2013 Latin American Cities Conferences Rio de Janeiro – Brazil: Advancing Entrepreneurship and Innovation

New York, March 25, 2013 – Join Americas Society and Council of the Americas in Rio de Janeiro or online via live webcast as we discuss “Advancing Entrepreneurship and Innovation” in a conference co-organized with Rio Negócios on Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The conference will bring together entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and innovators with leaders of the public and private sectors to focus on Brazil and Rio’s emerging entrepreneurship ecosystem which aims to recreate the economic vitality of Silicon Valley.

Rio de Janeiro is attracting billions of dollars in investments around the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, as well as recent offshore oil discoveries. But infrastructure and oil are not the only sectors booming. Both entrepreneurship and innovations are flourishing as entrepreneurs develop new ideas and start companies that are becoming a magnet for venture capitalists. Simultaneously, large foreign corporations are building world-class research centers in the city.

“The emergence of entrepreneurs, new companies, and opportunities is one of the most exciting things happening in Brazil today. The idea that Rio could build a Silicon Valley-type ecosystem demonstrates the enormous depth of possibilities,” says Americas Society/Council of the Americas President and CEO Susan Segal.

Local and international panelists at the conference include Sergio Cabral, Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro; Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro; Maria Silvia Bastos Marques, President, Municipal Olympic Company; Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas; and Marcelo Haddad, CEO, Rio Negócios. Additional speakers include Francisco Alvarez-Demalde, Founder and Partner, Riverwood Capital Partners; Guruduth Banavar, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Global Public Sector, IBM; Karin Breitman, General Manager of the Brazil R&D Center, EMC Corporation; Scott Cutler, Executive Vice President, Global Listing, NYSE Euronext; Kevin Efrusy, Partner, Accel Partners; Eduardo Klingelhoefer de Sá, Head of the Department of Investment Funds, Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES); Marcio Kumruian, Founder and CEO, Netshoes; Felipe Matos, COO, Startup Brasil; Juliano Seabra, Managing Director, Endeavor Brasil; Amb. Clifford Sobel, Managing Partner, Valor Capital Group; Marco Stefanini, Founder and President, Stefanini IT Solutions; and Benjamin White, Founder, 21212 Digital Accelerator.

Visit www.as-coa.org/rio2013 for the complete agenda, blog, and live webcast of the conference.
The webcast begins Thursday, April 11, 2013, 9:00 a.m. local time, 8:00 a.m. ET.
Get live updates on Twitter via @ascoa and #techRJ

Tune into the live webcast here.

2013 Latin American Cities Conference: Rio de Janeiro
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Registration: 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Presentation: 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Copacabana
Av. Atlântica, 4240 Copacabana
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Press Inquiries: Please contact Adriana La Rotta at alarotta@as-coa.org or 1-212-277-8384.

Americas Society (AS) is the premier organization dedicated to education, debate and dialogue in the Americas. Established by David Rockefeller in 1965, our mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship.

Council of the Americas (COA) is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere.