On 20 July 2026, Praia hosted the first Women in Tech® Lusophone Summit, a gathering that brought the Portuguese speaking world together around a shared agenda for women’s participation in the digital economy. Convened by Women in Tech® Global under the leadership of its Founder and CEO, Ayumi Moore Aoki, the summit assembled government leaders, diplomats, international organisations, entrepreneurs, and technologists from across a linguistic community of more than 260 million people spanning four continents.
The choice of venue was deliberate. Cabo Verde sits at the intersection of the Lusophone Atlantic, connected by history, language, and submarine cable infrastructure to Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Guinea Bissau. The idea for the summit was born in March 2026, during Moore Aoki’s visit to TechPark CV in the context of Cabo Verde Digital Week. Four months later, the concept had become the first event of its kind anywhere in the world.
A Summit Under High Patronage
The opening ceremony reflected the institutional weight the initiative has acquired. Among those present were Her Excellency Janira Hopffer Almada, President of the National Assembly of Cabo Verde; His Excellency António Baptista, Minister of Economy, Commerce, Industry and Digital Transition; Her Excellency Débora Carvalho, First Lady of Cabo Verde; and Her Excellency Elis Ribeiro, Secretary of State of the Government of Paraíba, Brazil, alongside ambassadors accredited to Cabo Verde and representatives of international organisations.
In her opening address, Moore Aoki retraced the journey of Women in Tech® since its founding in 2018, when the organisation set itself the goal of empowering five million women and girls worldwide. Eight years on, the organisation operates in more than 70 countries and has reached close to one million women through its four pillars: education, digital inclusion, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. The summit in Praia was organised by Women in Tech® Cabo Verde, led by its Director Mayra Silva, three years after the chapter first opened its doors.
The stage in Praia also served as the platform for three announcements. Women in Tech® will open two new chapters, in São Tomé and Príncipe and in Guinea Bissau, extending the organisation’s presence across Lusophone Africa. The Women in Tech® Global Summit 2027 will take place in Rio de Janeiro from 20 to 22 April. And the Lusophone Summit itself will continue, with its second edition to be hosted in Paraíba, Brazil, in 2027.
Bilateral Meetings at the Highest Level
Beyond the summit programme, the visit included a series of official meetings with the leadership of Cabo Verde’s institutions.
Moore Aoki was received by the President of the National Assembly, Janira Hopffer Almada, for an exchange on the role of parliaments in advancing gender equality in the digital sphere. The conversation addressed how legislative agendas can support women’s access to technology education and entrepreneurship, and how Cabo Verde’s experience can inform similar efforts across the Lusophone community.
A working meeting with Minister António Baptista focused on the alignment between the country’s digital transition strategy and the inclusion agenda championed by Women in Tech®. The discussion covered skills development, the role of the private sector, and the opportunities created by Cabo Verde’s investment in digital infrastructure.
The programme also included an official visit to NOSi, the state entity responsible for Cabo Verde’s digital governance ecosystem, where Moore Aoki met with its President, Carlos Tavares Pina. NOSi has been central to the country’s reputation for digital public infrastructure, having built the platforms that underpin Cabo Verde’s electronic governance model. The meeting explored avenues for cooperation on training and talent development, with particular attention to expanding the pipeline of women in technical and leadership roles within the digital public sector.
A Platform for the Lusophone Digital Decade
The summit consolidates a relationship between Moore Aoki’s organisations and Cabo Verde that has been building throughout 2026. In March, the country signed a Protocol on Membership with the Tech Diplomacy Global Institute, becoming the second African nation to appoint a Tech Ambassador at the highest level of government.
For Women in Tech® Global, the Lusophone Summit inaugurates a new format: organising the international community not only by geography, but by language and shared heritage. As preparations begin for Paraíba 2027, the bridge established in Praia between the two shores of the Lusophone Atlantic is expected to carry a growing programme of exchange, mentorship, and investment in the women who will shape the region’s digital future.