‘Women Leaders, Women Entrepreneurs’: a commitment to transformation in Barcelona
Lisette González Torres has been promoting the initiative for nearly a decade, in collaboration with church and community organizations. The aim: to bring together women from a wide variety of professional backgrounds.
BARCELONA · 13 OCTOBER 2026 · 13:16 CET
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Barcelona Activa’s “Sala Emprèn” (located in the iconic MediaTIC Building in the Poblenou neighborhood) hosted a conference in June to reflect on professional excellence and, above all, social commitment and values.
The International Women Leaders / Women Entrepreneurs (ML&ME) Conference was held not only to drive business growth but also to equip women with practical tools and inspiration regarding values such as personal integrity, sustainability, and inclusion.
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Professional growth with a commitment
Lissette González Torres founded the ML&ME project nearly a decade ago and has been working since 2022 in partnership with the Fundació Temps i Compromís, established in 2006, a network that brings together companies, volunteers, and local organizations to help people based on the values of “solidarity, commitment, empathy, transparency, and love.”
Building on this partnership, the June event went beyond business networking to focus on cooperation, support for children and youth, and social services.
An example of this vision is the Llar l’Albada project, led by political scientist Sara Carvajal and supported by the foundation, which provides housing and promotes independence for women in highly vulnerable situations and at risk of homelessness.
One of the fundamental ideas of the gathering was that success and leadership cannot be separated from a commitment to service and ethics. For example, co-founder Cesca Planagumà, in addition to her career in media, has training in Family Counseling and Christian Counseling. And speakers like Sara Carvajal combine their professional work with coordinating community initiatives to combat loneliness within their church community.
Authentic voices: science, ethics, finance
Throughout the event, the speakers’ presentations were consistently grounded in their own on-the-ground experience.
International legal expert Erika Torregrossa Acuña (CEO of Diplocorp) and Jessica Pons (co-founder of Convertzio) spoke about ethics, justice, and sustainability. They emphasized that purpose, social responsibility, and professional ethics are non-negotiable pillars of community development.
On the topic of science and health, Rebeca Aldonza (Ferrer Internacional) spoke in favor of leadership that connects science with the real well-being of society, while Patricia Ripoll Ros (president of the VISIBLE Foundation) addressed raising awareness and bringing visibility to “invisible” diseases. Also speaking was midwife Sara Tornel Fabre, who, after 44 years in the profession and more than 10,000 births attended, embodied unconditional dedication to families.
In the business, finance, and visibility segment, Gemma Voltas Ramos (founder of Alma Bleu Advisors) focused on wealth management aimed at decision-making freedom and the economic empowerment of women.
For her part, Sonia Alfaro (Cazcarra Image Group) analyzed strategy and family business growth, and Rita Calero Cordobés (President of AMMCA) shared her story of reinventing herself—moving from the banking sector to social entrepreneurship and raising the profile of women’s talent.
The event also featured a presentation by Fernando Vangioni Gallego, a psychologist and mentor to women leaders, who emphasized the need to develop a strong and conscious inner confidence to lead with the goal of creating a transformative impact.
Beyond trends, a lasting impact
Overall, the event clearly conveyed that “true leadership does not consist of fitting into a pre-established mold or following a fleeting corporate trend, but rather of leading with authenticity and one’s own voice.”
In this regard, the organisers explains, “no magic formulas were proposed, but rather stories of consistency, courage, challenges overcome, and—fundamentally—the conviction that collaborative networks and a shared identity are indispensable for transforming social structures.”
1,200 women connected
With an average of 140 attendees per event in the last years, and more than 1,200 women connected since 2017, ML&ME reaffirms its commitment to communicating and demonstrating that community synergy generates tangible changes that endure over time.
“The event’s motto continues to resonate as a challenge for the daily lives of all professional women dedicated to service: ‘Dream big. Lead with passion. Make an impact’”, summarised Lisette González.
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