Who the f*ck is Nico Santo?

My fascination with economic development began during my student days in Beijing, where I creatively accessed high-level events like the China-Latin America Business Forum using borrowed media passes. This early exposure to international business dialogues, combined with David Kennedy’s class at Harvard Law School, solidified my commitment to a field that uniquely blends politics, business, and social mobility.

Key Experiences:

🇨🇦 Global Affairs Canada:

As a member of the top-performing foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction team in the Global Affairs Canada and Trade Commissioner Services network based in San Francisco, I played a key role in securing multimillion-dollar investments from innovative companies such as Skillz, Pinterest, Groq, and SoFi.

My responsibilities included managing relationships with tech giants like Google, Apple, and Meta, as well as notable venture capital funds. Through these efforts, I built an extensive network within the Bay Area’s thriving tech and VC ecosystem.

To further enhance our impact and reach, I designed and executed targeted marketing initiatives in collaboration with prestigious partners. These included prominent media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, and The Information, as well as influential organizations like The Indus Entrepreneurs Association.

These strategic initiatives helped to amplify our message and attract high-value investments to Canada.

🇨🇳 Foshan Bureau of Commerce:

My work in Foshan, China, marked a significant milestone in my career and laid the foundation for numerous future opportunities.

This experience opened doors to remarkable opportunities, including meeting Xi Jinping, delivering a TEDx talk, and publishing a book. Notably, the FDI attraction strategy developed by the team I led was ranked #1 in Mainland China by fDi Magazine, a testament to our innovative approach and effectiveness.

A key component of our success was the development of an innovative media strategy aimed at positioning Foshan as a forward-thinking city with an international investment attraction team team.

This approach garnered extensive media coverage, ranging from local outlets to global publications such as the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, South China Morning Post, and China Daily. Our efforts significantly raised Foshan’s profile on the international stage.

The Financial Times recognized my efforts, describing me as the “face of a new generation of foreigners helping to build a better nation.”

The impact of our work extended beyond media recognition. We successfully attracted investments and site visits from prominent companies, including Andritz and Tesla, contributing to Foshan’s economic growth and technological advancement.

Furthermore, our achievements did not go unnoticed within the business community, as Foshan was recognized as a regional leader by the European Chamber of Commerce in China.

This acknowledgment further solidified Foshan’s reputation as an attractive destination for foreign investment and international collaboration.

🇨🇦 Representing Trade and Invest British Columbia in the Pacific Northwest:

I spearhead business development initiatives aimed at increasing trade and investment flows between the Pacific Northwest and BC. This involves close collaboration with C-level executives from local companies, assisting them in developing and implementing their business expansion plans into British Columbia.

The position requires a high level of engagement with government officials, including working directly with the offices of the Premier of British Columbia and the Minister of Economic Development to execute the province’s FDI attraction strategies and organize roundtable discussions with prominent business leaders.

My involvement extends to active participation in regional economic development platforms, notably the Cascadia Innovation Corridor.

Through these efforts and strategic networking, I have played a pivotal role in attracting significant investments to the province. A notable success was facilitating Highspot’s expansion into British Columbia, which represented a major win for the region’s growing tech sector and demonstrated the effectiveness of BC’s FDI attraction efforts.

Inter-American Development Bank:

For the Inter-American Development Bank, I oversaw business matchmaking rounds and trainings during multiple editions of the China-Latin America Business Summit. These activities were all aimed at increasing trade flows between China and Latin America and under the Connect Americas platform umbrella.

International Trade Centre (UN):

For the UN’s International Trade Center, I organized a matchmaking round and training on Doing Business in China for African entrepreneurs in Beijing, as part of ITC’s participation in China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

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