• Karim Rebeiz (18), an IE University student, was awarded first place of the first edition of the MEC with his project F925, a clothes brand inspired by entrepreneurship, which already has a TikTok account with a community of more than 250,000 followers. The prize included 3000 euros in seed funding and 6 months of mentorship with Tech2Impact.

• Jonas Tellander (cofounder of Storytel), Linda Höglund (CFO Job&Talent, ex-Goldman Sachs and Klarna), and Andreas Mihalovits (Global Super Angels Club, 180+ startup investments) evaluated the projects with the same judgment that they would apply in a real investment round

• Based on references such as Shark Tank, Junior Achievement, and DECA of EE.UU, The Pool of Talents is unique in the Spanish business-education landscape: an ecosystem founded by and for students that connects the classroom and the business world with international standards.

MARBELLA, 11th of April 2026- What until now has only existed in Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York has just touched down in the Costa del Sol. The Pool of Talents, the first student-led initiative that connects young people from Marbella with the real business world, celebrated its official launch this Saturday with the first edition of the Marbella Youth Entrepreneurship Cup (MEC), an unprecedented entrepreneurship competition in Spain that puts students aged 16 to 21 in front of real investors to defend their business projects in three minutes.

The event, held in The Pool Marbella- located on the first floor of El Corte Inglés El Capricho- brought together more than a hundred attendees, including entrepreneurs, representatives from the education sector, international investors, and families. The event also featured the presence of Vanessa Ortiz de Zárate Galeras, councillor for the Nueva Andalucía district in the Marbella City Council, who has supported the initiative since its early stages.

A MODEL THAT COMES FROM AMERICA

The Pool of Talents draws directly from the Anglo-Saxon entrepreneurial culture. Its format combines the philosophy of the popular TV show Shark Tank- adapted in Spain as Diners- with the youth talent acceleration model promoted by organisations such as Junior Achievement, DECA, and Y Combinator in the United States. In this context, the competition is not just a contest: it is a high-demand environment in which participants receive real mentorship, face tough questions, and present before a panel of investors that makes no concessions. 

The initiative was born in February 2024, by two students in Marbella, Carlota Pulido and Yuval Arbel, who, when trying to find internships in their area, encountered a complete lack of opportunities for young people despite the more than 24 international schools present in the area. Their response was to create an ecosystem that did not exist. 

“We are creating opportunities so that students are able to step out of the classroom and enter the real world where they can find their feet. Conventional education is no longer designed for the speed and complexity of today’s world. The Pool of Talents is the answer to this gap”, said Shahrzad Rostamian, CEO of The Pool of Talents.

THE GRAND FINAL: EIGHT TEAMS, THREE MINUTES, ONE WINNER

After weeks of mentoring and preparation, eight finalist teams took to the Pool Marbella stage to present their business projects before a demanding jury of three figures of international reference:

• Jonas Tellander, co-founder of Storytel, the main audiobook platform in Europe with more than 2.5 million subscribers and available in more than 40 languages.
• Linda Höglund, CFO of Job&Talent, with experience at Goldman Sachs, Klarna, and Electronic Arts.
• Andreas Mihalovits, co-founder of Global Super Angels Club and founder of Marbella Tech Angels, with more than 180 startup investments in his portfolio. 

Each team was given exactly three minutes to present their idea, followed by a tough round of questions from the jury. The evaluation criteria (innovations, market potential, team capability, and ability to respond under pressure) replicated the standards of any real investment process. 

Karim Rebeiz (18), IE University student, was awarded first place of the first edition of the MEC, which included 3000 euros of seed funding and six months of mentorship through the Tech2Impact Edge program, an accelerator with a global network of more than 1000 innovators present across 60 countries. His project, F925, a fashion brand inspired by entrepreneurship, also stands out for its digital traction, with a community of more than 250,000 followers on TikTok.

Second place went to StyleBot, developed by Naiya Belén, Tedde Van Den Berg y Ainara Miqueo Olavarría (17), Atlas American School of Malaga students. Their proposal: an AI-powered styling app that allows users to optimize their wardrobes using clothes they already own, aligning with new, more sustainable, and more efficient consumption trends.

MORE THAN A COMPETITION: THE LAUNCH OF AN ECOSYSTEM

While the MEC marked the official launch of The Pool of Talents as an organisation, the initiative has in fact been active in Marbella for over a year with a model that goes far beyond one-off events. The platform is built on three pillars: potential, preparation, and opportunity. It offers both public programs open to all students – such as workshops, case competitions, and the MEC – as well as exclusive opportunities for partner schools, including internships, company visits, mentorship access, and a yearly schedule of activities.

Their academic partners include IE University and Marbella International University Centre (MIUC), as well as leading schools such as The British International School of Marbella and EiC. On the corporate side, the event was supported by Cuatrecasas, a leading law firm with more than 100 years of history, Saboris, a catering company committed to healthy nutrition in educational and corporate settings, and The Pool Marbella, which provided both the venue and access to its entrepreneurial community. 

“The Pool of Talents is the infrastructure that Marbella needs to connect young talent with the real world. We have built a model that works because it is designed by students and for students, with the rigor and standards that today’s market demands,” said Carlos Bazaco Cruces, COO of The Pool of Talents, during the event. 

FIRST IN SPAIN, A BENCHMARK IN EUROPE

The Pool of Talents positions itself as the first non-profit community-based initiative of these characteristics in Spain: an ecosystem that develops young talent founded by students with an association-based structure that integrates the logic of the American business world- pitching before investors, acceleration mentorship, multi-sector exposure- within the educational environment of the Costa del Sol.

With more than 24 international schools in Marbella and a high-income community with a global profile, the city offers unique conditions for this model to scale. The founders are already working on expanding their programs for the next academic year, with new university and corporate partnerships on the horizon.

ABOUT THE POOL OF TALENTS

The Pool of Talents is an association founded in February 2024 by students Carlota Pulido and Yuval Arbel with the aim of connecting young people between the ages of 16 and 21 with real corporate experience. It operates as a non-profit organisation and collaborates with universities, international schools, and business leaders in the region to offer internships, competitions, inspirational talks, and specialised mentoring. Their mission: to prepare high-potential young people for a world that conventional education is not designed to address. 

www.thepooloftalents.com

For more information:

La entrada Marbella promotes youth entrepreneurship with an American-style approach with the launch of The Pool of Talents se publicó primero en MN Comunicación.

The shopping centre reinforces its role as a multicultural meeting point with a new visual identity and business ecosystem with businesses from more than 20 sectors.

28% of the businesses in Centro Plaza are of Nordic origin, reflecting the consolidation of Northern Europe as a key player in the fabric of Marbella´s trade.

Marbella, 10th June 2025 – Centro Plaza celebrates its 35th anniversary as one of the social and economic powers of Nueva Andalusia. Established in 1990 as the first shopping centre in the area, it was a pioneer in combining leisure, retail and office spaces in a cosmopolitan and open environment, anticipating the needs of a destination now known as the “California of Southern Europe”.

The centre has more than 120 establishments from 21 different sectors, an occupancy rate of 98% and a business ecosystem with a strong international presence, where 28% of the businesses are of Nordic origin.

A history linked to the transformation of Marbella

Founded by Alfonso Fernandéz and Alberto Vidiella, Centro Plaza emerged as a response to the lack of businesses and services in an upmarket residential area, known as “Golf Valley”. From then on, it has been a part of the development of Nueva Andalusia and one of the symbols of the so-called “Marbella quality seal”, with open and luminous architecture by Javier Banús, designed as a “plaza overlooking the sea”.

These days it´s the fourth most characteristic shopping centre of its kind in the Málaga province and a living example of how commercial spaces can generate community, identity and economic development.

New image for a new chapter

“The 35th anniversary marks the start of a new chapter: the centre has renewed its corporate identity, transforming its iconic red “P” into a silhouette of its view and its circular border into a dot representing that the centre is an ideal meeting point for socialising, business or simply just to have a good time. This new image reinforces its spirit of being a connecting space for professionals, residents and visitors from all over the world”, explains Carlos García Perujo, manager of the Centro Plaza shopping centre.

“This anniversary is a celebration and a commitment to our community. Centro Plaza has grown alongside Nueva Andalusia and now we are preparing for the future with a more modern image, but one that is true to our essence: to be an open, human, dynamic and multicultural space”, highlights García Perujo.

Furthermore, as part of its roadmap to a new chapter, the first stage of Centro Plaza´s ambitious and extensive refurbishment will be launched this winter. The project includes a stark transformation of its entries, communal areas and general aesthetics, with the aim of modernising visitor experience and adapting the centre to comply with new standards of sustainability, accessibility and efficiency. This renovation aims to reinforce the centre´s role as an open and comfortable meeting spot for all audiences, and aligns with the natural evolution of a shopping centre that has been able to anticipate the needs of its environment. The project will preserve the original architectural essence of the Plaza, but will upgrade it with more sustainable materials and technical solutions, ensuring its continuity and success for the future.

An economic driving force and a multicultural platform

Centro Plaza has established itself as a true local economic and logistical hub. From its offices, various asset management companies and real estate agencies, operations across the Costa del Sol are boosted, generating direct and indirect employment through the recruitment of local professionals from a variety of sectors.

Its diversity of sectors, which ranges from a supermarket to law firms, a bank, a notary, gyms, fashion, technology or international restaurants, supports the centre´s multicultural character, reflecting Marbella´s global ecosystem, where businesses and clients from all over Europe coexist, with a particular presence of Nordic and Western European countries.

In addition, in the past few years, Centro Plaza has reinforced its role as an active promoter of social and economic development in Marbella by means of its solid Corporate Social Responsability (CSR) strategy. Through collaborations with local organisations, support for cultural and sporting events, and actions focused on sustainability and inclusivity, the centre has strengthened a trusting relationship with its clientele. This working philosophy is based on principles of mutual support, transparency and respect, and has been key in maintaining stable activity and a cohesive business community.

“Today Centro Plaza looks to the future with a clear roadmap, based on three fundamental pillars: renovation, sustainability and community, in order to continue being a reference point in the heart of Nueva Andalusia”, concludes the manager of the shopping centre.

A local emblem: the Saturday market

One of the most emblematic elements of Centro Plaza is its role as a host to the famous Puerto Banús street market every Saturday. This weekly event transforms the centre into a hive of activity with craft stalls, antiques and unique pieces, which are integrated with its terraces, shops and cafes, creating a vibrant experience where commerce, gastronomy and social life fuse together.

www.centroplaza.es

For more information, photos and interviews:

La entrada Centro Plaza celebrates its 35th anniversary with a new image and a comprehensive renovation project se publicó primero en MN Comunicación.

In person

You should keep a positive and friendly demeanour when communicating with your colleagues, specifically through your body language. Open and warm body language evokes more open and positive communication. This overall positivity will mean conversations are more affective as hostility can be distracting.

Online

As time goes on, lots of work places have switched and introduced more remote working. This means people are not always in the office and are therefore communicating more online or by phone. Although there is a lack of body language, it is still vital you remain positive friendly and professional at all times. It is also a necessity to reply to people as soon as you can to keep things moving and allowing for things to get done on time.

Among a team

Whether it is in person or online communication within a team, and not just one on one, can make or break a business. You must keep an open mind by listening to everyone and considering other ideas and opinions that differ to your own. Additionally, communicate your own ideas clearly and with confidence.

With a boss or as a boss

When communicating with a boss, one must remember to be open for criticism as that is how you learn and grow. As a boss, give your employers clear instructions and be supportive of their journey.

To conclude

As mentioned previously, good inter personal relationships ensure success within a company. To have good communication is to have good relationships where everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow, and work comfortably, allowing for great success within a business.

La entrada How to communicate well within a business se publicó primero en MN Comunicación.

Language is the primary thing that connects us all, the qualities of the words that we say are vital in the connections human beings have. Studies show that language can actually change how we see things. Linguistic relativity states that the way people see the world is shown in their language, or that one´s world view is contained in the words they used to express it. It also describes that certain ways of language impact a culture and individual people´s attitude to many situations.

Language reflects you

The way you speak reflects who you are, and impacts the way people think about you, thus making language an extremely useful and impactful tool. The way you convey meaning to other people is done through language thus enhancing its importance. Despite this, it is vital to remember that language doesn’t have to limit a person´s potential, it just used to differentiate and focus on the multitude of thoughts one has.

Language in a business setting

Given the importance of language, it is in everyone´s best interest to use it correctly. This will make communication easier and reflect well on you as a person. In a business setting, this stands to be even truer. When dealing with client´s requirements or queries, using the correct language will ease this whole process and allow for maximum productivity, and success.  It is important to avoid using slang or abbreviations particularly when in a business setting, as this could be seen as unprofessional and potentially add an element of confusion or hostility to the situation.

Why it is important to write language correctly

As well as speaking language correctly, it is equally important to write correctly. Spelling and grammar is vital when communicating your message through writing. One small grammatical error can change and distract the meaning of the piece. Not only this, but it can also leave a bad impression on the person who is reading it. It is more likely to be taken less seriously as it can be seen as unprofessional.

La entrada Why it is necessary to use correct language not only in a business, but also in every aspect of your life. se publicó primero en MN Comunicación.