Alberto, co-founder of Lienzo

Alberto Bailin Rivares has graduated in International Economic Policy >with concentrations on emerging economies and methods. Coming from Spain, he is the co-founder of Lienzo, a company dedicated to transforming the fashion and luxury industries towards a more sustainable future.  

What is your role and main responsibilities?

More specifically, Lienzo’s goal is to help brands from the fashion and luxury industry transition into more sustainable practices and into a circular economy, especially focusing on ESG regulatory requirements (awareness and compliance).

My main responsibilities are Lienzo’s marketing and communication strategy, both on LinkedIn and social media. Each week we publish articles and case studies on several fashion sustainability topics such as transparency, traceability or upcoming regulations. 

Furthermore, I am in charge of developing partnerships to offer conjoint services as well as identifying potential clients and building long-lasting relationships with them. 

Last but not least, together with Azul Stengel, another ex alumni of PSIA whom I met during my master's program, we take care of all the administrative tasks such as registering the company within the French legal framework or applying for funding programs such as the Concours Régional Next Innov of the Banque Populaire or the ANDAM innovation prize. 

How did you secure this role?

One thing to keep in mind is that when building your own company your role is never secured. Nevertheless, there are many ways that help and strengthen your position. In my opinion, and specifically in our case, keeping a close eye on the latest regulation updates, either from the French government or the European Union, surely helps to get a competitive advantage over our competitors and thus secure our existence. 

What is the most fascinating and/or surprising aspect of your role?

Every day is different within the entrepreneurship world. It truly is a continuous learning experience. 

How did your PSIA experience help you with the role?

The working method I learned at PSIA, based on continuous research and constant daily work, very different from the method I was used to during my studies at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, allows me today to get up and easily find the motivation for all the tasks that we have to carry out, which can be administrative tasks, human resources, accounting, service development or network expansion, either partners or clients. 

What advice would you give to others? 

When it comes to developing your own project / building your own company, never doubt it if, at one specific moment, you told yourself this was a great idea. It’s very easy to question yourself or even the project itself. All ideas are valid if you work hard on them, keep expanding your network and you keep doing research on the latest news and publications that concern your project.

• More about the Master in International Economic Policy
• More about Lienzo