“Barcelona’s tech scene will continue to explode”, by Stanley Fourteau
Stanley Fourteau, 39 years old, and married to a Brazilian with a two-year-old son and a baby boy on the way. French-American has lived in Paris, Brussels, Stanford, Rio de Janeiro, New York City and most recently São Paulo, prior to moving to Barcelona. He co-founded Ukio, a proptech startup that offers premium apartments for monthly stays, with his brother. His mission is to empower people to live where they want, when they want by finding a home wherever they go. As CEO, he focuses on strategy, operations, fundraising and investor relations.
Why did you choose Barcelona?
I wanted an international, cosmopolitan city that offered exciting opportunities and a high quality of life. Barcelona has emerged as a highly desirable place to live, with a budding tech scene, and an extremely smart talent pool, attracting people from all over the world.
What aspects of the city would you highlight as being positive?
Barcelona has a lot to offer, in particular the strong international community, the centrality within Europe and the lifestyle. One of the most unique features of the city is the marriage of nature and urban – being surrounded by mountains and sea in a bustling European city.
What aspects of the city must be improved? How?
Barcelona is undergoing an interesting transition: having always attracted students, it is now growing to become more of a tech hub. In order to encourage more innovation, the city should put in place initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship in Barcelona, from internationals and locals.
Which are the city’s strengths that will allow it to overcome the COVID-19 crisis?
Barcelona is a resilient city. The strong sense of community and civic responsibility made it possible for Barcelona to bounce back. Despite seeing restaurants and businesses shut for a period, people remained positive.
What do you expect from Barcelona in the coming years?
Barcelona’s tech scene will continue to explode, with so many talented entrepreneurs relocating and local ambitious talent starting their own companies.
Which city do you feel as «your city»? What do you miss the most?
I’ve been fortunate enough to call many different places home. No one particular city is my home in and of itself, but I carry different parts of each city I’ve lived in. Home for me will be wherever I am with my family, and for now it’s Barcelona.
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