Vanessa Alencar Vasconcelos

I believe entrepreneurship and innovation have the power to unlock the best in humanity, and I’m driven by the potential to create meaningful impact in every project I engage with. This belief has shaped my cross-disciplinary career, spanning innovation, internationalization, and entrepreneurial leadership.
I embarked on her entrepreneurial journey by founding Blimpis Diversão, an SME that innovated the children's entertainment sector and became the market leader in its first year of operation. After selling the company three years later, she continued to influence its trajectory as an innovation adviser, contributing to its enduring market presence.
She co-founded AskKlog and HelloFIT, two distinct ventures with impactful missions. AskKlog, emerging from a doctoral thesis with scientifically proven results, enables managers to make precise and efficient hires, enhancing business sustainability, preserving jobs, and boosting income generation. HelloFIT, a spinout from UESPI, is dedicated to helping individuals maintain a youthful and healthy lifestyle for longer, both adopting a bootstrap approach.
During her tenure as the Innovation and Technology Director at UESPI, she led the university in registering its first intellectual properties, executing its first technology transfer agreement, and securing its first private funding for research.
Her development of a successful mentorship program has guided potential entrepreneurs to build startups and raise funds. This program has seen several success stories, including a healthtech company that reached 13,000 users in six months and startups that secured significant investments.
She graduated from the MIT REAP program in 2023. This experience gave Vanessa invaluable insights, followed by an immersive experience at the MIT Trust Center for Entrepreneurship. These experiences were pivotal in her role as an adviser at the INVESTE PIAUÍ startup acceleration program, which has supported over 100 startups. She is also the co-creator and manager of Piauí's largest entrepreneurial education program, which initially reached 30,000 public high school students in 2024, with plans to expand to 120,000 by 2026.
With nearly two decades of teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, she has helped to nurture resilience and foster an entrepreneurial mindset among thousands of students.
Vanessa holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, a master’s degree from Fortaleza University, and a PhD from Nove de Julho University in Entrepreneurial Career Planning.