We listened to Maite Casademunt at Juno House Barcelona as part of our Women Who Inspire lunch series, and she said something that stuck with me: passion is nothing without courage. Maite seemed absolutely fascinating to me. Stylish, direct, and down-to-earth, she conveyed that confidence ---and that experience--- that are acquired over time and, perhaps, with some battles. She is at the helm of a family fashion business born in Spain that has managed to expand globally, something difficult and uncommon anywhere in the world, and even more so in a society like ours, where talent exists but sometimes does not manifest itself perhaps out of fear of risk.
Feeling surrounded by women like Maite and other partners of Juno House with their entrepreneurial spirit inspires me and reminds me why I embarked on this path. Today, three years after the launch of Juno House, I find myself reflecting on who I was then and who I am now. But first, a little context to explain where I come from: my father is Catalan, my mother American, and I grew up in Chicago, in a multicultural family, full of passion and tradition.
My father moved to the United States after finishing his medical degree to dedicate himself to scientific research and, like other Spanish doctors of his time, made a name for himself outside his country. As a teenager, I was a competitive swimmer and a bit rebellious: I got bored easily, was radically independent from a young age, and always followed what fascinated me rather than what was more practical. That mindset led me to work on Obama's campaign in 2008, to write for public television, and to produce global campaigns for major brands at the multinational advertising company, Edelman in New York.
My path has never been linear. When I moved to Barcelona, I did it for the lifestyle of this city, and I stayed for love. Once the decision was made, I knew I had to start something new. In 2016, Barcelona's tech ecosystem was booming. On impulse, I left my career in New York and joined an early-stage Catalan travel tech startup. The first week I was terrified. What had I done? Where was I? Was this going to be my new professional path?
But when the scare passed, the adrenaline arrived. I loved having a direct impact: defining the brand strategy, helping to position the company for a sale to a tech giant. From there, I found my place in Barcelona as a brand creator. I worked from within startups, selling visions, collaborating with entrepreneurs, and falling in love with the more business-oriented side of creativity. Still, I felt something was missing: the ambition, the spark I had felt in New York. I couldn't find that same motivation, nor that community of open, ambitious women with a real desire to change the world.
It was during my first pregnancy that the idea for Juno House emerged. I thought: "If there isn't a space in this city for eager, entrepreneurial-minded women where they can connect, collaborate, learn, and enjoy a good cocktail... then I will create it myself". So I imagined our destination and charted the path to make it a reality.
I love to dream, build, present ideas, design. The reality is that management can diminish creativity. And in these three years, I have seen many founders who take for granted that they have to manage every aspect of what they have created. Is it ego? Is it fear? Perhaps both. What I have learned is that the best entrepreneurs ---and often the most successful ones--- know when to let go and entrust operational leadership to strong teams. It is deeply liberating to create something extraordinary and, finally, take a moment to admire it, watch it evolve and professionalize. Because only when you let go does the project unleash its full potential.
Like so many other founders, I carry my own learning scars. They give character. I also sense them in leaders like Maite, and that makes me admire them even more. I want to listen to them, know their battles, share real stories. Spaces like Juno House make it possible to have honest conversations and normalize the entrepreneurial journey. I often wonder why it is still taboo to talk about growth, ambition, or learnings among women. I am proud that Juno has become a benchmark for opening these necessary dialogues, without filters or disguises.
Three years later, I feel deeply grateful to the founding team, and to all the partners who believed in this vision from the beginning and made it possible. Founding something is, in essence, a way of learning and transforming. You start with an idea, and along the way, that idea also transforms you. With gratitude in our hearts and our eyes on the future, we continue building.