From Idea to Venture: Lessons from Rafael González del Castillo Sancho for Engineering Education and Industry
By Bruno Iafelice, PhD – TVLP Institute, USA
At IECON 2025, the annual conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society held in Madrid, entrepreneurship was brought into the discussion through the workshop “From Idea to Venture.” Organized by the IES Industry and Membership Committees, the session explored how ideas can evolve into real ventures, a topic increasingly relevant for engineers, researchers, and educators alike.
Among the speakers was Rafael González del Castillo Sancho, architect, educator, and entrepreneur, who shared insights from his experience creating and growing Editeca, an online school for architects and engineers. I first met Rafael when he participated in a program at the TVLP Institute in California. Having seen his entrepreneurial approach firsthand, I was eager to hear him speak at IECON 2025 about how he transformed ideas into ventures. His story offers valuable lessons at the intersection of education, innovation, and industry, which are central themes in my new role as Industry Liaison of the IES Technical Committee on Education in Engineering.
Rafael’s professional path is rooted in architecture but extends far beyond traditional design practice. Over the years he has collaborated with national and international firms across architecture, interior design, and furniture design. His work has received recognition in theatre, film, design, and architecture, reflecting a creative approach that bridges disciplines. In 2013, he was named Spain’s Brightest Young Mind at the IV Brilliant Minds Congress in Madrid.
Alongside his design work, Rafael has consistently explored entrepreneurship. He launched a number of initiatives, including Designing the Future, DTF Magazine, an architecture and design publication, the Fast Wood Festival, a workshop focused on wooden construction, Revit a la Carta, a platform for personalized Revit training, and La Neoteca, a studio specialized in design, marketing, and emerging technologies.
However, the venture that truly defined his entrepreneurial journey is Editeca.
The idea for Editeca emerged from a challenge Rafael encountered during his own education. After completing a BIM Master’s program in Madrid, he realized that advanced training in Building Information Modeling (BIM) was largely limited to major metropolitan areas such as Madrid and Barcelona. This meant that many professionals — particularly those living in smaller cities or in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world — lacked access to this type of specialized knowledge.
Recognizing this gap, Rafael decided to move the training online. By collaborating with a network of instructors, he created a platform capable of delivering high-quality BIM education to a global audience. The concept proved successful from the start: Editeca became profitable in its first year and today educates more than a thousand students annually around the world.
For those working in engineering education, this example highlights the growing importance of flexible, industry-relevant learning models. The ability to provide specialized training beyond geographic boundaries aligns with the evolving needs of engineers and technical professionals who must continuously update their skills in rapidly changing technological landscapes.
Rafael also emphasized that the success of any venture ultimately depends on people. He often describes his team as both the greatest strength and the most demanding aspect of the company. A young and innovative team brings creativity and energy, but building an organization also requires navigating the complexities of human collaboration — balancing expectations, managing growth, and fostering a shared vision.
Despite these challenges, Editeca has achieved several significant milestones. These include signing its first university partnership with Universidad Isabel I, launching its fully online BIM Master’s program after several years of offering individual courses, and maintaining steady organic growth of approximately 10–15 percent per year.
For engineers considering entrepreneurship or innovation initiatives, Rafael shared several practical lessons. One of his key recommendations is to avoid building a company entirely alone whenever possible. Having a partner can provide both strategic and emotional support during the demanding early phases of a venture.
Another principle he strongly advocates is the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Rather than waiting until a product is fully developed, entrepreneurs should test ideas quickly and refine them based on feedback. This iterative approach, grounded in lean methodology, allows innovators to learn from the market while minimizing risk.
Reflecting on his own experience, Rafael also noted that hiring decisions play a critical role in shaping a company’s culture. Over time he has learned to conduct longer interviews and carefully check references before bringing new people into the team. Although he has never had to dismiss an employee, he typically uses a six-month trial period to ensure that new hires align with both the organization’s goals and its collaborative spirit.
For the engineering community attending IECON, Rafael’s story provided a clear message: innovation often begins with identifying a practical problem and imagining a new way to solve it. When technical knowledge is combined with entrepreneurial thinking, ideas can evolve into ventures that create value for professionals, industries, and learners worldwide.
As the Industry Liaison of the IES Technical Committee on Education in Engineering, I see stories like Rafael’s as particularly inspiring. They demonstrate how closer connections between education, entrepreneurship, and industry can foster new models of learning and innovation — helping engineers not only develop technologies, but also create the ventures that bring those technologies to life.
Encouraging this dialogue between academia and industry will remain a key objective for our community. Experiences like the one shared during the From Idea to Venture workshop remind us that engineering education is not only about transmitting knowledge, but also about empowering people to design the future they want to build.