Fernanda Braz

Director, Portfolio Growth & Expansion (MENA)

Fernanda Braz leads Portfolio Growth & Expansion for MENA at Builders VC, working hands-on with portfolio companies to enter, scale, and build durable positions across Qatar and the wider Middle East. She brings over a decade of experience across the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, with a track record in opening new markets, structuring high-impact partnerships, and engaging senior decision-makers across government and the private sector.

Prior to Builders VC, Fernanda was Country Director at Oxford Business Group, where she led economic research and advisory projects, supporting foreign direct investment strategies aligned with national development agendas.

Fernanda is also a former founder and operator, having launched and scaled ventures across food-tech, and professional services. This operator background shapes her practical, execution-focused approach to portfolio support—grounded in local context, and long-term value creation rather than surface-level expansion.

At Builders VC, Fernanda works hands-on with founders to turn capital into execution—supporting market entry, local partnerships, and navigation of regulatory and institutional environments across MENA. She connects portfolio companies with sovereign-backed institutions, regulators, and leading corporates to accelerate commercial traction and de-risk regional expansion in priority sectors including climate and water, healthcare and biotech, industrial technology, and frontier innovation.

Outside of work, Fernanda is an avid traveler and adventure seeker. She enjoys water sports, hiking mountains, and practicing yoga. She is a passionate foodie, equally for street food and fine dining, a certified sommelier with a love for wine and jazz, and treats coffee brewing as a daily ritual. She will never refuse a butter cookie.