Marcelo DoRio is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute Fellow with more than three decades of experience building and exiting consumer businesses across Brazil and the United States. His career has been defined by a consistent ability to identify market opportunities, build brands from the ground up, and scale them to the point of successful acquisition. A firsthand understanding of the full founder journey that few operators can claim.

His most notable venture is Cervejaria Devassa, a pioneering brewery he founded in Rio de Janeiro that became one of the most recognized consumer beverage brands in Brazil before being acquired by Heineken. That transaction, along with his earlier work establishing a portfolio of influential hospitality venues in Rio, gave Marcelo deep practical experience in the consumer and food and beverage space, from concept and brand-building through operations, scale, and ultimately a strategic exit.

Beyond his founding roles, Marcelo is an active investor and board member, serving as a Venture Partner LP at SaaSholic and on the Board of Directors at Mergus Ventures. He has also served as a business mentor at Techstars, working directly with early-stage founders on strategy, growth, and execution. His academic background includes executive education from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, reinforcing the blend of entrepreneurial instinct and strategic discipline that has characterized his career.