Speakers

Marinella Piñate

CEO & Co-Founder

Marinella is one of the founders and CEO of Zumma. Before Zumma, she spent 5 years at Goldman Sachs where she was one of the first employees to start their consumer digital bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, where she worked closely with the CFO and COO of the bank to set up the strategy of building and scaling the bank, while managing a $300M budget. She also worked in customer acquisition and product for the personal loans product.

She has also worked in Product Strategy and Operations in fintech where her last role was as Chief of Staff at Arcus. Marinella has an industrial and systems engineering degree from the University of Florida and an MBA from MIT. She is originally from Caracas, Venezuela.

Moishe Mana

Founder & Chairman

Moishe is a billionaire entrepreneur committed to creating and improving neighborhoods. Arriving in the United States from Israel in the early 1980’s, Mana grew a small logistics business into a global real estate empire, including GRM. He realized that as a business owner, his activity could be harnessed to deliberately create an ecosystem and change the fabric of an entire community, as he did opening Milk Studios and Mana Contemporary in the Meatpacking District of NY.

After purchasing and revitalizing large swathes in the Meatpacking District and Jersey City, Mana now had his sights set on his most ambitious project to date: Miami, where he already developed it’s arts and entertainment district, Wynwood.

Mana has shifted his efforts to developing Downtown Miami’s Flagler District into a commercial core, functioning as the economic engine of the city. Mana’s acquisitions go far beyond property ownership; real estate is merely the platform to achieve long term success in the communities he creates.

Charly Esnal

CEO

With more than two decades of experience in the corporate and startup sectors, Charly Esnal is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with a diverse background and expertise. His career has taken him from leading a multinational travel insurance corporation to co-founding a tracking technology startup and founding Base Miami, with numerous projects, assignments, and missions in between.

Charly's journey has been consistently marked by a commitment to empowering individuals and organizations unlocking their full potential, a mission he accomplishes by knowledge sharing, networking, and fostering community engagement.

Now, as CEO of Mana Tech and through his visionary leadership, he is not only empowering, but also shaping a dynamic and burgeoning tech ecosystem in Miami, fostering innovation and opportunity that resonate far beyond the city's borders.

Jeffrey Abbott

Co-Founder and Chief Organizer / Founding Partner

Jeff is a VC at Blitzscaling Ventures, focusing on early-stage AI companies at the intersection of AI and Blitzscaling, as well as emerging growth-stage blitzscalers in winner-takes-most markets. He leads the fund's international deal-sourcing efforts and manages the Blitzscaling Ventures Fellows program.

Jeff is also a Managing Partner at Blitzscaling Academy, a resource that supports founders and innovators in scaling through the Blitzscaling framework. Additionally, he is the founder and leader of Aisalon.ai, a global community for AI founders, builders, investors, and partners. A multilingual connector, investor, and ecosystem builder, Jeff supports scaling companies worldwide.

Rodrigo Barros de Paula

Regional Head of Fintech, Digital Partners & Visa Ventures - LAC

Rodrigo Barros de Paula is the Regional Head of Fintech Partnerships for Visa Latin America and the Caribbean. De Paula is a leader with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services and digital payments industry.

As the fintech alliance leader for Latin America and the Caribbean, he is responsible for identifying and managing strategic partnerships, alliances and commercial agreements with fintech players throughout the region, as well as with payment enablers, large technology companies and Visa Ventures.

His focus over the past few years has been on finding new, innovative and effective ways to provide digital payment solutions to fintechs, processors, enablers, issuers and acquirers in Latin America. He began his career in Brazil with Itaú, where he served in various roles, including legal, core products, loyalty and co-brands. He holds a law degree with a master's degree in Corporate and Economic Law from the Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo, and a MBA from Insper in Brazil.

Alejandra Slatapolsky

Co-Founder

Alejandra has extensive experience working with over 300 global, Latin American, and Hispanic brands. This experience has allowed her to develop the ability to guide clients in implementing best-in-class branding and communication solutions.

Her client portfolio includes notable companies such as Amerant, Itaú Private Bank, BCP Global, Insigneo, FlexFunds, Semantix, BlackRock, and The ETF Think Tank.

Omar Arab

Managing Director

Omar is the Managing Director of Miami Fintech Club, a non-profit company that builds ecosystems fintech platforms with global entrepreneurs. He joined VeriTran in 2019 and led the landing of the company in the United States, building and designing the strategic go-to-market plan. He also focuses on sales and marketing activities with the partner ecosystem.

Omar holds a degree in Systems Engineering from the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional of Argentina (UTN) and a degree in Management and Technologies from Stanford University. He has more than 30 years of experience in the technology, banking, fintech, and entrepreneurship industries, has founded a software company, and served as CEO of fintechs, digital banks, and payments companies.

Besides, he is a professor of entrepreneurship and venture capital in the course 'How to build startups' from the UTN, and he leads the Digital Transformation Program in Atlantis University (Miami, Florida, USA).

Mario Hernández

CEO & Co-Founder

Mario Hernández has an outstanding career as CEO of technology companies, specializing in Digital Banking and payment systems. Under his leadership, these companies have transformed into high-impact innovative startups, employing more than 750 people distributed across the United States, Europe and Latin America.

He is currently CEO and Co-Founder of finvero, the Artificial Intelligence platform with Alternative Data that covers the credit life cycle, based in Mexico.

Gerardo Briones

CEO & Co-Founder

Gerardo Briones is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in scaling and consolidating businesses across diverse industries, including technology, payments, fintech, HR, media, and agriculture.

He is the founder of Promogroup, a leader in mobile and outdoor advertising in Mexico, and co-founder of Workpoint, providing payroll and HR solutions to over 500 clients. In 2016, Gerardo co-founded Lemon Cell, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator in partnership with AT&T, serving unions and governments.

His ventures also include Agricola Chinampa, an innovative indoor vertical farming company leveraging robotics and machine learning, and Pagaloop, a fintech platform empowering SMEs with cash flow management tools, backed by investors like Y Combinator. Additionally, Gerardo manages H3llo FXS, a quantitative hedge fund democratizing access to high-frequency trading strategies.

A graduate of MIT's 'Birthing of Giants' program, Gerardo is pursuing the Owners Presidents and Managers Program (OPM 64) at Harvard Business School. His work has been featured in Forbes and Expansión, and he has held board positions with YPO, EO, and the Mexican Association for Outdoor Advertising.

Erika Quezada

CBO & Co-founder

Erika Quezada is an executive with more than 20 years of experience in sales and operations, specialized in technological projects. He has led revenues and EBITDA in companies such as Axtel and IBM. She graduated in Business Administration from La Salle University and has two master's degrees in Senior Management (Tec de Monterrey and IPADE).

She was commercial manager at Planet Media for Latin America and the United States. Currently, he is CBO and Co-Founder of finvero, the artificial intelligence platform for credit management with traditional and alternative data covering the credit lifecycle.

Mario Larrea

Associate Attorney

Mario Larrea is a corporate lawyer who brings a combination of legal knowledge and business strategy, standing out as a lawyer and advisor to multiple corporations, startups and fund managers through his role at PAG Law, one of the most sophisticated boutique law firms in the south of Florida.

Mario earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Barry University School of Law in Orlando, FL. His background includes significant experience in government relations, collaborating with teams at major organizations such as Uber Technologies and the Moffit Cancer and Research Center, where he excelled in the design and implementation of policy solutions and outreach strategies.

Mario co-founded The Network, a media and podcast focused on venture capital and startups in Latin America, which has given him a unique perspective on emerging markets and investment opportunities.

Thomas C. McCormick

Board Member

Tom McCormick co-founded Project Sunrise in 2024 after over twenty years of experience with leading employment-based lending companies, both here in the U.S. and internationally. In various chief executive and other senior roles, Mr. McCormick has been responsible for management, strategy, financing efforts, and employer client sales, and also has overseen marketing, government relations, public relations, and legal/compliance efforts. Mr. McCormick has managed sales channels, business development efforts, and expansion into new markets. He has been the primary owner of sales and growth efforts, has created operations departments, adopted comprehensive credit policies, and ensured adherence to formal processes to manage periods of high growth in a safe and sound manner. He began his career as an attorney at Morrison' Foerster, practicing in the financial services group in Washington, D.C., focusing on transactional, outsourcing, regulatory, and compliance matters for the financial services industry, with a special emphasis on consumer lending and credit card issues, including privacy and credit reporting matters. He also represented the interests of banks on Capitol Hill; he is the principal author of an amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act signed into law by President Clinton in 1998. A graduate of Kenyon College and the Fordham University School of Law, Mr. McCormick is a life-long learner and has taken extensive courses in finance and banking at New York University and in corporate entrepreneurship at Lehigh University (and, of course, a class about the music and culture of the Grateful Dead at Stanford…). Mr. McCormick is a regular guest speaker in Columbia Business School’s M.B.A. course, The Psychology and Economics of Consumer Finance. Tom and his wife Allison, the Vice Mayor of Key Biscayne, Florida, enjoy island paradise with their four not-so-young-anymore children and on weekends often can be found somewhere on Biscayne Bay officiating competitive sailing regattas.

Moisés Zambrano

Founder & CBO

Moisés Zambrano is the co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Vita Wallet, a Chilean fintech operating in five countries, including Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and the United States. Vita Wallet manages over $120 million per month in transactions to more than 50 countries, providing cost-effective international payment solutions across Latin America.

Etienne Gillard

Head of Ventures

Solutions-focused entrepreneur and investor with over 25 years of experience in the financial services, professional development and training sectors. Etienne is a well experienced investor, technology entrepreneur (Founder 3x) and senior business leader (CEO 2x) with extensive experience in Early Stage VC, Platform Business Models and Application Software.

He holds a degree in Political Science with a minor in Law from UCL in Belgium, has completed the Management Development Program (PDD) at IESE Business School in Spain, and mentors Latino entrepreneurs participating in an online course on scaling their business offered in collaboration between LBAN and the Stanford Graduate School of Business executive education program.

Felipe Vallejo

Investor

Felipe Vallejo Uribe is an investor and finance professional dedicated to supporting disruptive entrepreneurs across Latin America. As Investor at HTwenty, Felipe plays a key role in identifying and backing high-potential startups. Based in Miami, he brings strategic financial insights and a deep understanding of the LATAM market, helping founders scale their businesses.

Previously, Felipe was an Investment Analyst at HTwenty, gaining experience in venture capital. He also worked as an Import & Export Analyst at Colombian.

Felipe is also co-founder of LAREPA, a food truck offering traditional Colombian cuisine in Bogotá. He holds a degree in Business Administration from CESA in Colombia, with additional studies at EU Business School. His dedication to the LATAM entrepreneurial ecosystem makes him a valuable mentor for founders in the region.

Antonio Usama De Lorenzo

Co-Founder

Antonio De Lorenzo is a co-founder of the Miami Fintech Club and host of the club's Magic Maker's Podcast. With over two decades of experience spanning four continents, Antonio has held diverse roles in government, corporate, investment, strategy, and entrepreneurship. His career has centered on the convergence of financial services and technology, and he is particularly interested in the evolution of financial transactions.

Antonio's interests meet at the intersection of innovation, policy, development, and the future of finance. Currently residing in Miami with his family, Antonio actively engages in volunteer work with the Bretton Woods Committee and provides strategic guidance to businesses.

Anne Lauvergeon

Founder & President

Anne Lauvergeon is a renowned business leader and nuclear expert with a distinguished career spanning decades. She is the Founder and CEO of A.L.P., an advisory and investment firm, and has held leadership roles in several global organizations, including AREVA, where she was the Founder and CEO (2001-2011), and COGEMA (1999-2011).

She has served on the boards of major companies such as American Express (2013-2021), Airbus, Total, Suez, and Vodafone. A physicist and mining engineer by training, Anne started her career in nuclear safety and later served in the French Presidential office, overseeing international economic and trade matters, as well as representing France in G7/G8 Summits.

Recognized for her influence, Anne has been ranked twice by Time Magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world and by Forbes and the Financial Times as one of the most powerful women globally. She holds numerous honors, including the Légion d'Honneur and Doctor Honoris Causa from Imperial College London.

Anne is also a prolific author, with works including La femme qui résiste and Les 100 mots du nucléaire.

Jorge Ruiz

CEO & Founder

Jorge Ruiz is a visionary entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience, recognized as a global leader in FinTech innovation. In recent years, he founded FinConecta, a technology platform that accelerates the digital transformation of financial institutions worldwide.

Under his leadership, FinConecta has become a benchmark for innovative solutions and the adoption of open banking. Prior to this, he led innovation at Citibank, where he launched the first global virtual accelerator. Jorge continues to drive the convergence of finance and technology, positioning himself as a key figure in the fintech industry.

Henryk Dabrowski

CEO

Henryk Dabrowski, MBA, MSc, PhD. As Director of the Miami Chapter for VNTR, Mr. Dabrowski leads a dynamic network of leading investors, fostering collaboration and co-investment opportunities within a global community.

His role focuses on connecting local investors with top-tier funds, global partners and investment opportunities, ensuring Miami remains a hub for informed and impactful investment decisions. An experienced fintech and digital banking entrepreneur, he has led multiple companies to successful exits.

Enrique Perezalonso

CEO & Co-Founder

Enrique Perezalonso is the founder and CEO of Palla. He has more than 20 years of experience in financial institutions in Mexico and the United States. He is an Industrial Engineer from the Universidad Iberoamericana and has an MBA from MIT.