Meet the Venturelab team: A virtual coffee break with Sebastián Priarollo

03.05.2021 07:05, Isabelle Mitchell

Venturelab supports the most innovative Swiss startups with tools, programs, and a one-of-a-kind network of partners and investors. But who makes all of this happen? Let’s take a look behind the Venturelab scenes: We meet the Venturelab team members for a virtual coffee break to talk about their work and find out what makes them tick when they are not supporting Switzerland’s innovation ecosystem with their expertise and experience. Our next guest is Sebastián Priarollo, one of our Venture Kick program managers.

Sebastián, thank you for taking a virtual coffee break with us. You started at Venturelab in February 2021. What are your main responsibilities? 
I am a program manager for Venture Kick, one of our flagship programs. Concretely, I am jointly responsible for the scouting and evaluation of startups. I am also responsible for the organization of Venture Kick events in the German and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland. In addition to my Venture Kick duties, I am involved in organizing the Scale up Bootcamps, where we bring exciting scale-ups and leading corporations together to develop new and exciting projects.

What is your favorite part about being a program manager at Venturelab?
Definitely the exposure to so many incredible projects. I am constantly learning about new ideas and opportunities from various fields. It challenges me to think critically and evaluate the possibilities of new solutions. It also gives me a little sense of optimism for the future! 

What did you do before joining Venturelab? 
I was completing my master’s studies in business innovation at the University of St. Gallen. I also worked part-time in a similar role for the Academia Industry Training (AIT) programs (Brazil and Colombia), which provided initial exposure to the startup ecosystem.

Why did you apply for the job as a program manager?
Joining a company like Venturelab felt like a tremendous place to start for someone excited about the startup ecosystem. Additionally, I am a fan of Venture Kick’s mission and vision, so it felt like a natural fit. 

What is your plan for your first year here at Venturelab? 
I am excited to connect with as many people as possible in the startup ecosystem and sponge up all the knowledge I can! I would also love to work on expanding Venture Kick to increase our impact on the ecosystem.
 
What is something your co-workers might not know about you?
Thanks to my mother’s job, I had the opportunity to live in Singapore for four years. We had an amazing time there, learning and traveling a lot. This experience has made me a big fan of Asian cuisine, and I have developed a decent spice tolerance.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Nutella, bread, and milk—there is never enough!

What would you like to invent?
Ideally? A tool that lets people instantly learn anything they want. There are so many things I wish I could do, but I lack the time and/or devotion to really get to it.

What are some social media accounts everyone should follow?
I am a big fan of The Economist, so I would definitely recommend that for anyone seeking some well-written and researched news articles. I also love following National Geographic for some amazing photography!  

What is your favorite topic to discuss during coffee breaks?
Anything related to sports will get me going. I follow a number of different ones and am always excited to discuss. 

What is your favorite artist/playlist to listen to while working?
When working, I usually prefer things like light melodic techno. Good vibes and sound, but not too distracting to get me out of focus.

Could you show us your smartphone home screen and tell us about your three favorite apps? 
Spotify is probably my number one app. I love to listen to music and podcasts, and Spotify has it all. The RTS/SRF app is also a good shout, as it offers great Swiss/International news coverage in a fairly unbiased way. Quick and easy source to keep up with current events. Not featured on the home screen (I hide the apps to avoid temptation), Instagram is definitely a big one for me. I enjoy staying up to date with what my friends do and getting my daily dose of memes!