Jon Díaz: Social innovation and education on the front line

At the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, we are very proud of the alumni who have been trained in our Akademia programme.

The uniqueness of the program lies in its design and execution: it ranges from a demanding student selection process to a practical and avant-garde approach to the content of the classes, complemented by the excellence of the teachers. This combination results in students who are enthusiastic about innovation, ready to bring new ideas and creative solutions in their respective fields.

We resume the series of interviews with former Akademia students, interviewing Jon Díaz, with an inspiring career. Jon has a strong background and a clear commitment to social innovation and education. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the prestigious Columbia University, where she specializes in Social Innovation and Education, thanks to a comprehensive scholarship awarded by the La Caixa Foundation. This opportunity allows you to combine academic rigor with practical skills and fieldwork in a globally recognized program.

Before starting his career at Columbia, Jon already had an outstanding academic profile. He completed a double degree in Law and Business Administration at the University of Deusto, to which he added a three-year certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. During his training, he also made an international stay at the University of Santa Clara, in California, where he expanded his knowledge in a highly competitive international environment.

This solid academic foundation has allowed him to develop as a professional in multiple fields, highlighting his ability to integrate human-centered design principles in the resolution of complex social problems. Currently, Jon is a Design Fellow and Teaching Assistant in a Design for Social Innovation course, where he accompanies students in the application of these principles in real projects.

In this interview, we will explore their journey, the challenges and opportunities of applying social innovation to the world of education and their vision for the future of education.

What did you like most about your experience at Akademia?

What I liked most about my experience at Akademia was that, for the first time, I was treated like an adult student. It was a change from what I had experienced until then. They told us: “Here you have the documentation, an expert is going to come to give you a talk, we recommend that you prepare and, if you want, you can investigate more”. It was not mandatory, there was no test, but we knew that it was a unique opportunity that we could take advantage of.

In my university experience so far, the dynamics were very similar to that of high school, with a lot of structure and a very asymmetrical relationship between teacher and student. At Akademia, we were given autonomy to decide how to take advantage of each session. If we didn’t take advantage of it, it was our responsibility. That confidence in our ability to manage our own learning was what impacted me the most.

What did it mean for you to participate in Akademia on a personal and professional level?

Participating in Akademia was a transformative experience both personally and professionally. First of all, it opened my mind to new ideas and areas of knowledge that I was unaware of. Even more important than that, was the change in my thinking. Thanks to some rapporteurs, I learned not to accept things as they are, to reason differently and to question the status quo.

I especially remember three speakers who taught me to approach issues in a different way, breaking with convention. The combination of new content and such a refreshing way of dealing with it was very impactful. At that time, I was studying in Deusto and living in San Sebastián, which is a small city compared to other environments. Akademia allowed me to be exposed for the first time to ideas presented in a professional way, by experts with a great deal of experience.

Beyond the specific knowledge of the topics, what I took away was a different way of thinking and the ability to question things from a new perspective. Some of the topics we covered are still relevant today and what was really valuable was learning how to approach them.

In addition, the format of the sessions was very consistent and enriching. We received some very well-crafted PDFs that served as the basis for the talks. Sometimes they were more masterful and on other occasions teamwork was encouraged, where we asked each other questions and worked on practical cases. These materials not only prepared you for the topic we were going to cover, but also helped you to be ready for any challenge that might arise in the session. In short, Akademia gave me tools to question, learn and face problems from a totally different approach.

You are currently pursuing an MPA at Columbia University, specializing in Social Innovation and Education. What motivated you to focus on this field and how do you see its impact on the future?

In one way or another, I have always gravitated towards the world of education, even though I have studied Business and Law, and later Innovation and Entrepreneurship. I have always looked for how to apply what I learned to the field of education, because it is a field that I am deeply enthusiastic about. I have been close to education from different angles: as a coach of boys and girls for more than 10 years, as a mentor or even training as an interviewer in the company where I worked to be closer to the people we hired. There have been many ways in which I have approached education throughout my career.

Before coming to New York and getting the scholarship from La Caixa, I had been working in Madrid for seven years in a company where I was doing quite well. However, the better I did, the more I realized that if I didn’t make the leap into what I was really passionate about, such as education and social innovation, it would be more difficult to do so in the future. So I decided to take advantage of the opportunity, applied for the scholarship and was lucky enough to be awarded. I felt it was the perfect time, with the right resources, to fully dedicate myself to this field.

Looking to the future, I think that the combination of my experience of seven years working in a multinational, together with the master’s degree and previous studies, in addition to some entrepreneurial projects that I have developed in parallel, give me an interesting profile. These skills, which can sometimes be lacking in certain areas of education, allow me to face some of the great challenges that exist in this sector.

Where do you think the future of education is going?

I believe that the future of education is heading towards greater rigidity, driven by the growing need to standardize and compare. We see this clearly in countries like the United States, where competition for access to the best universities is fierce. I have spoken to people, especially from La Caixa, who tell me that the quality of education in some of these universities is not so different from what we find in Spain. However, what makes the difference is the desire to obtain that specific degree, to attend a prestigious university, to obtain a particular accreditation.

Increasingly, universities are looking for the best profiles based on global standards. To do this, they use metrics that allow them to measure and compare students. Interviews are not enough; in the end, many universities rely on test results such as the GMAT/GRE or other tests that help them classify candidates in a ranking and, based on that, select them.

From a curriculum perspective, you can bring diversity and adapt, but standardization is taking a predominant role in terms of the value we place on grades, accreditations, and other similar indicators.”

[With this reflection, Jon highlights the challenges and opportunities posed by globalization in the educational field, where competition and the pursuit of excellence increasingly demand measurement systems that can uniformly compare students globally.]

You have had the opportunity to study in different countries and at renowned institutions, such as Columbia and Santa Clara University. How has this international experience influenced your way of seeing social problems and possible solutions?

Studying in different countries and at institutions such as Columbia and Santa Clara University has had a profound influence on my view of social problems and possible solutions, almost as much as it has impacted me on a personal level. Especially at Santa Clara University, it was like an eye-opening spark. I came from a career with the Akademia program, which had already oriented me in that direction, so Santa Clara was the next step that helped me expand the limits that I had built based on my reality and the experiences I had lived up to that moment. From day one on campus, from Orientation Week, I began to reconfigure my thinking about what is possible and what is within my reach. This process not only occurs on a personal level, but also translates into what we are able to contribute in relation to the social problems and challenges we face as a society. It is a very powerful path.

I remember a leadership class in Santa Clara where the professor focused on leadership from an internal knowledge, on understanding what motivates us and how that can be translated into doing good to others. It was a vital process that marked me deeply. Being in an environment like California, surrounded by so much entrepreneurship and change, had a huge impact on the confidence I gained in terms of what I can contribute. In that sense, it was even more transformative than my experience at Columbia.

In hindsight, it was a combination of knowing myself better and being in a place with unlimited resources, where you can reconfigure what’s possible in your environment. It is an internal and external change. The campus, the buildings, the people… It was all very inspiring and had a huge impact on how I see and deal with societal challenges today.

As a Teaching Assistant in a Design for Social Innovation course, what has been the greatest learning from supporting students in solving complex social problems?

As a Teaching Assistant in the Design for Social Innovation course, the greatest learning has been understanding the importance of living with more questions than answers. In this course, students must develop a project during the semester, but at the beginning they do not know where it will take them. It is fascinating to see how, being top students very goal-oriented, they face the uncertainty of not knowing the final result. My role has been to help them in that process, teaching them that it’s not just about finding answers, but about making sure they’re asking the right questions.

I’ve learned a lot from Sarah Holloway, the teacher I work with, about how to guide students to trust the process and know that if they ask the right questions, they’ll eventually reach a satisfactory solution, even if they can’t see it from the start. This approach derives from Design Thinking and we apply it to real challenges, such as those posed by UNICEF, the New York Department of Education or Five One Labs, a very special incubator. We give them a theoretical framework and mini challenges that allow them to advance step by step.

It has undoubtedly been an enriching experience for both them (I hope) and me, as I see how they evolve and feel more comfortable navigating uncertainty, trusting that the right questions will lead them to good results.

You have more than 7 years of experience in private sector companies, how have you combined this experience with your interest in social innovation?

The private sector has provided me with many valuable skills that I have seen how they can be applied in the field of social innovation, a sector that fulfills me both personally and professionally. The strategic, analytical, and leadership skills I developed working in private companies have allowed me to address societal challenges from a more structured, results-oriented perspective. This has given me the confidence and tools to move towards projects that I am truly passionate about, where I can contribute more meaningfully to making a positive impact on society.

You led a crowdfunding effort to create a nursery in Tanzania. What motivated you to carry out this project and what lessons did it leave you?

The idea came about during a volunteer program at the University of Deusto that I attended with my friend Imanol. Our initial objective was to teach Design for Change, a Design Thinking methodology applied to early childhood education, in a school in Tanzania. There we met a Spanish priest who was very inspired by our way of teaching and proposed a real challenge: to help a woman who cared for and tried to educate about 70 children in a room of just 15 or 20 square meters. Their request was clear: they needed more space and resources to be able to offer an adequate education to these children.

That’s when we decided to design a crowdfunding campaign. We wanted it to be more than just a request for donations. We created a concept that connected with the value of art and the future of children. The children drew and we crossed those drawings with reviews of works by great artists, such as Gustav Klimt, to convey the idea that these children, if they had access to education, could be the artists of tomorrow. The simple proposal. For €10 people could buy a “future masterpiece”. The campaign was very successful and we secured the necessary funds to build a school where these children can now learn and develop.

This project taught me the power of people-centered design, how a good idea can inspire others to join a cause and, above all, it made it clear to me that when you have real motivation, such as improving the living conditions of others, you can achieve great things.

In parallel with all this, you are co-founder of Enxalao, a restaurant in San Sebastian. How did the idea for this project come about and what makes it unique?

The idea for Enxalao came about thanks to my friend Loren, who had just studied business and worked in a consulting firm. She was at a time in her life when she was debating between doing a master’s degree or acquiring the skills and knowledge that this type of training offers, but in a more practical way. Loren was eager to start a business and learn, and that led us to consider the idea of starting a business together.

After doing an analysis of the market, we saw that a healthy food restaurant was a very sensible option, both from a personal and commercial point of view. We were both looking for a place where we could eat healthy, quickly, at an affordable price and in an attractive place. So we decided to create in San Sebastian the restaurant where we ourselves would like to eat.

In addition, the numbers were favorable and the business model was not excessively complicated. So we took the plunge and opened the restaurant right at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which taught us a lot in terms of adaptation and resilience. Today, the business is going very well, and we are proud to have created something that we are not only passionate about, but has also found its place in the local community.

Looking to the future, what are your main professional goals and how do you plan to continue contributing to social and educational change?

Looking to the future, my main professional goal is to create an organization that is dedicated to educational guidance, specifically for students from ESO to the end of high school. The reason is clear: in Spain, one in four students who start university drop out or change careers, a much higher rate than in the rest of Europe. This problem is a huge waste of public resources and, above all, has a negative impact on the students themselves, who are often not sufficiently oriented or motivated when making decisions about their future.

My vision is to contribute to the solution of this problem through a robust guidance system that allows students to know themselves better, identify their skills, interests and vocations, and, on this basis, make better decisions about their academic and professional career. Studies show that when young people are well-oriented, they are not only happier and enjoy their education more, but they also choose careers that better fit their aspirations. As a result, they will be more successful in their professional and personal lives, which also benefits society as a whole, as they will be more productive and contribute more to collective well-being.

I know that the challenge is great, because it involves designing a model that works in different contexts and for different types of students. However, I firmly believe that if we can get more people to do what they really want and feel more fulfilled, it will be a great advance for our society. It is, in essence, about teaching young people to design their own future. It doesn’t matter if their goal is to study medicine or open a hairdresser, the important thing is that they know what steps to take to get where they want to go, and that they enjoy the path they choose to travel.

Finally, what advice would you give to university students who are in their last years and are looking to find their career path?

In line with what we have discussed, my advice would be to make a lot of effort to know yourself. It’s critical to figure out what their interests and skills are, and focus on that rather than a specific company or sector they’d like to work in. The important thing is to identify what really motivates them, what their true vocation is. From there, they will be able to begin to chart their professional path in a more authentic way and aligned with their values and passions.

Thank you so much, Jon! And many successes!

This interview highlights the importance of having young and committed leaders, like Jon, in the development of innovative solutions to the social and educational challenges of the future.

If you want to know the testimonies of other Akademia alumni, you can see them here.

And if you want to know more about the Akademia program, we invite you to visit the Foundation’s website.