Jay Lanners

Strategic leader in fintech operations and product: in his role as Head of Strategy for Mercado Pago Brazil, he oversees multiple teams across strategy, planning, analytics, profitability and operations for the Digital Bank, combining product and business strategy at scale. theorg

Early-stage investor and scout focused on Brazilian startups: held partner and scout roles at 1616 Ventures, participating in sourcing and supporting pre-seed and seed investments across Brazil's ecosystem. 1616ventures+1

Founder and operator with hands-on startup experience: co-founded and led Ânimo Wellness through product development, fundraising (US$300k pre-seed) and strategic pivots between digital and offline offerings, demonstrating operator-investor crossover experience. lavca+1

Internationally trained business professional: holds a Wharton MBA and a Lauder Institute master's in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and moved to São Paulo post-MBA to build ventures and VC coverage in LATAM. upenn+1