Center for Innovation in Cities

Members

Esteve Almirall

Esteve Almirall

Director

Center for Innovation in Cities

Associate Professor, Department of Operations, Innovation and Data Science

Esteve Almirall serves as Associated Professor at Esade and Dtr. of the Center for Innovation in Cities. He lectured at various universities, including UC Berkeley, Purdue, UPF, UPC and EPFL. He has a mixed background in both AI and Management Sciences, particularly in Innovation.

However, Esteve spent a previous life in the business IT sector with a career in consulting and banking where for many years Esteve was the youngest CTO in the Spanish banking industry, being the 1st in offering online transactions and the 2nd in online banking. As an entrepreneur he founded several companies and participated in tech startups.

In academics he has been involved in multiple programs and created a Smart Cities program together with the World Bank that was well attended. His last contribution was the creation of the Esade's Master in Business Analytics (ranked #5 in the world in 2018).

Natalia Olson-Urtecho

Natalia Olson-Urtecho

Advisor

Co-Founder and Director of Innovation and Strategy at the Disruptive Factory

Natalia Olson-Urtecho is a serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience working with international, regional and local entities in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia She is an expert in smart cities, high tech, finance, blockchain, public policy, diplomacy, commercialization, environmental planning, sustainable building, mobility, public engagement and infrastructure development.

Currently she serves as Chief Operations Officer of the RadicalxChange Foundation, Advisor on Innovation at the World Bank and Co-Founder of the Disruptive Factory. Prior to her current roles she was appointed by President Obama as the SBA Regional Administrator managing yearly 35 billion dollars in government contracts and 8 billion in loans for SMEs. She was responsible for delivery and management of small business programs, development initiatives and financial assistance.

Olson-Urtecho oversaw 180 SBA offices; SCORE chapters; Business Development Centers; Women and Veteran Centers and other resources. Natalia was appointed to Philadelphia’s Planning Commission and served as the Vice Chair of the Zoning Code Commission. She was appointed to the U.S. Innovation Advisory Board to advise Congress and the White House on competitiveness and innovation. She has been honored with numerous prestigious awards such as Woman of Distinction for her work in sustainable infrastructure & the green economy.

Pilar Conesa

Pilar Conesa

Advisor

Founder and CEO of Anteverti

Pilar Conesa is a Smart City pioneer and the founder and CEO of Anteverti. She is also the Curator of the Smart City Expo World Congress, as well as the Smart City Expo events held abroad.

With more than 30 years of experience in high management positions in ICT companies and public organizations, she served as CIO for the Barcelona City Council and as General Director of Public Sector and Health at T-Systems.

She is the President of the Business Council of the BITHabitat Foundation and a member of the Advisory Board of Digital Future Society, the Supervisory and of the General Council of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona. She is a regular keynote speaker and has been selected as jury member for several international awards – World Smart City Awards, Reinventer Paris or Le Monde-Cities –. Pilar is the first woman to be awarded the honorary prize of La Nit de les Telecomunicacions i la Informàtica of Catalonia.

Contact us !

Esteve Almirall

Director of the Center for Innovation in Cities

Associate Professor, Department of Operations, Innovation and Data Sciences

esteve.almirall@esade.edu