Creator of Secret Sound and business development technician at AJE Murcia
The young muleña, one of the 22 protagonists of the year of ‘Forbes’, defends that “in the Region there is a powerful and cohesive entrepreneurial ecosystem”
Culture, entrepreneurship, creativity and social commitment converge in Secret Sound, the accessible ‘startup’ that has placed Esther Pina from Muleña among the twenty-two stars this year, according to ‘Forbes’. At just 24 years old, she impresses her impetus to drive that engine of change that makes the world a better, fairer and more equitable place. Pina has things clear and a great capacity for resilience inherited from her grandparents, who were forced to emigrate to Switzerland. Luckily, the environment in which she moves fosters those values and puts her feet on the ground. “When I have a bad day, I look around me. I see the obstacles that people with disabilities have to constantly overcome and I think: ‘how can I complain?’».
-What does it mean to be part of the list of 22 people who will change the world, for ‘Forbes’?
-I feel privileged, both for the distinction in such a prestigious magazine and for the professionals with whom I share honors and the projects they lead. At first it overwhelmed me a bit, but it has been an impetus that encourages me to keep going.
-What is the reason for being of Secret Sound?
-Break down access barriers to the audiovisual industry. We are a ‘startup’ that manages accessibility for people with hearing and language problems in the audiovisual industry. The magnetic loop technology that we use allows us to translate external sounds into electromagnetic waves to send them to these people through a cochlear implant. Unfortunately, only 2% of deaf people can use these implants. This leads us to use other services such as subtitling systems, sign language interpreters or technologies typical of ‘gaming’, through a system of surrounding vibrations with devices such as belts or vests.
– Where does your need to address such a specific sector of the population come from?
-It was pure chance. In 2018 I learned about the Association of Parents of Children with Hearing and Language Problems, Aspanpal, and the activities they carry out, such as teaching deaf children to dance flamenco. It is a very invisible and unknown disability. I detected a problem and wanted to offer a stable solution. At that time I thought of just holding a festival, but we are immersed in the preparation of congresses, events, concerts and an acoustic cycle in a shopping center. In September and October we will be in Barcelona, Galicia and Valencia.
The phrases
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Challenge:
“If you identify a problem and do nothing to solve it, then you are part of it” -
Effort:
«The experience that constant work leaves us should be understood as true success»
-When you talk about growing up, would you like to open Secret Sound to other sectors of disability?
-Absolutely. I would love for Secret Sound to be a bridge between culture and a disability group that is as diverse as possible. If you identify a problem and do not try to solve it, you are part of it. What I want is to promote a sustainable solution for people with different abilities, to be their door to accessibility.
-What evaluations do you receive from those who enjoy the Secret Sound experience?
-They thank and give cane in equal parts. On one occasion a father told me that he had stopped going with his daughters, one of them deaf, to parties and concerts because the girl confessed that she felt displaced and she was not having a good time. He, who was a drummer, told me that he would pay anything if he got his little girl to dance again and enjoy music as a family. It was, therefore, a real need that they had and have seen covered. On the other hand, it is a very demanding public, which knows what it wants and how. The contributions that you send me help us to improve, adapt to the new demands of the moment and grow.
-Despite his youth, he is at the top of the business, paving the way for those who come after him. Has it been an easy journey?
-Undertaking and easy are two concepts that can never go hand in hand. There is a tendency to idealize everything, and we forget that business activity requires sacrifice and a lot of effort. The experience that this constant work leaves us should be understood as true success because it is what will make us move forward in life. Then there are the results, which will sometimes be more positive than others.
-What would you say to a young person who wants to undertake?
-Let him launch, with his head, but dare. We are currently looking for instant gratification, and we are not aware that everything takes time. Therefore, it is essential to be patient and not throw in the towel. And if we make a mistake, we learn both for the visible curriculum and for the one that is not. It is a unique growth opportunity.
-What does your work as an entrepreneurial technician bring you?
-Thanks to my time at the UMU Emprende entrepreneurship office, and my current job as a business development technician at AJE Murcia, I am lucky enough to experience entrepreneurship from both sides. From my experience I can say that there is a powerful and cohesive entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Region. This is easily seen when you go abroad, where regional innovative and disruptive projects are praised. Opportunities exist, but you have to know how to take advantage of them.
-How do you see your future work?
-I would like to continue linked to Secret Sound. Recently they asked me how much the ‘startup’ was selling for and I said: ‘How? You have not understood anything!’ Secret Sound is part of my DNA. My goal is for it to become a benchmark for national and international accessibility, because initiatives like this are really necessary to shorten distances with people with different abilities so that they can fully enjoy something as important for human development as culture and everything that it has. to do with the audiovisual industry.
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