Adela Martínez (Valladolid, 1975)

Founder of Huertos in the Sky, a startup that transforms Barcelona’s rooftops into sustainable urban gardens to recover these disused spaces in the city. “I’m a telecommunications engineer, but I consider myself a ‘digital artisan’ because I’m interested in the balance between the digital and the artisan. Maybe that’s why, after many years in the UK working in multinationals like Avaya and Microsoft, I became a freelance in the tech world and promoted Huertos in the Sky, whose aim is to transform Barcelona’s empty rooftops into sustainable urban gardens”.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AM: We have to reconnect with what is essential, with nature, or we will go mad. Because we humans need it.

TB: A good idea you have had.

AM: To create an association of people who promote “48 hours of agriculture and urban greenery” in Barcelona, a festival to discover the benefits of sustainable food generated in the city.

TB: A bad professional experience.

AM: When you realise that you no longer fit in a company.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever been given.

AM: Be yourself, and trust the universe and your intuition.

TB: An inspiration.

AM: Be part of CovidWarriors, an association that was born to fight against Covid-19.

TB: A startup (other than your own).

AM: I really like Biome Makers, by Spanish founders, which uses advanced technology to understand the DNA of soils and improve their quality, helping farmers.

TB: A book to recommend.

AC: Bruce Lipton’s “The Biology of Belief”. A cell biologist talks about the relationship between genes and our thoughts. Can our bodies change if we re-educate the way we think?

TB: A series or film or song that defines your moment in life.

AM: “Kiss the Ground”, a Netflix documentary that envisions the solution to climate change in soil regeneration.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

AM: My list of the best potato omelettes in Barcelona – just ask me!

TB: A city, a journey.

AM: Kyoto. And trekking in Nepal, especially climbing Everest base camp.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AM: I am an unconditional fan of La Fageda and its founder Cristóbal Colón. So, there.

TB: And a million euros?

AM: In a portfolio of companies that are born with a purpose of social and environmental impact, and use technology to achieve it.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AM: I would probably join one of the companies above.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

AM: A range of possibilities. A place to find a community of inspiring people who share their passion for technology and Barcelona. Plus, they have great afterworks!