PauloRogérioNunes

Paulo Rogério Nunes is proud of the heritage of his city, Salvador da Bahia, the UNESCO-recognized birthplace of the pillars of Afro-Brazilian culture. But though the city’s rich heritage is a strong foundation for creativity, Black startup founders there still struggle to access funding, so Nunes set up Vale do Dendê, a social impact accelerator and innovation center to help them. One of the biggest barriers Nunes had to overcome in the process was rebranding Salvador as a hub for tech innovation, which he addressed by telling ecosystem players to look for opportunities outside the bubble, a philosophy he eventually wrote about in his book Invisible Opportunities. Nowadays, he helps find opportunities for brands in the African diaspora market through Afar Ventures, a diversity, data, and media solutions consultancy he co-founded in 2019.