What VivaTech taught me about building and sharing in Portugal

What surprised or inspired you most during your time at VivaTech?

"I’ve spent most of my career in structured sectors like banking and fintech, where innovation often moves slowly and cautiously. At VivaTech, I felt a different kind of energy, especially around early-stage startups.

There was a raw creative drive, and a real sense of people chasing ideas they cared about. It brought something back in me I hadn’t felt in a while: the builder, the explorer, and most importantly, the storyteller. I carried that energy back with me to Portugal."

If you could bring one idea, mindset, or technology from VivaTech to Portugal, what would it be and why?

"If I had to pick one thing, it would be the mindset of sharing while building. At VivaTech, many founders were open with their early ideas: half-built products, lessons from failures, even questions they hadn’t figured out yet.

They weren’t guarding their ideas. They were shaping them through conversation.

In Portugal, especially in business school circles, we often wait until something is ‘ready’ before we share it. We keep it in ‘stealth mode’. But Lisbon is full of smart people from across Europe and beyond. There’s a real opportunity to create small communities where ideas grow through open dialogue and feedback."

What would you love to see happen for the ESCP alumni community in Portugal in the next 12 months?

"I’d love to see more alumni share their real journeys. Not just polished bios, but the tough choices, the career pivots, the projects that failed, and what they learned. That’s what builds real connection, and that’s how a strong community grows.

And we can go further. There’s a big opportunity to connect with alumni from other French and European schools here in Portugal. If we stop thinking in silos, we’ll unlock more energy, more creativity, and a richer community for everyone. 

Let’s make the ESCP Portugal community a place where that creativity thrives."

What’s the boldest thing you’ve done recently, personally or professionally?

"I’m building a new telecom venture from scratch across countries, with Portugal as my base. The bold part? Saying no to the familiar path and betting on a vision that doesn’t exist yet.

I came to Portugal to slow down and rethink what I wanted to build next. That reflection led me to a simple belief: the real value isn’t just in what we build, but in how and with whom we build it."

One world to conclude?

"If you’re in Portugal or thinking of coming back, let’s connect. We don’t have to wait for someone else to build community. We can shape it ourselves."