Manuela Soares is an entrepreneur with 20 years of experience leading business initiatives. She holds a degree in Business Administration from IBMEC and is a serial entrepreneur and investor in startups. Currently, she serves as the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at ArtOuro & Gemas, a Brazilian company specializing in colored gemstone cutting and jewelry production since 1956. In addition, Manuela is the President of the Gemstone Chamber, a unit of the Sindijoias Ajomig System. In recent years, she has spearheaded efforts to advocate for the interests of small-scale gemstone mining before key regulatory bodies. She is also a Board Member of Wylinka, a nonprofit organization focused on mobilizing and developing institutions and ecosystems for innovation and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on the promotion and transformation of knowledge.