About Valentina Primo

Valentina Primo is a globally recognized entrepreneur, journalist, author, and thought leader on social impact and inclusive economic growth. She is the Founder and CEO of Startups Without Borders, an international organization supporting refugees, migrants, and local communities across the Middle East, North Africa, Africa, and Europe.

Under her leadership, Startups Without Borders has built a thriving ecosystem of 20,000+ entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors, and an innovative model, partnering with 500+ institutions to bridge the private and public sectors.

She leads the Startups Without Borders Summit, recognized among the Top 60 Startup Events Worldwide, and hosts the Startups Without Borders Podcast, a part of its media platforms reaching a 3.7 million audience.

Valentina is a leading voice in redefining the narrative around refugees and migrants. She participates in policy dialogues across Italy, Egypt, Jordan, and the Mediterranean, serves on the board of Roma Startup, has advised SXSW Pitch, and frequently delivers keynotes in 15+ countries.

Her years living and working across the Middle East profoundly shaped her belief that talent has no passport. It is there, among refugee and migrant founders defying the odds, that she witnessed how courage, resilience, and community can build innovation where the world expects only survival. That journey now lives at the heart of her upcoming book, Dear Destiny, a deeply personal exploration of purpose, belonging, and the extraordinary people who turned displacement into possibility.

Valentina is a 2025–2026 Obama Scholar and recipient of the Women in Excellence Award. She holds a Bachelor’s in Social Communications and Journalism from Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina) and a Master’s in Peace Studies: International Cooperation, Human Rights, and EU Policies from Università degli Studi Roma Tre (Italy).