​Silicon Valley comes to Da Nang for one night.

​Michelle Messina has spent 20+ years taking Silicon Valley's playbooks to founders everywhere else. She has worked across 66 countries, heard 9,200+ company pitches, trained thousands of founders, and coached hundreds personally. She co-wrote "Decoding Silicon Valley: The Insider's Guide", which is available in Vietnamese. Swiss EP Vietnam is bringing her to the Da Nang Blockchain Hub, and it is open to you.

​Keynote: Decoding Silicon Valley for Emerging-Market Builders

​What actually transfers from the Valley to a market like ours, what does not, and what to do about it.

​Panel: Building from emerging tech hubs like Da Nang

​What it takes to make Da Nang a place founders build from instead of leave. Audience Q&A included.

​Then networking, with light food and drinks.

​Speakers

​Michelle Messina, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Swiss EP Vietnam CEO of Explora International and an international EIR based in Silicon Valley, Michelle has been transferring Valley knowledge and best practices to founders, corporations, universities, governments, and investors since 2004. She has worked in more than 66 countries, listened to 9,200+ company pitches, and coached companies into top accelerators, early capital, and in one case an acquisition by Rakuten. She teaches entrepreneurship at ISM University of Management and Economics in Lithuania, served on the global advisory board of Start-Up Chile, and co-wrote "Decoding Silicon Valley: The Insider's Guide". She is an expert pitch coach and a seasoned competition judge.

​Chuong Nguyen, Program Manager, Swiss EP Vietnam Chuong runs Swiss EP's programs in Vietnam, connecting founders to international experts, mentors, and capital. He is a familiar face in the Vietnamese Web3 builder scene, having served as a judge and mentor at the Lisk Vietnam BUIDL-athon.

​Matthew co-founded Ethereum Institutional after previously being the Enterprise Lead at the Ethereum Foundation. Ethereum Institutional is dedicated to accelerating the institutional adoption of Ethereum.

​Moderator: Long "Leo" Pham, Founder, sqrDAO Leo founded sqrDAO and leads its builder programs across Vietnam, including the EMpower Founders Residency in Da Nang and the annual Web3 Builders' Summit.

​Partners

​sqrDAO is Vietnam's Web3 builder community, operating across Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang. It connects technical and non-technical builders to collaborate, innovate, and ship real products, through its BUIDL-athon programs, the EMpower Founders Residency, the Da Nang Blockchain Hub, and the annual Web3 Builders' Summit. sqrdao.com

​Swiss EP (Swiss Entrepreneurship Program) supports entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging and developing economies, backed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). It gives founders access to a network of 700+ international Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and experts across Vietnam, the Western Balkans, and Latin America.

Ethereum Institutional is an independent, neutral non-profit organization serving as the dedicated "front door" for digital asset leaders, tier-1 banks, asset managers, and custodians navigating the Ethereum ecosystem.

​Da Nang Blockchain Hub is Da Nang's dedicated Web3 co-working and event venue, managed by sqrDAO with support from the Da Nang city government. It is the home of the Web3 builder community in Central Vietnam.

​Team1 Vietnam, a community-powered network within the Avalanche ecosystem, connecting builders, creators, developers, and local leaders through real-world events and community initiatives across Vietnam.

​Schedule

​17:30 Doors and registration
18:00 Welcome
18:05 Keynote
18:50 Panel and audience Q&A
19:20 Networking, with light food and drinks
20:30 Close

​Please note the earlier start. Michelle leaves for an evening flight right after the panel, so the keynote begins promptly at 18:05 — please arrive by 18:00.

​Who it's for

​Founders, builders, and operators in Central Vietnam, and anyone weighing what it takes to build globally from here.

​Free to attend. Seats are limited, so please RSVP.

​Co-hosted by sqrDAO, Swiss EP Vietnam, and the Da Nang Blockchain Hub.