The 2nd Bi-Annual National Conference was supposed to be held in Miami, Florida this year, however due to COVID-19, we had to cancel our event and decided to take our conference virtual! The theme of this year's conference is "Business Opportunities for Portuguese-Americans" where we will explore the various ways that Portuguese living in the United States can take advantage of programs and opportunities to start a business, buy real estate, invest in a business, and many other opportunities.
We have partnered with the Portugal-US Chamber of Commerce, aicep, the Embassy of Portugal and the Portuguese government to bring together the best experts in each area.
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Join us for this FREE virtual conference and seize the opportunity!
Donate to the PALCUS Scholarship or Internship programs
Virtual Conference Series Kick-Off and Overview
Monday, October 12, 2020
Learn about all the opportunities that will be shared through the virtual conference sessions, and also hear from two keynote speakers.
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Welcome: Angela Simoes, Chair, PALCUS
Opening Remarks: Rita Faden, President, FLAD
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Doing Business In Miami
Monday, October 12, 2020
This year’s PALCUS Gala and Conference was supposed to take place in Miami, Florida. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, we had to cancel everything and as a nod to our community in Florida, we are highlighting the business opportunities in the Miami area in this session.
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Moderator: Carolina Rendeiro, Honorary Consul of Portugal and Owner of Connect2Global Consulting
Speakers:
- Eric Olafson, Director, Global Trade and Business Development
- Jim Nares, Section Chief Marketing of Miami International Airport
- Alice Ancona, COO, World Trade Center Miami
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Miami Tech Boom!
Monday, October 12, 2020
This year’s PALCUS Gala and Conference was supposed to take place in Miami, Florida. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, we had to cancel everything and as a nod to our community in Florida, we are highlighting the growing tech scene and business opportunities in the Miami area in this session.
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Moderator: Carolina Rendeiro, Honorary Consul of Portugal and Owner of Connect2Global Consulting
Speakers:
- Leigh Ann Buchanan, Executive Director of CIC, Venture Café
- Pamela Fuertes, Executive Director Goldman Sachs, 10,000 Small Businesses
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Meet the Artist: Isabel Pavao
Monday, October 12, 2020 3pm PT/6pm ET/10pm CET
Isabel Pavão, artist, Ph.D in Arts from New York University, lives and works in New York since 1990. Her work is often exhibited in New York City, and in many museums and galleries all over the world, her artwork is owned by public and private collections in those countries. Isabel supports many Universities, Arts Schools and Museums through her involvement as a curator, invited artist, or as the guest professor. She presents on Contemporary Art, on art projects dealing with her work, pedagogical issues, and Aesthetics. Isabel is a member of the Portuguese Council of Diaspora.
www.isabelpavao.com
This event marks the launch of the Portuguese American Art Gallery virtual exhibition, made possible by PALCUS, PUSCC, The Embassy of Portugal and FLAD.
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Why Portugal? Investment Opportunities Abound
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Portugal has become a hotbed of investment activity, from tech to healthcare, and the government has created an environment that makes doing business easy and profitable. Join us to learn more about how you can take advantage of these opportunities.
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Moderator: João Mota Pinto, Director AICEP, USA
Speakers:
- Luís Castro Henriques, President of AICEP
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I'm Not a VC - Can I Still Invest in Portugal? How to Invest? Where to Start?
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
You don't have to be a venture capitalist or have hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to take advantage of investment opportunities in Portugal. If you've always wanted to learn how you can make an investment in a specific industry, join us to learn more.
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Moderator: Joe Santos, Board Member of Indico Capital
Opening Keynote: Minister of State, and the Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira
Panelists:
- Stephan Morais, Lead Partner at Indico Capital
- Guilherme Dray, Law Partner, Marcedo Vitorino Associados, Lisboa
- Olga Benquerença, Head of Investment for the US and Canadá, AICEP
- Miguel Fontes, Executive Director, StartUp Lisboa
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Meet the Artist: Peter Pereira
Wednesday, October 14, 2020 3pm PT/6pm ET/10pm CET
Award-winning photographer Peter Pereira from New Bedford, MA was educated to make computers run, but he was born to make people think. His images have graced the pages of Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, Vogue (Australia), New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Observer(UK), Le Monde, Boston Globe, Courrier International, International Herald Tribune, Harvard Magazine, News Photographer Magazine, Outdoor Magazine, Shutterbug Magazine, MSNBC.com, CNN.com, ABCNews.com, FoxNews.com, CNN Anderson Cooper 360, and various other international
media outlets.
This event marks the launch of the Portuguese American Art Gallery virtual exhibition, made possible by PALCUS, PUSCC, The Embassy of Portugal and FLAD.
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Portuguese Women Empowering Each Other
Friday, October 16, 2020
PALCUS is launching a national network for Portuguese women called the Portuguese Women's Empowerment Alliance. This Alliance is meant to create a network to support Portuguese women in business, academics, health, and every other way possible. We are better when we help each other. Join us to learn more.
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Opening Remarks: Janet Morais, Founder and CEO, Koket International
Moderator: Carolina Rendeiro, Founder and CEO, Connect2Global
Speaker: Jessica Leiter, Best Selling Author, Speaker, Consultant
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PALCUS NextGen Leadership Academy
Friday, October 16, 2020 - 12PM PT/3PM ET
PALCUS is launching an initiative to empower our youth and provide opportunities to learn leadership skills across multiple industries. Join us to learn how you can connect with other Portuguese youth and take advantage of opportunities to grow your career.
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Opening Remarks: Daniel DaPonte, Managing Principal, Axis Advisors, PALCUS Director
Moderator: Jordan Thomas, Chief of Staff to Raymond G. Chambers, PALCUS Director
Keynote Speaker: David Simas, CEO of The Obama Foundation
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Want to Start a Business in Portugal? The Portuguese Gov Can Help
Monday, October 19, 2020
The Portuguese government has launched a program to help Luso descendants throughout the diaspora, return home to invest and start a business. Join us to find out how this program can help you finally achieve your dream.
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Moderator: Ricardo Farias, TV Host at The Portuguese Channel
Dignitary Comments: Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities Abroad, Berta Nunes
Speakers:
- Cristina Coelho, Diaspora Investor Support Office Supervisor
- Stephen Maciel, Co-Founder at Pico Investments
- Julia Berkeley Cotter, Consultant with GLX LTM and Associates
- Vitor Martins, Diretor Dinamização Comercial, Millenium BCP
- Rodolfo Lavrador, Direção de Relações Internacionais, Caixa Geral de Depósitos
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Portuguese Companies Succeeding in the US
Monday, October 19, 2020
There is a variety of Portuguese companies in several industries that have successfully expanded their business into the United States. Join us to learn how these companies forged their way to success, and how you can connect with them for business opportunities.
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Moderator: Bernardo Goarmon, President of Portugal-US Chamber of Commerce
Dignitary Comments: Eurico Brilhante Dias, Secretary of State Internationalization
Speakers:
- Tomas Almeida – VP Foodservice Sales of Sovena USA
- Carlos Alves, Chief Customer Officer of Outsystems
- Jose Roquette, Chief Development Officer of Pestana
- Pedro Fernandes, General Manager at Amorim Cork America
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Meet the Artist: Elizabeth Casqueiro
Monday, October 19, 2020
Elizabeth Casqueiro is a visual artist who was born in England and grew up in Portugal. She came to live in the United States first as a high school exchange student and later as a graduate student. She works from her studios in Washington, DC and Easton, Maryland.
In addition to her background in design and architecture, Elizabeth pursued art studies at the Escola Superior de Belas Artes in Lisbon, Central Saint Martin’s College of Art in London, the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and the Washington Studio School.
After a career as a corporate architect in the World Bank Group, during which she traveled to the far reaches of the globe, she became a full-time artist.
This event marks the launch of the Portuguese American Art Gallery virtual exhibition, made possible by PALCUS, PUSCC, The Embassy of Portugal and FLAD.
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Establishing Operations in Portugal: Real World Examples
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
A number of US-based companies have successfully established operations in Portugal - from software development, to research to manufacturing and more. Join us to learn from these real world examples and why Portugal is a great option to outsource specific aspects of your business.
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Moderator: Magda Vakil, PUSCC
Dignitary Comments: Kristin M. Kane, Deputy Chief of Mission US Embassy of Lisbon
Speakers:
- John Melo, CEO of Amyris
- Alberto Weisser, Board Member of PepsiCo, Wine Producer / Owner Herdade dos Coelheiros
- Claudia Kittredge, Senior Director and Portugal Site Leader - Customer Experience of Cisco
- Rui Paiva, CEO of Risk Management Business Unit at Mobileum
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Real Estate Investment Opportunities in Portugal
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Have you always wanted to own a home in Portugal? What about turning it into an AirBnB? Join us to learn about the various real estate investment opportunities in Portugal.
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Moderator: Claudia da Silva
Speakers:
- Hilda Barros, Owner, HB Properties
- Achille Simo, Agent, Coldwell Banker
- Nelson Ponta Garca, Owner, GrandView Caldeira Azores
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Conference Closing Keynote
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Domingos Fezas Vital, Ambassador of Portugal to the US
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Thank you to the National Conference Committee for their work in making this happen!
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Bernardo Goarmon, President of the PUSCC
Magda Vakil, PUSCC
Joao Mota Pinto, Director of aicep, USA
Carolina Rendeiro, Founder and CEO of Connect2Global and Honorary Consul of Portugal, Miami
Joseph Santos, Indico Capital Board of Directors
Luisa Pais Lowe, GAID
Hugo Gravanita, Embassy of Portugal
Janet Morais, Founder and CEO of Koket
Claudia da Silva, Coldwell Banker
Katherine Soares, PALCUS
Jordan Thomas, PALCUS
Dan Da Ponte, PALCUS
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