6th November 2026
Day Outline
Welcome & Opening Keynote — a hard-hitting look at the access to capital challenge facing entrepreneurs today
Panel 1: Setting Today’s Venture Scene — leading global venture & PE investors, entrepreneurs, and academics take stock of where the market stands right now
Session 1: Funding & Angels
- Improve your pitch — what investors want
- Building Angel & Family Office Networks
Session 2: Founders & Investors
- Black & of-color entrepreneurs
- Women entrepreneurs
- Older 55+ entrepreneurs
Lunch & Networking / Panel 2
Session 3: Sectors
- How to bag an Angel!
- Sectors — agri, tech, telco, insuretech, cyber & more
- Family Business
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Intrapreneurship; Education, Health & Fitness
Session 4:
- Mini Fundraising Mythbusting Workshop — save time, money, and be more effective
- Is there a future in AI?
Opening & Closing Drinks Receptions & Awards
Travel Information: Our official airline partner is BermudAir.
Their US routes include: Baltimore, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Halifax, Montreal, Newark, Orlando, Raleigh, Tampa, Toronto, Westchester
Flights: If you plan to leave from one of these airports, you can use code “QODEO” for 15% off through www.flybermudair.com to book your flights
Flight & Hotel Bundles: You can save and bundle through www.flybermudair.com by booking your hotel and flights together
Hotels: If you do not plan to use BermudAir for air-travel, you can still book hotels through their website
Other Airlines that fly to Bermuda include: American, Delta, JetBlue, United, Air Canada, British Airways, and WestJet.
If you have any questions regarding travel, please reach out to [email protected].
Join us in Bermuda this November for a landmark gathering at the intersection of venture capital, entrepreneurship, and inclusion. Following a hugely successful 2025 Summit at the House of Lords in London, Qodeo is bringing its mission to break down barriers between diverse entrepreneurs and the capital they deserve — this time to one of the world’s most iconic business destinations.
Whether you are on-island or visiting from off-island, please purchase your Summit ticket through the Luma page above.
Friday November 6th, 2026 (VVIP reception November 5th)
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Hamilton, BermudaLight Breakfast & Networking (Beginning at 8:15)
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Session 1: Understanding the funding ecosystem – equity (angels, venture, and more), building networks
Coffee Break
Session 2: Where can Bermuda excel?
Coffee Break
Session 3: Creating True Innovation
Session 4: What Investors Want – Myth Busting
Buffet, Lunch & Learn
Session 5: Improving Black, Female, Regional and 55+, under-represented Founders’ and Investors’ access to capital
Coffee Break
Session 6: Working on your pitch – telling your story
Session 7: AI Workshop
Closing Remarks
Closing Reception (Wrapping up at 6:30)
Our official airline partner is BermudAir.
Bermudair flies from Baltimore, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Halifax, Montreal, Newark, Orlando, Tampa, Toronto, Westchester to Bermuda.
If you plan to leave from one of these airports, you can use code “QODEO” for 15% off through www.flybermudair.com to book your flights
Flight & Hotel Bundles: you can save and bundle through www.flybermudair.com by booking your hotel and flights together.
Other Airlines that fly to Bermuda include American, Delta, JetBlue, United, Air Canada, British Airways, and WestJet
Our preferred hotel is Grotto Bay with Summit special rates. You can book direct via the online booking link is https://reservations.travelclick.com/103528?groupID=5458004. Or, please quote QODEO if calling +1 441-293-8333 or emailing [email protected] .
Whether you are on-island or visiting from off-island, please purchase your ‘Summit Ticket’ separately through tab above.
If you have any questions regarding travel, please reach out to [email protected].
Henri Murison MBE
Economic Development – Northern Powerhouse Partnership
Since his appointment in 2017 he has established the partnership as the business led organisation which convenes the North together. From having made the case consistently for Northern Powerhouse Rail, to challenging for a better deal for the most disadvantaged from the education system, his team are focused on how government, business and partners can drive the North’s ambitions. Before joining the Partnership, he worked in senior research and policy roles in policing and financial services, and as a former senior local government figure in Newcastle upon Tyne remains a commentator on regional and wider industrial policy. He is a member of the Royal Society Science, Industry and Translation Committee, the Court of Newcastle University and in the New Year’s honours list was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Dame Anne Glover
Venture Capitalist – Amadeus Capital Partners
Dame Anne co-founded Amadeus Capital Partners in 1997 with Hermann Hauser KBE. Now one of Europe’s leading VCs.Building on her scientific training and operating experience, Anne has been a venture capitalist for over 30 years and has been investing in emerging markets for 15 years. Early in her career Anne lived in the USA, working in manufacturing with Cummins Engine Company and in strategy consulting with Bain & Co, before returning to the United Kingdom to join Apax Partners in 1989 to invest in early stage companies. She became COO of one of her investee companies, Virtuality Group, after it listed on the LSE in 1993, and then returned to investing as a business angel before founding Amadeus in 1997. Anne was appointed Non-Executive Director of the Court of the Bank of England in 2018 and in 2019 became a member of the Investment Committee of Yale Corporation, which is responsible for oversight of the Yale University Endowment.
Glen Gaddy
Angel Investor/Education – Robin Hood Ventures (Philadelphia)/University of Delaware
Glen Gaddy has experience in technology, life sciences, advanced materials, real estate, consumer product development and venture funding. He has been an active angel investor since 2003, funding technology, real estate, day care and business services ventures. Additionally, he leads the Launch Fund, an early stage venture fund supporting start ups at the University of Delaware. His prior experience includes leading research and development for a leading building materials company, leading real estate services for the world’s largest consulting engineering firm, and running a closely held real estate investment company. He has published in professional journals and has served as the Principal Investigator on over $8M of government research programs. He is an active reviewer of applied research grant applications in both the United States and abroad, an active speaker on startups and early stage funding, and the reviewer of numerous business plans each year. He holds a Ph.D., M.S.E and B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University.
Mayor Michael W. Branco
Public Sector & Venture Capital – Hamilton, Bermuda & Celeste Ventures
Dr. Michael Branco has 27+ years of technology experience, transforming startups from concept to thriving businesses. He founded several companies from scratch, including entities in IT services, IT security, e-commerce, commercial property, Insurtech, and Web3 & AI advisory, two of which grew to $10M+ in revenue while Michael was CEO.As Founder & Executive Chair of Celeste Ventures, Michael oversees a diverse portfolio of Bermuda-based and international companies, providing strategic advisory services and leveraging his expertise in startups, technology, operations, and finance. Michael holds a Computer Science degree from Western University, an MBA from the Richard Ivey Business School, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Rutgers Business School. He is a Past Chair of YPO Bermuda. Currently, Michael is a Board Member for Coinbase International and Soter Insurance, both BMA-regulated entities, and serves as Chair of Bermuda Forward, a non-political think tank for Bermuda. Elected on May 7th, 2026, Michael currently serves as the Mayor of Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda.
Jack Conway
Investor – British Consulate, Boston
Jack Conway is a Senior Capital Investment Officer at the British Consulate in Boston, focused on Venture Capital. He manages the UK government’s relationships with East Coast venture capital firms, with the objective of promoting investment into the UK’s innovation ecosystem. Prior to his time with UK government, he worked at a govtech software startup. He has a BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics.
Zakiya Lee
Venture Capitalist – Alta Business Solutions/ZtheVC
Zakiya Lee is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and strategic advisor whose path has never been linear. Her career has spanned being an Atlanta Hawks dancer, founding and operating a business in three states, earning a Duke Executive MBA, working at a Fortune 500 company, and becoming a Principal at an early-stage venture capital fund. Today, through Alta Business Solutions, she advises founders and evaluates venture investment opportunities, while ZTheVC helps founders and emerging investors demystify venture capital. She has evaluated hundreds of companies, raised millions for early-stage startups, and served in board-level advisory roles.
Paul Wright
Banking – Qodeo Board Member
After 40 years of executive experience as FD/CFO in banks and other financial services companies. Including roles at private equity firm powerhouse Carlyle, as CFO and Deputy CFO of Coutts Bank, CFO Asia-Pac Standard Chartered Bank, Finance Director of Man Investments, and various roles in venture in Singapore, Treasurer of Brain Research UK. Now supporting Qodeo as a non-executive director and shareholder.
Andy Mielczarek
Banking – Bermuda Commercial Bank
Andy is the Executive Chair and CEO of Bermuda Commercial Bank. He founded Chetwood bank in the UK which he ran for 8 years before retiring in 2024. He has worked in Financial services for 35 years across 10 countries.
Stephen Fusi
Entrepreneur & Education – Qodeo Board & North Carolina Central University
Stephen W. Fusi is a brand builder, operator, and founder who serves on the board of Qodeo. Stephen is Chief Brand Officer of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). He is Founder and President of The SLAS Corporation, which operates FUUSI®, a premium North Carolina-grown sweetpotato chip brand, and Chief Brand Officer at Historically Black College & University (HBCU) North Carolina Central University. He previously founded and scaled DreamBIG!, a chip brand that reached more than 70 retail doors in Cameroon, and held senior marketing and brand leadership roles at Fidelity Charitable, The Safe + Fair Food Company, Starbucks, C. R. Bard, and Procter & Gamble. He also served as Managing Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where he built programs for aspiring founders, operators, and investors.
Matt Gittleman
Family Office/Venture Capitalist – JHH vc
Matt Gittleman is an early-stage venture investor based in the Washington, DC area. He invests at pre-seed and seed through JHH vc, with a portfolio of 150 active companies, leads venture strategy for Clockwork, and is a Venture Partner at Cape Fear Ventures. His thesis centers on data as a moat, aerospace and defense, and critical infrastructure and energy. In 2017 he co-founded VC in DC, now an 800+ investor and 400+ fund community across the Mid-Atlantic. He previously invested with Blu Ventures and Core Capital, and was named to Washingtonian’s 2026 Tech Titans list. He holds an MBA from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.
Keith Daniel
Venture Capitalist – Resilient Ventures
Dr. M. Keith Daniel is Co-founder a and Managing Director of Resilient Ventures, LLC. (RV) and owner of Madison Consulting Group, LLC. RV invests in early-stage, multi-sector, scalable B2B/SaaS/Tech companies led by African American founders. Dr. Daniel has over 3 decades of management and servant-leadership in the public sector, business, higher education including the Duke MBA, HR, Divinity, and Duke University Chapel. Daniel served as Executive Director for StepUp NC and DurhamCares, Inc. He is an ordained clergy leader, Christian community development practitioner and Duke Divinity special projects/instructor.
Sean Reel
Accelerator – Ignite Bermuda
Sean Reel is Executive Director of Ignite Bermuda, the island’s business accelerator, which has run ten cohorts of Bermudian founders and is currently delivering its eleventh. He works with early stage companies on the thing the island finds hardest: getting from an idea to a fundable business, and then to capital that is actually available to them. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of Smart Hydration Limited, a UK care technology company that gives care homes an objective record of what residents actually drink. It is raising now and preparing its first full deployment in Bermuda.
Anamaria Magri Pantea
Innovation – AscendConsulting.EU
Anamaria Magri Pantea is co-founder and Managing Consultant of AscendConsulting.EU An economist with specialisation in finance and business administration, she has over 25 years of experience in support of entrepreneurship and innovation. She has done this in various roles and in numerous public and private, EU, national and inter-governmental level initiatives aimed at sustainable socio-economic development. Anamaria worked with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology where she was in charge of guiding and overseeing the implementation of the first three European Knowledge and Innovation Communities focused on climate, energy and digitalisation.
Mayor Leo Williams
Public Sector – City of Durham
Sean Reel is Executive Director of Ignite Bermuda, the island’s business accelerator, which has run ten cohorts of Bermudian founders and is currently delivering its eleventh. He works with early stage companies on the thing the island finds hardest: getting from an idea to a fundable business, and then to capital that is actually available to them. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of Smart Hydration Limited, a UK care technology company that gives care homes an objective record of what residents actually drink. It is raising now and preparing its first full deployment in Bermuda.
Erica Smith
BEDC – Public Sector
Currently the Executive Director of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, Erica is responsible for developing a strong, prosperous local business sector in Bermuda, overseeing thousands of MSMEs, as well as progressing national economic development projects across the Island and within its four Economic Empowerment Zones.
Haley Bryant
Hustle Fund – Venture Capital
Haley is a Partner @ Hustle Fund, investing in pre-seed startups. Hustle Fund’s mission is to democratize wealth creation via startups by providing capital, knowledge and networks. Haley is also Co-Chair of BLCK VC DMV, an Investor in Residence at Citrine Angels, a 60x angel investor, and a builder (groundfloor.careers).
More panelists to be announced soon!
