Leonardo Pinto

(he/him)

Leonardo Pinto

NatWest Accelerator

Accelerator Community Manager

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Leonardo Pinto is National Accelerator Community Manager at NatWest Accelerator, where he supports start-ups and SMEs across the UK to grow, scale and access the tools they need to reach the next stage. He has spent more than nine years with NatWest, including six years working directly with entrepreneurs through the Accelerator programme. His background also spans finance, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, equity research and business growth, giving him a strong understanding of both founder needs and investment dynamics. Leonardo brings a broad commercial perspective on entrepreneurship, growth support and the practical challenges facing scaling businesses.

Sessions

Leonardo Pinto

Dan Lawrence-Eyre

Savannah Price

Scott Marcar

Kieran Bunting

From Ecosystems to Outcomes: How Collaboration Is Powering the Next Wave of Innovation

Innovation is no longer happening in isolation. The most meaningful progress is coming from connected ecosystems, where startups, corporates, universities, investors, platforms and regional partners come together to solve real problems. This panel explores how those ecosystems are being built in practice, and what it takes to turn collaboration into tangible outcomes. As founder support evolves beyond traditional programmes and cohorts, the focus is shifting towards ongoing access, shared knowledge, digital communities and real-time support. The challenge now is not just making connections, but making them valuable, relevant and scalable across regions. Bringing together perspectives from banking, technology, startups and regional innovation, the panel will explore how organisations are supporting early-stage growth, how partnerships are being formed across sectors, and where real innovation is emerging as a result. The conversation will also look at the role larger organisations can play in setting direction, opening doors, enabling access and supporting founders without over-engineering the process. If innovation is increasingly driven by networks rather than individuals, what does it take to make those networks actually work?

Leonardo Pinto

Dan Lawrence-Eyre

Savannah Price

Scott Marcar

Kieran Bunting

From Ecosystems to Outcomes: How Collaboration Is Powering the Next Wave of Innovation

Innovation is no longer happening in isolation. The most meaningful progress is coming from connected ecosystems, where startups, corporates, universities, investors, platforms and regional partners come together to solve real problems. This panel explores how those ecosystems are being built in practice, and what it takes to turn collaboration into tangible outcomes. As founder support evolves beyond traditional programmes and cohorts, the focus is shifting towards ongoing access, shared knowledge, digital communities and real-time support. The challenge now is not just making connections, but making them valuable, relevant and scalable across regions. Bringing together perspectives from banking, technology, startups and regional innovation, the panel will explore how organisations are supporting early-stage growth, how partnerships are being formed across sectors, and where real innovation is emerging as a result. The conversation will also look at the role larger organisations can play in setting direction, opening doors, enabling access and supporting founders without over-engineering the process. If innovation is increasingly driven by networks rather than individuals, what does it take to make those networks actually work?