Can you tell us about the start of your founder journey?

I have always been motivated by building practical solutions through technology. Early in my career, I worked on wind power plant development projects, where I was first exposed to the energy sector and met my future co-founder. At the same time, my family’s long-standing involvement in the automotive industry gave me a close view of how mobility was evolving. Seeing these two worlds converge made one thing clear to me: electric vehicles were not a trend, but an inevitable shift driven by efficiency and sustainability.

Rather than waiting for that future to arrive, I wanted to be part of its development by contributing to the infrastructure and software supporting the electric mobility ecosystem. As an industrial engineer, this led me to co-found Esarj, focusing on solving a very concrete problem — making electric mobility usable in everyday life. That experience shaped not only what I build, but how I build: identifying structural change early, building for real-world adoption, and staying close to execution from day one.

At a personal level, entrepreneurship gives me a sense of freedom and identity that comes from taking full ownership — the freedom to make decisions, carry responsibility, and live with their outcomes, and the satisfaction of building a professional identity through work I am proud to stand behind.

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt on your entrepreneurial journey so far?

The biggest lesson I have learned is that nothing truly meaningful happens quickly, and things almost never unfold as initially imagined. Real progress begins only after going to market — testing assumptions, listening carefully, and learning from reality rather than plans.

Over time, I came to understand that building successfully is a continuous process of evolution. Products, strategies, and even early convictions must adapt as the market reveals what actually matters. The ability to identify the most critical variables early, recognize where real leverage exists, and adjust direction accordingly is what enables a business to move forward in a meaningful and sustainable way.

I have also learned that long-term success is built on honesty and authenticity. Shortcuts may create temporary momentum, but trust compounds only when intentions, communication, and execution remain genuine. Without that foundation, growth rarely lasts; with it, learning accelerates and progress becomes durable.

Can you tell us about your current company?

I am currently a co-founder of Leadport.ai, a platform built to solve a very specific problem: the gap between customer intent and human (business) response. Many businesses lose their most valuable opportunities simply because they lack the ability to respond at the right moment, with enough context. Leadport.ai is designed to close that gap by enabling instant, voice-based connections at the exact moment a customer shows real interest.

At its core, the platform is built around real conversations rather than surface-level data. By capturing, transcribing, and analysing voice interactions with AI, Leadport.ai functions as a learning system — one that continuously improves by understanding what works, what does not, and why. The goal is not to replace human judgment, but to augment it by helping teams respond faster, make clearer decisions, and improve through every real interaction.

How do you see AI being used as a power for good in business?

I see AI as a tool that helps businesses use their most limited resource — time — more intelligently while bringing greater clarity to decision-making. In many organisations, valuable human attention is spent reviewing information after opportunities have already passed. AI can change this by analysing interactions in real time and surfacing what truly matters, exactly when it matters.

Used responsibly, AI increases transparency rather than creating black boxes. It makes complex processes more visible, decisions easier to explain, and outcomes easier to learn from. By removing repetitive analysis and illuminating what drives real results, AI allows people to focus on higher-quality judgment, better collaboration, and more sustainable ways of working.

What advice would you give someone wanting to become a founder?

Beyond caring about a problem, aspiring founders need to understand themselves deeply — their strengths, limits, and where they can genuinely create value. Founder–market fit matters as much as product–market fit; choosing the wrong market or role will quietly drain energy over time, no matter how strong the idea initially feels.

Execution and resilience matter more than ideas alone. Entrepreneurship offers a unique sense of freedom, but that freedom only becomes meaningful when paired with responsibility and consistency. Building something that lasts requires patience, continuous learning, and the ability to move forward through uncertainty while shaping a professional identity you are proud to carry.

What drew you to study at Imperial?

Imperial consistently ranked among the world’s leading institutions, which was an important factor for me. More importantly, I was drawn to its strong analytical foundation combined with a clear focus on real-world application. Working on practical projects, business cases, and hands-on problem-solving made the learning experience highly relevant and immediately transferable to real business challenges.

Collaborating with diverse, international teams further reinforced this approach. Imperial did not simply teach theory; it created an environment where ideas were tested, assumptions were challenged, and concepts were translated into structured action — a way of thinking that continues to shape how I build and operate companies today.

What have you taken from your time at Imperial to your current professional life?

Imperial gave me far more than technical or business knowledge; it fundamentally shaped how I think. Beyond frameworks and tools, it instilled a broader perspective — the ability to step back, question assumptions, and approach problems with a long-term view rather than seeking immediate answers.

 One experience that stayed with me was being asked to explore the history of transportation and imagine the future of mobility by understanding how past transitions unfolded. It reinforced the idea that the future is not something to wait for, but something to design. What makes Imperial particularly distinctive is that this influence does not end at graduation. Nearly two decades on, through moments like this interview and an active alumni ecosystem, the school continues to add value — not as a static institution, but as a living community that evolves alongside its graduates.