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GRAMADO SUMMIT 2025 June 4th to 6th, the city of Gramado hosted one of the largest innovation and technology events in Latin America, the Gramado Summit 2025. With a record attendance, the event brought together businesspeople, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and public leaders from all over the country, consolidating itself as a strategic space for connections, learning and fostering entrepreneurship and innovation — fundamental pillars of the city that we want to build for the future: our CAXIAS 2040.
MobiCaxias closely followed the entire program and, in this edition, actively participated in the debates on the future of cities. The entity's executive director, Rogério Rodrigues, was one of the guest speakers, joining the team of experts who shared experiences and strategies focused on innovation, urban planning and sustainable development.
In addition, MobiCaxias was present at the InovaRS panel "Building the Future – The Evolution of the Caxias do Sul Ecosystem", held on June 6th, at 3:30 pm, at the RS Government Arena. The panel was promoted in partnership with the City Hall of Caxias do Sul and BAH – Governance of the Local Innovation Ecosystem, within the official Gramado Summit program. The meeting provided an inspiring reflection on regional development and the strengthening of innovation ecosystems.
Gramado Summit 2025 featured more than 350 speakers and 500 exhibitors, addressing topics such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, ESG, strategic communication, entrepreneurship and geek culture. The diversity and quality of the content reinforced Serra Gaúcha's leading role as a national innovation hub.
With a highly positive balance, the event brought together more than 21 thousand participants at Serra Park, in addition to generating 1,125,495 interactions on the official app, 13,995 leads collected and 19,256 contact exchanges, demonstrating the strong potential for generating business.
The State Government also had a significant participation, with the presence of 30 startups selected by the Secretariat of Innovation, Science and Technology (SICT), which presented their products and solutions to the visiting public. The closing ceremony was attended by Governor Eduardo Leite, who highlighted the importance of the event:
“An event like this can be measured by the direct results it has, the business it establishes, but there is a substantial part that cannot be measured, which is the moral effects,” he said. “It creates an environment that encourages people to be bold, to take the first steps to create innovative businesses and contribute to our economy,” he added.
MobiCaxias', participation in the Gramado Summit represents an opportunity to strengthen the dialogue between the public and private sectors, identify new trends and expand the impact of initiatives aimed at building a smarter, more connected and future-ready city, with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Rio Grande do Sul
2022/2023
November 2nd & 3rd, 2022 It is always an invaluable learning experience to have been a party to the National Council on US-Arab Relations. The 31st Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference was an insightful 2-day event given the eminent threats on Saudi Arabia, the internal disruptions in Yemen and the recent sentiments going in the US political arena, and the circumstances of the Ukraine-Russian war. The spotlight on the turmoil in Middle Eastern history and the collective, cultures once again bares note to the importance of the US relationships.
The National Council on US Arab Relations, founded by Dr. John Duke Anthony, as always, he has been a consummate statesman, once again reminding us of the crossroads and the cross we must all bear. He presented a unique perspective covering the past 2 years emerging from the pandemic, evolving into the turbulence in Central Asia. And once again back to the Middle Eastern Nations with their historical alliances with the US and its interest in the region. His accounting of the past years was not so much of an apologetic nature, but more so relegated to facts. Facts, to which, but only a few are willing to be witness to the policies, their impact, and the cohesive elements which hold relationships in tack.
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The global audience was tasked throughout these proceedings to “unlearn, that which has been learned via conventional wisdom” which has been a norm presented by special interest and media mongering. One very evoking concept for an educational institution that fosters and propagates FACTS regarding US-Arab Relations has been equated as, ”being in a university from which there is no possible graduation, only a good day,’ incomplete.” The internal conflict in Yemen has presented a real need for direct and real-world applications for security and humanitarian efforts to affix sustainable solutions. Mr. Timothy Lenderking, the US President’s Special Envoy, Sarah Charles USAID Humanitarian, and David Des Roches, Ret, Colonel, and professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Security Studies were a part of the first set of panels. They presented the current US outreach support and the need for additional donors from the public and private sectors. From an economic development perspective, Abdulrahman Al-Eryani, the former Principal Economic Officer at the Embassy of Yemen in Washington DC, and advisor to various Yemeni government agencies, and Ministries apprised the audience of the dire needs and the historical background.
The volumes of history, legacies, and world events past and present were presented in an acknowledgement of relationships. The depth of relations expressed through the airs of the Royal Families in the Middle East and elected officials for the highest office in the United States would be accounted for by the Honorable Senator, Delano Roosevelt. The Grandson of President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, delivers remarks on the shared histories between the Arab Nation States and the United States. This was followed by the renowned Egyptian businessman, accomplished politician, Founder, and Chairman of Cleopatra Group, H.E. Mohamed M. Abou El Enein. The keynote address was delivered by HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud - King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Chairman. The agenda was complemented with a host of other dignitaries via Video Conference and in person. The audience was complete with business persons, professionals, academicians and students from the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) Region and their US counterparts during the 31st Annual Policymakers Conference.
See https://ncusar.org/auspc/2022
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October/November 2022 - We are thankful for the return of events which in previous years were scheduled for the months of October and November in Washington, DC after emerging from the COVID-19 hibernation. The past 2 years have required many adjustments in the ways, and manner in which we all now conduct our daily lives. Starting in October, the return, of the World Bank events, the forecast for the world’s economies where presented for the business of global trading. The importance of alternative means for conducting business in the marketplace, and new trading mechanisms being institutionalized that have had a profound impact to the economies were among the topics. Although, the new mechanisms of technology have facilitated new paradigms, in which to address supply chain concerns, which makes the recoveries more tenable. However, there is still no substitute for the process of networking to gage the viability to which one intuitively may elect to conduct business, build alliances, and establish viable relationships prior to one’s own due diligence.
October 2022 brings us to one of the oldest trading ports of the MENA (Middle East North Africa Region). The Sultanate of Oman’s Annual Conference of 2022 would illuminate its history, and past tradition’s impact onto Oman's modern fashion, and the accessories industries refined through its cultural heritage. As always, the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center presents a program that enhances ones understanding of the Arab States and specifically East and Western relationships. His Excellency, (H.E) Ambassador Moosa Hamdan Al Tai, and the staff of the Qaboos Cultural Center coordinated a most insightful program. The Sultanate of Oman’s Ministries of Heritage and Cultural Affairs, H.E. Ibrahim Said Khalaf Al Kharusi, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Associate Director and Chief Advancement Officer, Virginia Kromm would honor the Omani artisan, whose collection of traditional wardrobe was coordinated for exhibition at the museum, and to honor the traditional apparel that have transitioned into the modern world, establishing acceptable trends across the cultural of the fashion industry, the art of traditional silversmithing for jewelry and utilitarian objects, the art of perfumery derived from products such as Hajari Frankincense, rose petal extracts and other fragrances extracted from the indigenous products to Oman.
In addition to the artisan, panelists were also composed of Medical Doctors who had transitioned their traditional medical practices to establish business ventures for developing homeopathic medicines, health care product lines, cosmetics, and essential oils extracts. The proceedings were encapsulated from a historical, cultural, and anthropological perspective through both renowned presenters and moderators. Respectively, each advocating the importance of the rolls museums, cultural learning institutions, and the traditions adhered to in facilitating exposure and expansion of cultural and historical propagation of societies. With panelist, presenters, and a moderator having vast experiences at museums, and Institutions of education hailing from the New York Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), various Smithsonian museums, a pleather of international museums, and institutions of learning for the arts, design, and technology. More importantly, the focus of the program’s agenda for exposing the historical traditions and cultural disciplines, for chronicling the advancements across a wide range of civil societies was presented. The lineup of experts was composed of Marcia Dorr, Alexander Nagel, PhD, Mohannad Salhi, PhD, Paul Michael Taylor, PhD, and Hanna Szczepanowska PhD, all of which illuminated the audience with their respective experiences, collective awareness, and knowledge.