In this episode of Venture Ahead, Professor Joe Haslam talks with global venture capitalist and author Alexandre Lazarow about how high-performing startups outside Silicon Valley succeed with different playbooks. Drawing on his book "Out-Innovate," Alex contrasts blitzscaling with resilient camel startup strategies that prioritize capital efficiency and staged growth. They explore why startups in smaller markets like Estonia and Singapore are born global from day one, how fintech evolved differently across regions and why innovation is increasingly polycentric.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlazarow/

https://alexlazarow.com/

https://fluentventures.com/

https://www.ie.edu/university/about/faculty/joe-haslam/

https://www.southsummit.io/brazil/

In this episode of Venture Ahead, host Joe Haslam talks with Bruno Loiola, cofounder of Pluggy and IE University alum, about his journey from the Venture Lab to building fintech infrastructure in Brazil. They discuss Brazil's remarkable transformation from a cash-based to digital-first economy, driven by innovations like Pix instant payments and Open Finance regulations. Bruno explains Pluggy's role as the bridge connecting bank accounts to apps, and how Central Bank policies have brought 70 million Brazilians into the financial system.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunoloiola

https://www.pluggy.ai/

https://www.ie.edu/university/about/faculty/joe-haslam/

https://www.southsummit.io/brazil/

https://www.ycombinator.com/

In this episode of Venture Ahead, Professor Joe Haslam chats with Chris Roe, an actor turned public-speaking coach who helps entrepreneurs, CEOs and other business professionals around the world understand the value of confident, authentic communication.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisroecoach/

https://chrisroe.co/

https://www.southsummit.io/brazil/

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded at South Summit Brazil in Porto Alegre, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam sits down with Orkut Buyukkokten, creator of the pioneering social network Orkut.com, to explore the power of connection and the lessons learned from building a global online community.

Buyukkokten shares his journey from a multicultural childhood in Turkey, Germany and the US to becoming a Silicon Valley engineer at Google, where he developed Orkut as a side project that went on to capture the hearts of millions—especially in Brazil. He reflects on the challenges of scaling rapidly, navigating company politics and the cultural factors that shaped the platform’s success.

The conversation explores what makes communities thrive, the role of technology in fostering belonging and why social networks need their own identity separate from enterprise tools. Buyukkokten offers candid insights into innovation, resilience and the human need to connect.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/orkutb/

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded at South Summit Brazil in Porto Alegre, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam sits down with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, to explore what it means to be a resilient and impact-driven entrepreneur in today’s fast-changing world.

Sauvage talks about the journey of a startup and the right moment for scaling, as well as how different VCs can support entrepreneurs in these different stages. He also unpacks the idea of “impact scalers”—entrepreneurs who combine sustainability and profitability to drive large-scale change.

The conversation dives into the economics of scaling, the role of a good manager, and the evolving landscape of corporate venture capital. Sauvage makes a bold case for VCs as “superheroes” who empower entrepreneurs, and challenges venture capital to see entrepreneurs as customers.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nsauvage/

https://tdk-ventures.com/

In this latest episode of Venture Ahead, recorded at South Summit Brazil, Professor Joe Haslam talks to leading venture capitalist Veronica Serra, founder of Innova Capital.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Veronica explains what she did to be taken seriously early on as a woman in a very male-dominated sector, the advantages of a more empathetic and collaborative approach to VC, her approach to adding value to the companies she invests in, and much more.

Discover her personal experiences and insights from a long and highly successful VC career—from generational and gender differences to the importance of purpose.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-allende-serra-a90a6/

https://www.innovacapital.com.br

https://endeavor.org

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded live at South Summit Brazil, IE Business School's professor Joe Haslam speaks with Erik Day, Dell’s senior vice president of small & medium business, and global executive chair of Dell’s PRIDE Employee Resource Group (ERG).
Erik and Joe discuss the importance of SMBs in the business ecosystem—and the world. They explore the effect that greater access to technology and data is having on SMBs' ability to connect with their customers, and compare the different growth mindsets that can exist in American vs. European SMBs.
The conversation also covers the theme of being able to be yourself in the workplace; Erik shares his own personal experiences as a member of the LGBTQ community and reflects on how the culture has changed in the more than 25 years since he joined Dell.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/blog/authors/erik-day/; https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-day-a14a0632/

https://www.dell.com/en-us/lp/dt/michael-dell

https://jobs.dell.com/en/pride-employee-resource-group

https://www.southsummit.io/brazil/

https://www.ie.edu/business-school/

In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded live at South Summit Brazil, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam speaks with Damaris Mendoza, Partner at VC firm 500 Global.
Together, they dive into the complex topic of diversity in venture capital, exploring the biases that shape investment decisions, the patterns that exclude promising founders and how the industry can move from awareness to real change. Mendoza shares insights from her work in Latin America and beyond, shedding light on why representation in investment teams matters, and how emerging fund managers are starting to shift the status quo. They also discuss the importance of communication skills for creating a more diverse global entrepreneurial ecosystem.
If you're curious about how capital can be a catalyst for inclusion, this conversation is a must-listen for understanding the future of VC in a more equitable world.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/damaris-mendoza-loera?originalSubdomain=mx , https://500.co/

https://www.axios.com/smart-brevity