For over 10 years, children were very lucky to enjoy Adriana’s positive energy when she still worked as a professional clown. 2 years ago, we lured this sunshine into our business development team - where she now solves any problem quickly.

Adriana, when you look at your professional path, what are you grateful for?

I think for the moment - and the courage - when I decided to quit my job as a software developer at a recycling company in Spain and focus on my Master’s in medical engineering. I wanted a job where I could say, “Hey, this has a positive impact on people” - and medicine just made sense. I even thought about studying medicine for a while, but I was already a tech person, so I ended up in Munich and did my Master’s thesis in medical engineering at General Electric.

Then one thing led to another - I had a great boss who trusted me a lot, which meant I got to do a lot. I’m also still grateful for my colleagues back then, who patiently only spoke German with me so I could learn it quickly.

At some point, I wanted more flexibility because my family is still living in Spain. I used up so much vacation time just to visit them. General Electric really tried to make remote work possible for me, even involving HR and the works council - that felt really nice, feeling that they valued me. But in the end, it just didn’t work out.

And that’s how you eventually ended up at imito?

Yes, and now I have that flexibility. I go to see my family in Spain about five times a year. But the best thing about imito is that both my work and I are truly appreciated. A huge part of that is thanks to Carsten, my team lead. He really understands people beyond just work - and we’re all humans first, employees second. That makes everything so much easier.

Where in Spain did you grow up, and what kind of silly things did you do back then?

In Málaga, and I lived there until I was 28. What silly things we did? So many! The sun is shining 300 days a year - you can basically do anything. We were at the beach all the time, roller skating, or playing games with balls or paper.

From our home, my parents could see the main street, where we would hang out, so they could keep an eye on whether we were still alive.

You also seem to have a sunny outlook on life?

Yeah, you could say that. I really try to stay positive, even when something bad happens. There’s this quote from the Dalai Lama: “If a problem can be solved, there is no need for worry. If it can't be solved, worrying will do no good.” A philosophy teacher planted that in my head already back in my school days - and it’s stuck with me ever since.

Plus, I was actually a clown for over ten years during and after my studies. So basically, it was my job to bring joy and sunshine to the world.

Wait, you are actually a professional clown?

Yep, it was an amazing flexible job. I could choose when to work, and it was well-paid. I met all kinds of people - and I also learned how to deal with stress, improvise, and solve problems quickly. That really helps me today. And I still have a lot of close friends from that time who are still part of my life.

I performed at birthdays, village parties, weddings, carnival events, and Christmas celebrations - and once even created fake wounds with makeup for kids on Halloween. That led years later at imito to me making a 3D wound out of makeup for our booth at the event Arab Health in Dubai.

Would you want to be a wound specialist - or what medical field would you choose?

Maybe, but instinctively I think I’m most interested in women’s health, especially how hormones influence so much in the body. I’ve noticed that hormones often make study data more complex, and then researchers just decide to skip looking at that hormonal component. There aren’t that many studies that actually consider the differences between men and women.

And what do you now to get your mind off all the medtech stuff? Working as a clown or doing roller skating?

No, these days I mostly do yoga. I try to do it more often than I actually do right now, but I’ve been practicing for probably ten years already. I do it at home, with an app - depending on whether I want more strength or cardio, I go for my favourite exercises.

Besides that, I love diving - not in Germany, but abroad. And now with the flexibility of a remote job, I can not only go diving during official vacation times.

Lastly - who do you admire?

Good question. I think Sylvia Earle, this amazing woman in her eighties who’s still diving, is really cool. She’s a marine biologist and has lived a wild life - there are a few documentaries about her adventures.

But in the end, when I think of my favourite person, my mum immediately comes to mind. Thinking about how she’s supported me with so much love over all these years. Or my grandpa - he managed his life on his own well into his nineties.

And of course, my dad, who travelled a lot, once all the way from Latin America to California. When I was a kid, he used to tell us these amazing stories about it. I think I got my love for travelling from him.

Thank you so much, Adriana, for deciding to be our sunshine (clown) so we can enjoy your positive energy!