Founder and CEO - Tools for the Commons
Hugo is an accomplished entrepreneur, founder of Tools for the Commons, the first digital governance platform for the Proud South and emerging economies. Hugo previously founded a55, the first digital data and revenue-based underwriting platform in Latin America, focused on providing innovative credit solutions for tech-focused small and medium-sized businesses.
With extensive expertise in bridging traditional and digital governance & finance, Hugo has been at the forefront of leveraging emerging technologies to create tokenized and programmable corporate credit systems and innovative funding mechanisms in emerging markets.
His leadership in scaling financial platforms and structuring legal assets funds in Asia and Latin America demonstrates his commitment to advancing economic resilience, legal inclusion and empowering businesses with new financial tools.
As the digital economy reshapes global development, technology clusters and world-class universities are emerging as critical anchors for new city ecosystems. This session explores how the convergence of higher education, research, venture capital, and technology can drive urban growth"”positioning knowledge-centered developments as launchpads for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digitally-enabled industries. From attracting top talent to fostering startup ecosystems, these hybrid hubs are redefining what it means to build a city around knowledge.