Lisbon · 10 and 11 November 2026
Two conversations on investment, business growth and opportunity, hosted by MELLA Supply and Strategic Disruption Consulting.
Tuesday 10 November
Exploring capital, customers, expertise and opportunities in diverse markets
How can impact investing reach a wider range of businesses and activate more people to back them?
The businesses we encounter, the networks we draw on and the way we assess opportunity shape where our intentions lead.
MELLA Supply and Strategic Disruption Consulting invite impact investors, business leaders, professionals and founders to explore how finance, expertise and commercial access can contribute to a more diverse business ecosystem.
Rooted in Black and Afro Lusophone entrepreneurship, MELLA connects ethnic minority led and women led businesses with potential investors, commercial partners and relevant expertise. Lisbon is our meeting point for a conversation spanning Portugal, Europe and the diaspora.
We will explore consumer goods, everyday services, technology and STEM ventures. The starting point is the business: what it does, who it serves and what it needs next.
For those already investing for impact, this is an invitation to exchange perspectives on which businesses enter the pipeline, how they are understood and what appropriate backing looks like. For those interested in getting involved, it is a chance to explore how financial resources, operating experience or commercial relationships could contribute.
We will also share a first look at the two-sided approach MELLA and SDC are developing. Founders prepare to explain their businesses and needs; potential backers examine the context and evidence, with space for both sides to ask questions and learn from one another before considering a next step.
Right business. Right capital.
Impact investors, business angels, executives, buyers, experienced professionals and institutional partners, alongside founders and business owners. People from all backgrounds are welcome, whether already investing or exploring how to participate.
Chief Revenue Officer, Black Innovation Alliance
Tammy has helped secure more than $22 million for Black Innovation Alliance, a US network of more than 200 entrepreneur support organisations. She leads the commercialisation of Source Code, a platform that shows small business owners where they stand and what to do next.
Founder, allocator and angel investor
Bryan worked in brand strategy at R/GA, McKinsey and Nike’s Jordan Brand, then in philanthropy at Emerson Collective and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. He founded the venture studio Television.Ventures. Based in Cascais, he connects US networks in Black capital, culture and media with European and Afro Lusophone founders.
Founder and CEO, AMH Catalyst Center
Jenny founded AMH Catalyst Center (Amplifying Markets for Her), a nonprofit working to close the gender capital gap in venture capital. Its Capital Passport platform assesses ten dimensions of capital access, giving founders and investors a shared view of a company’s strengths and investment potential. Based in San Francisco, she brings more than 20 years of finance experience at Wells Fargo, Bank of the West/BNP Paribas and Citigroup, including managing a $420 million fund and a $1 billion energy transition commitment.
Founder, The Dolls London
Born in Lisbon of Bissau Guinean descent, Vanessa studied communication at the University of the Arts London, followed by a master’s in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. She left her corporate role at Google to build The Dolls London, the only Black owned and Black led franchise of luxury aesthetics and wellness clinics in London. She has contributed to projects supporting women in business across Africa and the diaspora. In 2024, the Lord Mayor of London presented her with the Key to the City in recognition of her work designing an enterprise mentoring programme for young people and young offenders across the UK.
Founder, Lava Lounge
Born and raised on Sint Maarten, Gisele has spent more than 20 years building across Europe, including operations and community roles at Uber and other startups. She helped take an early product to a million dollar crowdfunding campaign when traditional investors did not understand the market.
Wednesday 11 November
Where is opportunity emerging beyond the familiar investment pipeline?
An official Web Summit Community Space meetup hosted by MELLA Supply, community partner, with Strategic Disruption Consulting.
Join VCs, angels and capital partners for a conversation on innovation, growth and capital fit, drawing on Black and Afro Lusophone business perspectives.
Explore different business models, routes to market and the conditions that make an opportunity a fit for the business and the capital provider.
Where is commercial value emerging across sectors and markets?
What evidence helps assess an unfamiliar customer, business model or route to growth?
When do the needs of the business align with the objectives and constraints of the capital provider?
What role do operating expertise, relationships and market access play in making growth possible?
Where can investors, accelerators, corporate partners and city institutions connect their resources more effectively?
This is a space for informed exchange, practical examples and audience perspectives, not a pitch competition or a funding offer.
Primarily VCs, angel investors and other capital providers, alongside lenders, corporate buyers, accelerators, city institutions and ecosystem partners. Founders are welcome to contribute their experience.
Founder, allocator and angel investor
Bryan worked in brand strategy at R/GA, McKinsey and Nike’s Jordan Brand, then in philanthropy at Emerson Collective and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. He founded the venture studio Television.Ventures. Based in Cascais, he connects US networks in Black capital, culture and media with European and Afro Lusophone founders.
U.S. business and transactional attorney
Sydney advises founders and privately held companies on investment, financing, growth and corporate transactions, drawing on more than two decades of experience across media and entertainment, consumer goods and commercial real estate. As outside general counsel, she works with business leaders on day-to-day operations, commercial agreements and corporate structures. Working between Lisbon and Boston, she has more than ten years of international experience and has taught legal and contract fundamentals to startups.
Artist and founder, Mizé Sanches
Mizé is a Cape Verdean artist and artisan who began creating jewellery while studying law. She founded Mizé Acessórios in 2019, bringing traditional craft techniques and natural materials into contemporary design. Her 2020 Siza Karapati collection uses sisal fibres from Santiago island and honours the strength of Cape Verdean women. She received first prize for leather goods at FIMA in Rabat, Morocco, and has represented Cabo Verde internationally. In 2025, her brand became Mizé Sanches.
MELLA TABLE
Three rooms in Lisbon: community, mentorship, then capital. What we heard there shaped the programme.
Prepare the ask. Prepare the response. Discover the two-sided approach MELLA Supply and Strategic Disruption Consulting are developing.
Explore the programmeProposed pilot for Q1 2027. No funding or commercial outcomes are guaranteed.
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