A venture capital pioneer, the mayor of a US city and international investors will be among the international speakers at a summit aimed at helping Bermuda entrepreneurs access funding and build connections.

The Bermuda Democratising Venture Global Summit, taking place at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club on November 6, will bring together business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs from Britain, the United States and Europe.

Organised by Qodeo, an international platform connecting more than 20,000 entrepreneurs with over 7,400 investors, the event aims to help local businesses overcome one of the biggest obstacles to growth — accessing seed capital.

Among those flying in for the event are Dame Anne Glover, chief executive and cofounder of Amadeus Capital Partners, a British venture capital firm established in 1997.

Dame Anne has more than 30 years’ experience in venture capital, including previous roles at Apax Partners and Bain & Company. She has chaired the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association and Invest Europe, and served on the Court of the Bank of England.

She was appointed Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2025 for services to business, science and technology.

Also attending is Leonardo Williams, Mayor of Durham, North Carolina, who has combined a career in education and public service with entrepreneurship.

A former teacher and school administrator, Mr Williams was elected mayor in 2023 after serving on Durham City Council. He and his wife Zweli established a Zimbabwean restaurant business.

Keith Daniel, cofounder and managing director of Resilient Ventures, a fund investing in African-American-led, high-growth companies, will also participate.

Mr Daniel owns Madison Consulting Group and has held leadership positions at Duke University, StepUp North Carolina and DurhamCares. His career spans more than three decades in higher education, community development and organisational leadership.

Other international participants include:

Glen Gaddy: managing member of Robin Hood Ventures, a Philadelphia-based angel investment group, and chairman of Mid-Atlantic Diamond Ventures, which helps entrepreneurs prepare for investment.

Matt Gittleman: investment director at JHH vc, a Washington-area family office, and venture partner at Cape Fear Ventures, brings expertise in technology investment, particularly artificial intelligence, enterprise software and cybersecurity.

Haley Bryant: a partner at Hustle Fund, which specialises in early-stage start-ups, previously served as chief operating officer of content marketing company Animalz, where she helped develop and scale its operations.

Zakiya Alta-Hill Lee: an entrepreneur and venture capital professional, has worked with founders on fundraising, business strategy and investor engagement. A graduate of Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, she founded Alta Business Solutions and previously served as a principal at an early-stage venture capital firm.

Ana Maria Magri Pantea: cofounder of AscendConsulting.EU, who has more than 25 years' experience in entrepreneurship, innovation and impact finance.

Henri Murison: CEO of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a business-led organisation promoting economic development across northern England.

Jack Conway: works with the UK’s Department for Business and Trade in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and will bring experience of attracting American venture capital and private equity investment into British businesses.

Stephen Fusi: entrepreneur and founder of US snack brand FUUSI, who previously established a potato-chip manufacturing business in Cameroon. His background includes brand management, business development and higher education.

Paul Wright: a non-executive director of Qodeo, who has extensive international experience in senior finance and governance roles across private equity, wealth management, private banking, hedge funds and banking.

Simon Glass, chief executive and director of Qodeo, told The Royal Gazette that the summit was designed to give Bermudian entrepreneurs practical fundraising advice and access to international networks.

“The aim is to upskill the local community and broaden access to international networks,” Mr Glass said. “It’s not a pitching competition.

“Entrepreneurs typically make a lot of mistakes in their fundraising journeys, which impinge on their ability to even start the right journey. We want to help them understand how to avoid those common mistakes and improve their chances.”

The daylong programme will include discussions on improving investment pitches, building angel investor and family office networks, and fundraising opportunities for black entrepreneurs, women and people aged over 55.

Other sessions will cover artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fintech, insurtech, agriculture, hospitality and tourism, as well as family businesses. A mini fundraising myth-busting workshop will address common misconceptions about raising capital.

Founded in 2021, Qodeo uses qualitative data and algorithms to match entrepreneurs with potential investors. The company has staged similar events in Edinburgh, Durham, North Carolina, and the House of Lords in London.

The Bermuda summit, planned to coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Week, is backed by the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation and entrepreneurial incubator Ignite.

Local sponsors and partners include Bermuda Commercial Bank, KPMG, Bacardi, BermudAir and the Bermuda Tourism Authority.

Local speakers include Erica Smith of the BEDC, and Neil Patterson and Sean Reel of Ignite. Other event partners my also provide participants.

• For more information about the Bermuda Democratising Venture Global Summit, visithttps://qodeo.com/democratizing-venture-summit-bermuda/