Network of mentors
The Network of Mentors contributes to the survival and expansion of the projects we support, assuring due follow-up.
Afonso Santos
Audience Commercial Director; Co-fundador;
Velocidi; Founders Founders;
Afonso Santos, despite being born in Braga, having already lived in London and San Francisco, now lives between Porto and Esposende. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computers but never had the possibility to work in this area.
Actual Head of Sales Europe of the New York company Velocidi (Customer Data Platform focused on eCommerce in the fashion sector), he is also co-founder of Founders Founders (ScaleUp’s incubator).
Since he was 16 years old he created his own business (webdesign), including the creation and management of several companies in the IT area, events and even management of bars and clubs. This diversity of business and experience meant that his networking, management experience, growth strategy, sales and leadership, were in constant development and improvement.
With the company TUIZZI.com (Marketplace for outdoor advertising) he was part of the first generation of entrepreneurs incubated at UPTEC (Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto) and managed to raise his first investment round to Portugal Ventures and Invicta Angels.
Later, he allied himself with 4 other founders and created Founders Founders – a community that differs by a peer mentoring model. With startup homes in Porto and Lisbon, Founders Founders is responsible for relevant events to the entrepreneurship ecosystem such as Boom – Massive Growth Week, Founders Unconference, Founder Meets Founder, Incinerator, among others. He is also responsible for the creation of Bytalk.com – Digital Marketing Platform where he managed to create partnerships with companies such as NOS, L’Oréal, and many other associations both at local and national level.
At Velocidi, as responsible for creating the strategy and sales team, in a few weeks after joining the team, he managed to bring important clients both nationally and internationally.
In parallel with his professional career, he has always been personally supportive of other entrepreneurs and even investing in some.
Alexandre Mendes
Head of Ventures
Subvisual
Over the last ten years, Alexandre Mendes is being the consultant for cities, public institutions and multinational companies about topics related to innovation, entrepreneurship, and development of new businesses. His merit is also acknowledged by having successfully created vocational training programs for Digital Economy, re-skilling programs and for being a key player in the promotion of entrepreneurship and digital transformation.
Alexandre Mendes is the former executive director at Startup Braga, where he led the development of an ecosystem and decided the strategic positioning to increase the success probabilities of a community of 138 startups that encompass Startup Braga.
Ana Alves
Training Manager
Tech Training Hub
Ana Alves is the Training Manager at the Tech Training Hub, the business training service of the CCG/ZGDV Institute.
Throughout her professional career, which began in 2001, she has held various roles in the field of Education and Training across different organizational contexts, including a business association, consulting firms, and schools/training institutions.
She has worked with diverse training formats and target audiences, participating in all stages of the training process, both in face-to-face and distance learning environments.
She is a certified trainer, holding a Pedagogical Competences Certificate (CCP) and a Certificate of Pedagogical Competences Specialization in Distance Trainer (+ digital).
Her academic background is a Bachelor’s degree in Portuguese (teaching), from the University of Minho, followed by a specialization in distance learning/e-learning training management and a postgraduate degree in Education for Development.
Carlos Rosa
General Director; Chef Executive Officer
Casa Alves
He started working full time in the family business at the age of 18, suspending his studies and later restarting them and becoming an “eternal student”.
At the age of 20 he participated in the foundation of Casa Alves, a distribution company in the construction sector, continuing one of the family businesses, at the age of 24 he participates in the foundation of MGR Transportes. He completed the Bachelor of Management at ESTG in Viana do Castelo, in 1994, and understands the importance of Marketing for the business.
He graduated in Marketing at ISAG in 1996 and there he received the IBM award for the best student. With the objective of better understanding the world of sustainable, long-term and scalable business, he attended and completed his MBA in 2001, which is now PBS – Porto Business School. In 2009, he was one of the participants in the 34th PADE – AESE Senior Management Program – Business School in collaboration with IESE – University of Navarra in Madrid.
He was invited to participate in the Advisory Council of APCMC – Portuguese Association of Building Material Traders in 2008, eventually joining the Board. Since 2017, he has chaired this nationwide business association representing Casa Alves – Material de Construção. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Board of the Esposende Solidário Association, Association of Social Intervention and support to the Family. Married, 3 children, Pedro, Francisco and Margarida. Alongside other activities, it is Casa Alves and the family that dedicates most of their time.
Clara Silva
Entrepreneurship Unit Coordinator
TecMinho
She has a degree in International, Economic and Political Relations, University of Minho. Clara Silva is the Entrepreneurship Unit Coordinator at TecMinho.
From 2005 onwards she is working in the Entrepreneurship area at TecMinho, and her main activities include the promotion of an entrepreneurial culture at University of Minho and the launch of new technology-based and knowledge-intensive business projects that emerge from the academic environment. Under the scope of the support to the creation of new companies, she coordinates a Spin-offs Program at University of Minho, whose purpose is to confer that status to the candidates; 40 business projects have so far been awarded that status. She oversees the Entrepreneurship Support Service within TecMinho and held around 500 meetings with entrepreneurs to assess innovative/technology-based business ideas.
Elisabete Sá
Teacher
School of Economics and Management, University of Minho
PhD in Marketing and Strategy and professor at the School of Economics and Management at the University of Minho since 2002. Throughout her career she has been involved in various initiatives to promote and support entrepreneurship, including business idea contests, marketing programs formation of entrepreneurial skills and programs to accelerate business projects. She is currently a scientific mentor for three academic spin offs and gives support, especially in the areas of strategy and marketing to start-up companies.
Fausto Torres
CEO
Signed web solutions
With a degree in communication design he founded Signed in 2009, a company based in Esposende that operated in the graphic design and web design markets but has then evolved into adding a new area of expertise, software development.
Counting on 15 years of experience in web design and technology, he takes part in the development and planning of projects from the various business sectors his clients and partners belong to; the challenges go from the creation of a web presence to the planning of a tailor made management software.
He believes there is always something new to learn every day and that there are always new ideas, concepts and projects waiting to be transformed.
Joana Barbosa
START Esposende Coordinator
START Esposende
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Industrial and Business Economics.
She helps transform ideas into sustainable businesses and build dynamic ecosystems that foster entrepreneurship. She has solid experience in economic development, entrepreneurship, and investment attraction, areas in which she actively works to promote competitiveness and attract new projects.
Within investment promotion, she has coordinated a project aimed at enhancing competitiveness in the Norte region of Portugal, involving collaboration with all 86 municipalities in the region. This initiative provided tailored support services to both national and international investors, as well as assistance in managing business areas.
She coordinates several strategic services within the Municipality of Esposende, including the Investment and Entrepreneurship Support Service, the Commercial and Industrial Activities Service, and START Esposende – Incubator and Investment Attraction Agency.
She also plays an active role in academia, delivering lectures to hundreds of students across different fields of study and universities. In addition, she has conducted research in the areas of innovation and firm survival, reinforcing her commitment to disseminating both practical and theoretical knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship.
João Carlos Freitas
Visiting Professor; Consultant and Entrepreneur
PEA.ISCAP.IPP; Pacifique Sud
He was born in Porto, but has a strong passion for Esposende, which has grown over more than 37 years of connection with the city.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA in Business Finance. He has over 15 years of experience in business consulting, supporting companies in areas such as e-commerce strategies—market analysis and e-commerce setup—as well as the design and implementation of management information systems and communication management.
He is also a Visiting Professor at the Porto Executive Academy of ISAG (Higher Institute of Administration and Management), where he teaches in the fields of Business Internationalization and Internationalization through E-commerce.
João Ribeiro
CEO
PeekMed
He is a Biomedical Engineer with a Master Degree in Medical Informatics, perfectionist and passionate about technology and medical imageology.
He founded PeekMed, a system of pre-surgery planning designed for orthopedic surgeries, aiming at helping young orthopedic surgeons achieve through technology the same results more experienced surgeons do, hence improving the patients’ results.
He believes technology plays an irreplaceable role in the world, especially in medicine. He is a sushi lover. “The real sushi, not the fusion sushi.”
José Marques da Silva
CEO
Finance XXI Consulting
Degree in Economics and Post-graduation in European Economics by the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC) and by the University College of Federalist Studies, Aosta, Italy. He attended the 4th year of a degree in the Free University of Brussels (ULB).
Professionally, José Marques da Silva has over 20 years of experience in the implementation of both business and territorial investment and competitiveness projects, having assisted operations in the national market, in several other European countries, and also in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. He was co-Coordinator of the Strategic and Intermunicipal Development Plans for Ave and Tâmega e Sousa (2014-2020) and the National Coordinator of the Internationalization projects “i-PME para Angola – Brasil – Moçambique” (2008-2010). He also coordinated the project Esposende Empreendedor (2017-2018).
Tutor and supervisor of the course on Managing Internationally from Porto Business School (2010-2015); Assistant at the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (1996-2003) and Intern at the European Parliament (Bolsa Robert Schuman) (1997).
He is the founding partner of the companies FINANCE XXI Consulting, STRATEGY XXI, GLOBAL XXI Consultants and Founder and Director of the ONE WORLD Magazine.
Luís Ferreira
Lecturer and Consultant
ISCET, Lab2PT (UMinho) e Horwath - HTL
PhD in Business Studies at the University of Santiago de Compostela, with a specialization in Strategic Tourism Planning. He is a Specialist Professor in Tourism and Leisure by the Higher Institute of Business and Tourism Sciences.
He teaches Tourism and Marketing at the Higher Institute of Business and Tourism Sciences. He is also a Research Guest at other national and international Universities and Higher Education Institutions.
He joined the Research Group Space R (Space and Representation) of Lab2PT (Landscape, Heritage and Territory Laboratory) at University of Minho. Besides being a Professor and Researcher, the Economist also works as a Consultant in Public and Private Organizations. His main areas of research and work are Strategic Tourism Planning, Strategic Planning of Touristic Destinations, Public Policies and Tourism development, Trends, Creative Tourism and Organization and Management of Touristic Infrastructures, an area in which he assists national and international groups in restructuring processes, business repositioning and identification of investment opportunities.
In 2018 he embraced a new project involving research and consultancy in Accessible and Inclusive Tourism in Tourism and Hospitality, together with Accessible Portugal.
Recently, he worked in straight cooperation with several Municipalities to lead their application to obtain a certificate as Nautical Station.
Miguel Novais
CEO
Katoa Lighting
Passionate about business development, investment, and innovation. He currently leads Katoa, a Portuguese lighting brand and manufacturer.
He always tries to take the best of every person and every situation to deliver the highest value possible. He holds a degree is Management and in Information and Communication Technologies, apart from several other courses, for instance, improvisational theatre.
Multitasked and self-taught, he believes in learn by doing and thinks everything is yet to be done. Miguel Novais is an eternal dreamer with his feet and his hands more and more on the ground.
Nuno Rocha
Cofounder
InflightIT
He is a leader, with a vast knowledge in technological solutions and a remarkable capacity to take decisions. Head of development and technological consultant, Nuno drives the projects in the right direction. He is experienced in taking decisions about the projects’ architecture and technological options while they are still getting started, so to grant them a solid basis that enables the freedom to grow healthy. He is responsible for eliminating the gap between those who image the product and the development team, so the project takes into consideration everybody’s expertise and meets the client’s needs. He owns a broad and proficient vision in technological solutions and finds it easy to make the right decisions.
Ricardo Silva
Global Tech Operations Leader; Co-founder
Google Cloud; Edge 42
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Ricardo Silva is a Global Tech Operations Leader with over 12 years of experience designing operating models and systems that enable global operations to scale in fast-changing environments.
Throughout his career at Google Cloud, he has distinguished himself by leading international, multicultural, and cross-continental teams, as well as managing strategic partnerships. Specializing in transforming early-stage concepts into robust, scalable operations, Ricardo is passionate about people-first leadership, operational excellence, and sustainable growth. He is currently focused on Edge 42, an investment company where he is one of three co-founders, dedicated to accelerating digital-native startups.
As a mentor, Ricardo is committed to supporting founders in critical areas such as Customer Experience (Support and Product Operations), organizational design, distribution and strategic partnerships, and go-to-market strategy. His expertise spans support process automation, executive alignment on product roadmaps, and the development of operational frameworks that help startups turn vision and strategy into measurable business outcomes.
Rui Santos Couto
VP of Marketing and Growth
Founders Founders; Infraspeak
Rui Santos Couto is the CMO of Infraspeak, with over 20 years of experience in Marketing and Revenue Growth within technology companies.
At Infraspeak, he leads Brand, Strategic Marketing, Demand Generation, and Product Growth functions, and has been one of the key figures behind the company’s international expansion to more than 30 countries. Before joining Infraspeak, he held leadership and consulting roles in technology companies. In 2014, he founded Musicverb, a SaaS platform acquired in 2017.
He is co-founder of Founders Founders and of Inside Facilities Management (IFM), a Visiting Professor at Porto Business School, author of Becoming a Strategic Facilities Manager (2026), and collaborated with the President of the Republic between 2018 and 2023.
Rui Pedro Silva
Global (S)VP eCommerce Platform
Puma
He describes himself as a dynamic young professional who uses technology as a way to improve the world. Dyslexic and introverted, he developed most of his career abroad, where he held management positions within the A.P. Moller–Maersk Group.
He holds a degree in Management and an MBA from Universidad Camilo José Cela. Rui enjoys combining technology and business in order to get the best of both worlds. In 2020, he was awarded the title of Best Digital Leader in Europe, and in the same year he received a vote of praise from the Municipality of Esposende. He is also part of a select group of members of the Forbes Technology Council.
At the beginning of 2021, he became Chief Digital Officer at Ericks. In July 2022, he took on the role of Vice President Tech at Adidas.
He is currently Global Senior Vice President of eCommerce Platform at Puma. He is also the author of the book “Pensa digital, mas não compliques”
Rui da Costa
CEO
Gubec - I&D in Textiles
He completed the Master Degree in Civil Engineering in 2016, at University of Minho. Still in 2016, in the exact same institution, he started the Master Degree in Industrial Engineering, specialization in Industrial Management, which he successfully completed in 2018 achieving the Specialization category.
His professional activity began in 2017 in the family business, Becri – Malhas e Confecções S.A, in Barcelos. For a while, he spent time in every sector, so to acquire knowledge and experience in the company’s work methods and in the textile industry as a whole. This was a crucial stage to bring him where he is now, working in the production management and planning department.
Ever since he started working, he is actively participating in the development and implementation of new investment projects carried out by the business group. One of those projects, in 2018, was the purchase of an industrial site in Esposende – Gubec – I&D in Textiles – where, to this moment, he works as CEO.
Sérgio Barral
Digital Marketing Consultant
Sbarral
Sérgio Barral is a digital marketing consultant from Esposende with over 8 years of experience in digital strategy, online advertising campaigns, analytics, e-commerce, website development, and optimising the digital presence of SMEs, local businesses, and growing projects.
His professional background combines experience in marketing agencies, in-house management of e-commerce stores, and independent consulting. Throughout his career, he has worked with projects across a wide range of industries, including retail, e-commerce, construction, interior design, fashion, hospitality, tourism, professional services, industrial equipment, public sector organisations, education, and local businesses.
As a mentor, he supports entrepreneurs and incubated companies in strengthening their online presence, optimising websites, developing effective content strategies, managing Google Ads campaigns, and adapting their digital strategies to emerging AI-assisted search environments.
He believes in a practical, approachable, and transparent approach, helping businesses better understand digital marketing and turn it into a valuable tool for sustainable growth.
Simão Soares
CEO; President
SilicoLife; Associação Portuguesa de Bioindústria
He holds a degree in Computer Engineering and a Master’s degree in Bioinformatics, and has always been involved in the business world.
He is the CEO and founder of SilicoLife, a biotech company that combines artificial intelligence and biology to design sustainable biological processes for the production of chemicals. Simão Soares is also the President of the Associação Portuguesa de Bioindústrias.
He was awarded Most Innovative Bioeconomy CEO in 2020.
Telmo Santos
Technology Transfer Officer
CCG/ZGDV
He is the Technology Transfer Officer at the CCG/ZGDV Institute, with experience since 2014 in the fields of innovation, industrial property, and entrepreneurship promotion.
He holds a Master’s degree in Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He has worked at DSM Food Specialties in the Netherlands, and served as a Technology Transfer Manager at the University of Aveiro and at the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP). He also worked as a Business Manager in the field of Intellectual Property at Clarke, Modet & Co..
At UCP, he taught Entrepreneurship courses and mentored young entrepreneurs.
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