helps anyone in a situation of social exclusion, who shared her experience providing psychosocial support to children, teenagers and families affected by the Dana storm, and her work within the framework of the Intervention Plan for Young People in Valencia. Another inspiring story came from Guillermo Martínez, winner of the 2020 Princess of Girona Social Award, engineer and founder of Ayúdame3D, an innovative company that develops 3D prostheses and has already reached more than 60 countries. Actress Victoria Luengo, winner of the 2024 Princess of Girona Award for Art, also shared her professional career in film, theatre and television. Nominated for the Goya Awards and winner of the Ondas and Gaudí Awards, Victoria spoke about the process of building characters through sensitivity, commitment and depth.
The icing on the cake of this inspiring session was provided by Soleá Morente, winner of the 2018 Princess of Girona Award for the Arts, who delighted the audience with a musical performance.
It was a session full of inspiration, young talent and perspectives that encouraged young people to think, feel and act.
Connecting Ibero-American talent: inspiration, art and social commitment
Next, at the Teatro el Bosque, His Majesty the King presided over the Princess of Girona CongresFest, which focused on the connection with Ibero-American talent.
Yohania de Armas, Cuban entrepreneur, founding partner and director of Conecta Iberoamérica, interviewed Yarivith González, chemical researcher and winner of the 2024 Princess of Girona International Research Award, who explained the opportunity that the award has represented.
As examples of talent originating in the countries of the Iberian and Latin American community with a global impact, Martín Umarán, co-founder of Globant —a technology company founded in Argentina in 2003, specialising in software development, artificial intelligence and digital transformation— and current president for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa); and Ian Bogado, Argentine entrepreneur and CEO of Uali, a start-up founded in 2018 that combines robotics, artificial intelligence and IoT (Internet of Things) to offer monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions in the energy sector, spoke about their careers in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Music as an educational and emotional tool
Yohania de Armas continued the evening by highlighting the Princess of Girona Foundation's commitment to young people in Valencia affected by the Dana storm through the Special Intervention Plan for Young People in Valencia, welcoming the San Antonio de Padua I Diocesan School in Catarroja, which was invited to CongresFest as part of this initiative. During her speech, she presented the ‘VocesxValencia’ project, a collaborative initiative in which young participants in the Talent Tour have sent messages that will serve as inspiration for the creation of a collective song together with Maestro Julio Reyes Copello, ambassador of the Foundation and renowned music producer - with 3 Grammy and 8 Latin Grammy awards to his name - who shared with the audience how the creative process is progressing. She also explained how the AmplificARTE programme, in collaboration with Art House Academy, founded by Copello himself, uses art and urban music to promote the personal and emotional development of teenagers. In addition, the Teatro del Bosque stage hosted a musical performance by Anna Sofía, a member of the programme, who performed her song 'Gracias' as a showcase of the talent of the participants.
Music took centre stage once again with a performance by the duo Joma, participants in the 'Art Generation' programme, a Foundation programme that uses music as a cross-disciplinary discipline and tool for working on the personal development and emotional well-being of young people.
Announcement of the Princess of Girona International Award
As part of CongresFest, the winners of the 2025 Princess of Girona International Award were announced in the CreaEmpresa and Research categories, which recognise young global leaders with social impact and a transformative vocation. Valentina Agudelo Vargas, in the CreaEmpresa category, was awarded for leading an innovative technological solution that responds to one of the most pressing challenges in Latin America: limited access to healthcare services in vulnerable communities. Through a portable device powered by artificial intelligence, Valentina has demonstrated that when women cannot access medical tests, the tests can—and must—come to them. Her venture, Salva Health, is an initiative that integrates social purpose, business viability and high expansion potential, with a real capacity to transform lives in contexts where the healthcare system is lacking.
Alongside her, Gabriela Asturias Ruiz has been recognised in the Research category for combining science, public health and technology with an applied, inclusive and social impact-focused approach. Her ALMA project has benefited more than 3 million Guatemalans and is currently expanding. Her career combines scientific innovation, the use of artificial intelligence and a clear commitment to democratising access to healthcare services. All this makes her an award-winning, unstoppable leader who perfectly embodies the values of the Princess of Girona Award as an international ambassador.
After the winners in both categories were announced, journalist Julio Somoano held a talk with the new award winners, where he was able to delve deeper into their concerns and goals.
Talent, purpose and innovation with an Ibero-American accent
CongresFest brought together leaders from different fields who share the same purpose: to inspire, transform and mobilise young talent. One of the highlights was the speech by Álvaro Neil, known as Biciclown, a former lawyer and artist who radically changed his life to travel the world by bicycle for more than thirteen years. Through his charity clown shows in more than 70 countries, he has brought joy to disadvantaged communities and gained a wealth of life experience that he now shares as an international speaker. His message about resilience, purpose and the courage to live outside the box aims to move and inspire attendees.
Journalist and political analyst Julio Somoano, currently director of news content at RTVE, offered his critical and constructive view on the challenges of communication in today's society, media ethics and the impact of information on public opinion.
The conference also addressed technological advances with a section dedicated to artificial intelligence, featuring Pau García-Milà, winner of the 2010 Princess of Girona CreaEmpresa Award and one of the most renowned experts on this technology. In his talk, he presented ‘Ready, Set, AI’, a training programme promoted by the Princess of Girona Foundation together with Microsoft and Founderz, which aims to train 200,000 young people in key digital skills. The course promotes the responsible use of AI and introduces essential skills such as prompt engineering.
Finally, sport and the values that surround it played a leading role in the Ecuación Talento activity, which showed how discipline, effort and self-improvement can be transferred to any area of life. Two elite athletes with roots in Móstoles took part: Olympic athlete Diana Martín, who specialises in the 3000-metre steeplechase and is a European medallist, and Paralympic swimmer José Ramón Cantero Elvira, a recent bronze medallist at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Their careers, marked by perseverance and commitment, are an inspiring testimony for the younger generation.
CEO & Leadership Talks – Stories that inspire, talent that transforms
The Rey Juan Carlos University also hosted the CEO & Leadership Talks session, a dynamic format of short interviews in which senior executives shared their professional experience, the challenges they have faced on their path to leadership and their vision of talent in today's business environment.
Among the speakers, Jacobo San Nicolás, SVP Global Head of Design and Technical at Radisson Hotel Group, stood out for his presentation on how he has led the company's international expansion by strengthening its commitment to sustainability and talent development. Next, Verónica Pascual, president of the ASTI Foundation and a leading figure in digital transformation, emphasised the importance of promoting STEM vocations and creating real opportunities for young people.
Next, Sonia Marzo, Director of National Capabilities in Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft Spain, analysed the impact of AI on the future of work and the most in-demand professional profiles. Finally, Ignacio Rodríguez-Solano, Director of the Renault Group Spain Foundation, closed the discussion by talking about the role of companies in promoting young talent and sustainable mobility.
Connecting young entrepreneurs and companies
With the aim of boosting young people's professional careers, the afternoon will feature the session ‘Investors with a Purpose’, an event in which young entrepreneurs will present their business initiatives to potential investors and strategic allies, as well as to companies, venture capital funds and philanthropists committed to positive impact. During the day, five investable initiatives and five seed projects will be presented, focusing on areas such as health, inclusive sport, education, physical and emotional well-being, agriculture and sustainability. The session will also feature an inspiring talk by Pablo Fernández, founder and CEO of Clidrive.
Among the 10 initiatives presented, those that are selected will receive mentoring and a grant for the Fast MBA online programme at the Institute for Advanced Entrepreneurship.
This initiative is part of ‘Purpose Generation’, a programme run by the Princess of Girona Foundation that aims to support young people in promoting projects that generate a positive social impact through group skills development and networking activities.
A week to activate talent
During the week of the Talent Tour in Madrid, more than 40 activities will be held, mobilising young people, educational centres and social entities around entrepreneurship, creativity, emotional well-being and commitment to society.
Collaborators and partnerships
The 2025 Talent Tour is made possible thanks to the strategic alliance between the Princess of Girona Foundation and TRIVU, and the collaboration of Davante, MasterD, Medac, Microsoft, Norvento Enerxía, the Renault Group Spain Foundation and the Banco Sabadell Foundation.
The Talent Tour in Móstoles is organised in conjunction with the Móstoles City Council and with the collaboration of Radisson Hotels Group, Cinesa and Móstoles Desarrollo. The supporting organisations are the Madrid Cycling Federation, the Ciudad de Móstoles Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, CD El Pelotón, CIFP Simone Ortega, the Coordinator of Regional Houses in Móstoles, the Davante Foundation, Play4Life, IES Felipe Trigo, Rey Juan Carlos University – Móstoles Campus, the Moeve Foundation, CaixaForum Madrid, the Andrés Torrejón House Museum, Villa de Móstoles Cultural Centre – Sala del Reloj, CIFP Simone Ortega, Congress of Deputies, Móstoles Municipal Archive, Botín Foundation, Davante Foundation, Davante (MEDAC) Móstoles, Globant Madrid, IES Felipe Trigo (Móstoles), City Museum, El Soto Socio-Cultural Centre Theatre, El Bosque Theatre, Móstoles Municipal Band – La Estrella.
