How an entrepreneur in Amsterdam used Google AI to launch a jewellery business

An interview with Pilar Murillo, founder of BaKaTa: A contemporary jewellery brand rooted in Colombian craft and design.

I grew up in the bustling city of Bogota in Colombia. As a child, my parents would take us outside the city to the sweeping mountains, and even then, the quiet would wash over me. Today, in a world bombarded by endless information, I feel we all need the calm that comes from connecting back to nature. I never imagined that one day, I’d get to share the beauty of the Colombian natural landscape with the world.

I moved to Amsterdam two decades ago, where I’m now raising my 8-year-old son as a single mum. Over a year ago, I hit an unexpected wall. After nearly 20 years in advertising and consumer research, I found myself facing a tough job market and a string of rejections that left me feeling truly lost. I reached a point where I realised I didn’t want my future and my son’s stability to be determined by someone else. I needed to build a path that was truly my own.

In search of a new direction, I took the Google AI Essentials course on Coursera in 2025 and other AI trainings organised by the non-profit Stichting MadHatter, where I was introduced to tools like Gemini. I used Gemini to research potential business ideas and I realised that my understanding of consumers and brands could help me turn an idea into a successful business. I’ve always been drawn to the intricate craftsmanship and natural motifs of Colombian jewellery, so I decided to launch BaKaTa, an online jewellery brand, bringing jewellery handmade by female artisans in Colombia to the European market. Every piece is inspired by the natural landscape of Colombia — a rugged tree bark, a delicate flower, or a magnificent animal.

“Google AI enabled me to move from the initial idea to launch in six months, at just 30 percent of the cost.”

Launching my own business was daunting, but Gemini empowered me to build confidence and tackle the essential groundwork I needed to get started. It helped me apply my knowledge of consumer marketing and data to execute market research, business plans, competitor analysis and audience profiles with speed and assurance. It also assisted me in putting together a price analysis so I could make decisions on which prices would appeal to buyers and still offer me good margins.

On the creative side, I used it to help me set up a website and product catalogues. Artisans in Colombia would send me raw photographs of the jewellery pieces, and I’d use Nano Banana to help me transform them into premium, editorial-quality images that matched my website’s style. I also turned to Google Veo, a video generation platform, to craft cinematic videos for social media, which brought my pieces to life.

Though my business is primarily online, I'm really passionate about bringing it to people, face to face, and I use AI for that. For example, I used Gemini to research and make a list of yoga studios with substantial social media following and contacted them to set up in-person pop-up shops so that people could see the jewellery and actually try it on. Human connection and craftsmanship is at the heart of the brand.

“I’ve always found strength in the sisterhood of women who support one another and that’s why I often work with female artisans. Google AI does more than fuel my creative vision; it enables me to generate meaningful work for our community of female artisans, which fills me with great pride.”

The brand launched recently, and I celebrate every victory — from a sale to a new follower on social media. My vision is to grow the business, cultivate a network of artisans, launch a physical store and venture into new markets. Tools like Gemini will definitely help me make this happen, just like they did when I launched the business.

Best of all, my son is by my side through it all — cheering on every milestone. I want him to learn that when life requires you to strap on your boots and start again, it is possible to take the seed of an idea, nurture it, and watch it bloom. Using AI in this process has shown me that technology can be a powerful bridge, making it possible for me to share my heritage with the world and turn my dream into reality.