In this empowering episode of Efecto Cascada, we spotlight two inspiring women shaping the future of Navarra’s innovation landscape. From audiovisual tech to agri-biotech, Lucía Ostiz, CEO of Ostiz Audiovisuales, and Xana Belastegui, biotechnologist and partner at Swanlaab AgriFoodTech Fund, share their journeys through leadership, risk-taking, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
What happens when women lead in highly technical and often male-dominated sectors? A whole lot of impact and a powerful reminder that innovation rooted in authenticity can transform entire industries.
Rooted in Legacy, Driven by Innovation
Lucía Ostiz grew up surrounded by cables and soundboards, watching her family build a local audiovisual company. Today, she carries that legacy forward as a business leader who combines deep respect for tradition with a bold approach to digital transformation.
“I was lucky to learn by doing with someone who trusted me enough to let me try, fail, and grow”
Meanwhile, Xana Belastegui began in academic research and evolved into a biotech entrepreneur, consultant, and investor. Her work bridges science and business, helping high-tech companies scale smarter and more sustainably.
“I never did an MBA but leading a startup was the real-life master’s degree. Now I help others avoid the mistakes we had to survive.”
EP 27 – Women entrepreneurs pt.2
Global Vision from Local Roots
For both women, Navarra provides fertile ground for entrepreneurship, with a strong local market and an increasingly dynamic innovation ecosystem. Sectors like agrifood and biotech are gaining relevance, though there’s still work to be done in terms of visibility and recognition, particularly when it comes to the role of women. Both Lucía and Xana highlight that while challenges remain, there is clear momentum. Public and private actors are stepping up efforts to foster entrepreneurship across the region and notably, there’s a growing commitment to supporting women founders. This targeted gender focus is starting to yield results, strengthening the ecosystem and opening up new possibilities for women-led projects.
Motherhood as Leadership
One of the most powerful moments in the episode comes as Lucía and Xana reflect on how motherhood sparked clarity in their entrepreneurial journeys. For Xana, it meant choosing a path her daughter could be proud of. For Lucía, it was realizing she could lead on her own terms.
They also speak to the isolation of being among the few women in male-dominated fields, and how connection changes everything. Female networks, they agree, are not just supportive but strategic creating space for visibility, shared growth, and real change. And in Navarra, that change is already underway.
Changing the Narrative, One Story at a Time
The future of sectors like agrifood, technology, and audiovisuals depends not only on innovation but also on how we tell the story. From making STEM fields more attractive to young girls, to placing more women in decision-making roles, representation matters.
Listen to the Full Episode
This podcast has been made possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Spanish Government. Their support has been fundamental to carry out this podcast.
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