In 2022, Danielle Marques found herself in what would become a defining moment in her life. Walking through her neighborhood in the outskirts of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil one day, she was boarding a plane to Silicon Valley the next. The contrast she saw between these two worlds – a Brazilian slum versus the epicenter of global tech innovation – wasn’t just geographical, but a confrontation with representation itself.
With a business background, Marques’ trajectory was fueled by education and a revelation about entrepreneurship’s racial disconnect. During the pandemic, while working at a technology company in the real estate sector, Marques began actively redirecting her career toward innovation whilst studying the landscape for black founders.
She then found most Brazilian entrepreneurs are black – 53%, according from data from the National Service for Small and Medium enterprises (SEBRAE) – yet excluded from the innovation conversations. “I’d often go to technology events discussing diversity that featured only white men”, Marques told Forbes in an interview.
This contradiction sparked an idea. “If Silicon Valley’s innovations were impacting my community without our participation, I decided I’d facilitate that myself, even if I didn’t initially have the means to get there”, she pointed out. Through a crowdfunding campaign that went viral, she raised enough money to make that first trip to the San Francisco, without anticipating how dramatically it would reshape her future.
“I was shocked that many things considered super innovative [in Silicon Valley] had parallels with my reality back home, and thought of how black entrepreneurs could scale if they had access to the knowledge and networking”, she noted. Among a group of 70 people, Marques was the only black woman. This experience simultaneously fulfilled a lifelong dream and exposed a troubling reality – the absence of people who looked like her in spaces where the future was being created.
Marques then transformed her discomfort into action. “I couldn’t possibly keep all that knowledge to myself,” she explains. “I felt responsible, because so many people had contributed to my crowdfunding campaign to make the trip possible.”
Upon her return to Brazil, that realization prompted Marques to launch “Do Silêncio ao Silício” (From Silence to Silicon), an initiative aimed at bringing black tech entrepreneurs from Brazil to Silicon Valley and using that experience and networking to boost their businesses. The name itself embodies Marques’ mission – breaking the silence around Black entrepreneurship by bringing these innovators directly to Silicon Valley.
Building bridges through experience
The program provides an experience that goes beyond mere tourism. In its inaugural 2024 cohort, ten technology entrepreneurs were selected from over 300 applicants for an immersive two-week experience in San Francisco. The program included visits to Stanford University, as well as accelerators such as Plug n’Play and companies such as Google and Meta, meetings with investment funds and participation in the Brazil at Silicon Valley (BSV) conference, organized by Stanford and Berkeley alumni.
The initiative received personal donations from some notable names of the Brazilian innovation ecosystem. Donors included Fabricio Bloisi, CEO at Prosus; Diego Barreto, CEO at food delivery giant iFood, Brian Requarth, CEO and founder at venture capital fund Latitud, among others. With the funds and a series of partnerships, Marques was able to get the trip fully covered, from visa applications and passport fees to airfare and accommodations. Before boarding, participants take part in an eight-month program including English lessons, and mentoring sessions on aspects such as networking.
“Many of these entrepreneurs are already creating solutions for Black and peripheral communities,” Marques noted. “This experience amplifies their impact by connecting them to resources, knowledge, and networks they might otherwise never access.”
What started as an initiative to build bridges between black entrepreneurs and major tech hubs has since become a business, and accounting to its founder the impact is already measurable. “Many of our participants saw an increase in revenue, new strategic connections, and expanded hiring after their return to Brazil”, Marques said, adding that one of the participants pivoted their business model, while another secured new mentors who continue to guide their growth.
Addressing systemic barriers
Marques’ initiative tackles profound systemic challenges. While most Brazilian entrepreneurs are black, many earn barely minimum wage. Moreover, less than 5% of Brazil’s black population speaks English – meaning black founders are typically up against a significant barrier to international opportunities.
“When you look at the founders of major Brazilian tech companies, you’ll find many studied at American universities like Harvard or Stanford,” Marques noted. “How many black entrepreneurs even consider pursuing an MBA abroad? But once you’ve been there, you understand that if you’ve made it this far, you can take even bigger steps.”
The program isn’t about replicating American innovation models in Brazil, Marques pointed out. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of understanding global developments while adapting them to local contexts. “Not everything I consume can be adapted to our reality, but it’s important to know what’s happening and how we can accelerate our own models,” the founder noted.
Expanding impact
Looking ahead, Marques envisions scaling both the company’s reach and impact. She’s developing educational offerings to democratize access to knowledge, networking opportunities through events, and a platform to connect entrepreneurs. A podcast and an upcoming newsletter are intended to further extend the initiative’s reach.
The program developed by Marques’ business also incorporates a “give back” component. Entrepreneurs who participate commit to mentoring young people from peripheral communities who want to start tech businesses, creating a virtuous cycle of knowledge sharing and opportunity creation.
“I’ve always believed in making room for more people,” she said. “I’ve known so many talented individuals who just never had the opportunities I did. If I can reach a place and bring others with me, I’ll make that happen.”
While currently preparing for a second cohort focused on the Brazil at Silicon Valley conference in April, Marques dreams of expanding to multiple international innovation hubs and increasing the number of entrepreneurs served from ten to fifty or more. In terms of opportunities to develop the business, he’s also eyeing opportunities to serve “intrapreneurs” – professionals working within established companies who face similar challenges in accessing global innovation networks.
Through Do Silêncio ao Silício, Marques isn’t just creating opportunities for a handful of entrepreneurs. “We are addressing representation gaps that have long excluded black Brazilians from global technology conversations – and ensuring that today’s silence transforms into tomorrow’s innovation”, she concluded.
