Bernadette Fernandes

Bernadette is a seasoned professional with extensive international experience in marketing, sales, business development, operations, human resources, risk management, and corporate leadership. As Lead Mentor, Market Access and Exporting, Bernadette is responsible for mentoring Emergence bioscience business incubator clients in going to market and developing their export readiness strategies.

As the CEO and founder of The Varanda Network, a ten-year-old economic development organization, Bernadette provides business services globally for start-ups, immigrant entrepreneurs, SMEs and multi-nationals across various sectors. A dynamic, energetic and passionate leader, Bernadette has worked in the area of international market access since 2006, with a specific focus on exporting since 2013. Having worked closely alongside BioNB, government, industry partners, and most recently academia, Bernadette is familiar with the nuances of the innovation ecosystem that allows bioscience companies to grow and thrive.