About the mentor

Partner at "Simples - Business & Design", company specialized in brand strategies, where she acts as Head of Design and Business. Specialist in Marketing and Strategic Communication. Her essence is in Design, main formation, from where brings, as foundation, creative techniques for ideas expression and problem solving. With extensive experience in graphic design, business strategies, marketing, communication, project and business management, his main motivation is to assist and guide entrepreneurs and businessmen in the search for their path in this world of possibilities, to transform ideas into results. To further strengthen the entrepreneurial universe, she participates as a volunteer in RME - Rede Mulher Empreendedora, as a mentor and Network Ambassador in RS. She has a generalist profile, as she has been an entrepreneur since an early age, she understands the business challenges and helps companies in their development. But her experience is wide-ranging. She started with design, moving on to marketing, communication and branding. She has always been passionate about entrepreneurship, so she never left aside the strategic, when looking at a brand, she knows how important it is to be aligned with the strategic objective of the company, its planning and structure goes far beyond the visual or sales.

Core Competences

• planning
• business strategy
• entrepreneurial challenges
• marketing
• digital marketing
• communication
• design
• branding

Areas of interest for mentoring

• Entrepreneurship - starting a company, strategic planning, challenges of entrepreneurship.
• Branding - branding, brand building and activation, brand management, brand experience.
• Marketing - marketing plan, concepts and fundamentals, marketing beyond digital, relationship, communication, digital marketing.

Motivation to be a mentor

Entrepreneur since 2008 and with all this time and market experience, it is visible the challenges of entrepreneurship in Brazil as a whole, in 2012 to 2014, had the pleasure of being part of a project of activation of innovation in micro and small enterprises along with Sebrae, where the diversity of segments attendance showed that many of the problems were the same, that the support to the entrepreneur is a strong point of action for the best direction of the company. With extensive experience in design, business strategies, marketing, communication, project management and business, his main motivation is to assist and guide entrepreneurs and businessmen in the search for their path in this world of possibilities, to transform ideas into results. And to further strengthen the entrepreneurial universe, she participates in RME - Network of Women Entrepreneurs, as Mentor and Network Ambassador since 2018, acting in actions such as Grow with Google, She Can, They Digitize, Coffee with Entrepreneurs and collective mentorships promoted in partnership with Visa and Stone.

Availability to meet

Email; Online.

Short biography

Currently working as Head of Operations in a Marketplace Scale-Up but have done a bit of everything in a start-up except for Marketing.

Main skills

• Pitch Deck
• Analysis and BI
• Team Management
• Financial Planning
• Process Optimisation
• Supply Chain and Logistics
• B2B Marketplaces
• B2C Direct to Consumer Businesses
• Food Packing and Food Related Businesses

Areas of interest for mentoring

I would like to be involved in any kind of solutioning for problems related to:

• Marketplaces
• Plant Based Foods and Sustainability
• Real life enhancing problems

Open to evaluate project by project.

Motivation to be a mentor

I want to help the new generation of startups with my experience in the field and create a long lasting network of bright minds.

Availability for mentoring sessions

• E-mail;
• Online meeting.

Short biography

I am a NOVA Alumnus, with background in Biomedical Engineering. I had the opportunity to work for the leading private hospitals company in Portugal – CUF – having had different roles, ranging from hospital management to digital product development. Especially throughout the latter position, I learned how to build and apply innovation inside a corporate, applying agility processes and “fail fast, learn fast” kind of mindset. I became familiar and advocate for these innovation and entrepreneurship concepts thanks to a post-graduation/hands-on project in Barcelona (d.Health), where I applied the biodesign methodology and followed through the different stages of development of new medical technologies, from identifying a real clinical unmet need to developing a viable solution and business model. After working in NOVA in helping reimagine the future of healthcare education, I am currently working at Ferrer (pharmaceutical company based in Barcelona) as a Digital Health Consultant, managing the Ferrer's open-innovation program and partnerships with healthcare start-ups.

Main skills

• Product Development;
• Biodesign - design thinking and innovation applied to healthcare;
• Digital Health and Technology;
• Business analyst.

Areas of interest for mentoring

Healthcare (digital health, medical devices, biotech, etc.).

Motivation to be a mentor

I look for purposefulness, innovation and challenge in what I do on daily basis, and I am also driven by people and projects that inspire me, specially those in early stages of life. I take great pleasure in listening to different thoughts and ideas, getting challenged and challenge others to think further. I am very pleased and grateful to join a group of mentors and projects that help recognizing the talent in my University.

Availability for mentoring sessions

• Face to face;
• E-mail;
• Online meeting.

Short biography

António Câmara is a Professor at NOVA School of Sciences and Technology. He was a Visiting Professor at Cornell University and MIT. António Câmara was a pioneer in virtual and augmented reality research. He authored Environmental Systems, published by Oxford University Press in 2002, to reflect his group contributions. He advised or co-advised 40 PhD students in Portugal and abroad. He co-founded YDreams (now YDX), Ynvisible, Azorean Aquatic Technologies and TUGA Innovations. These companies are listed in international stock markets. He has been also involved in selling intellectual property in the US market. António Câmara was a Member of the Board of Semapa and Audience Entertainment. He received twenty one national and international awards, including Prémio Pessoa (2006) and one of the EU Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (2008).

Main skills

• Building the bridge between academic research and the industry;
• Developing and monetizing intellectual property;
• Fund raising;
• Early go-to-market;
• Attract and retain talent.

Areas of interest for mentoring

Any of the above

Motivation to be a mentor

• Learning;
• Helping.

Availability for mentoring sessions

• Face to face;
• Online meeting.

Short biography

Nirav S. Desai is an entrepreneur, investor, and strategist who aims to fundamentally change how organizations source and implement innovative enterprise technology. Through his company, consulting, and support to several startups he brings efficiency to how organizations source, sell, implement, and invest in innovation. Over the course of his career, Mr. Desai has advised corporations and agencies in the technology, health, manufacturing/logistics, and government sectors in how best to benefit from their own and others R&D investments. He led an initiative in a major consulting firm to establish a strategy to invest in and source technology from innovation economies across the nation. This resulted in a North American innovation index, founding of a 100+ person immersive technology practice(virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.) and numerous channel partnerships leading to win-wins between corporations, government, and start-ups. He brings this experience to Moonbeam, Inc., which is disrupting corporate innovation and corporate venture capital using data science, artificial intelligence, and immersive technology. Additionally, he advises start-ups and consults with corporate clients working with innovation labs, government research centres, universities, and incubators and accelerators, to identify and embrace edge technologies. He keeps on the cutting edge of enterprise technology through contributions to civil society. He mentors startups through TechStars Seattle, the TechStars/Amazon Alexa startup accelerators, and the University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs. He serves as an Innovation Co-Chair for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region with a focus on helping states, provinces, and municipalities embrace disruption and position for the future economy. And he helps connect the PNW immersive technology ecosystem through being in leadership in the Seattle Immersive Technology Association, Washington Technology Industry Association VR Council, and an active participant in XR Access. Mr. Desai maintains connection with academia serving the University of Washington as an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and as a Civic Council member for the Jackson School of International Studies. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.A. in Mathematics and Philosophy.

Area of interest for mentoring

VR/metaverse, internationalization, undilutive investment.

Motivation to be a mentor

I am looking to build connections with the Portuguese innovation economy and help foster connections for companies to the U.S..

Availability for mentoring sessions

Online meeting.

Short biography Zeev started his career as an IP lawyer in Israel, building up a successful practice focused on supporting start-up companies, large corporations and universities. In 2012, he moved his practice to the UK, where he worked with some of the best research institutions in the world. He then founded a legal-tech start-up company which he personally exited in 2019. After expanding his practice to the US, he now manages a practice of 13 patent and trademark attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions and supporting companies with global ambitions. Zeev's focus is on supporting deep-tech start-ups through a special start-up program in his practice, his network and as an angel investor. Zeev splits his time between Cambridge and Lisbon. Main skills Directing development, identifying product-market-fit, fundraising, legal. Areas of interest for mentoring The business and legal side of software / AI / engineering companies. Motivation to be a mentor Wanting to support the emerging ecosystem of Portugal. Availability for mentoring sessions

• Face to face;
• E-mail.

Short biography Adam Smith is currently a Venture Partner at Bowery Capital. Previously he was a partner and West Coast Lead of AOL Ventures. Adam's passion for combining Art and Technology began with his first career as a Toy Designer. With degrees in both Physics and Sculpture combined with his enjoyment of design, Adam was accepted into MIT Media Lab Program where he helped create and complete the Toys of Tomorrow Program. Adam's adventures then sent him overseas , where he took a position with Telecom Italia in both Rome, Italy and Helsinki, Finland before moving back to the States for the the challenging and rewarding position of Product Manager at Google. Adam enjoyed 7 years at Google before joining AOL Ventures. Main skills Building a sales team, pricing, customer segmentation, product management, product strategy, investing, early stage start-ups, company culture, fundraising and having fun while changing the world. Areas of interest for mentoring B2B, helping grow from idea to Series A. Motivation to be a mentor Recently moved in Lisbon from the West of Coast of the United States. He's had a life long long of science and technology and has interest in helping the local tech community. Availability for mentoring sessions

• Face to face;
• Online meeting.