We are an open portal to the development of Human Potential
A donation to transform Portugal
“My commitment is to donate two-thirds of my assets during my lifetime, so that together we can pursue our mission of elevating Portugal through education and human development” - José Neves.
José Neves is Portuguese and the founder of Fundação José Neves.
As an entrepreneur, José Neves has always seeked inspiration beyond the beaten path. His great ambition is to provide new means of personal and professional growth to all who live in Portugal, where he was born.
A digital, disruptive and innovative founding team
The Foundation was born out of the driving force and inspiration of José Neves, its Founder, and co-founders Carlos Oliveira and António Murta.
“We intend to lead the Foundation with the same entrepreneurial spirit, strategic vision and passion that we apply to our personal and professional lives.” - Carlos Oliveira.
Strong values to inspire a nation
“We are acutely aware of how important Education is for the development of human potential and we believe it to to be the engine of Portugal's evolution in the years to come.” - António Murta.
We are on a mission to develop Portugal's human potential and promote lifelong learning.To this end, we are ready to innovate and share our experience with everyone willing to learn.
Brought together by a shared mission
A common path
HERITAGE
Fundação José Neves is a Portuguese non-profit organization, established in May 2019.
The Foundation was recognized by the Portuguese Government and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on August 21, 2019, by publication number 7380/2019 in Diário da República 159, page 22. It is governed by Quadro das Fundações (Law No. 24/2012, updated by Law No. 150/2015) and Portaria 75/2013.
May 2019 marks the start of our activity. The Foundation’s main purpose is to contribute to Portugal’s development and the happiness of its people through education.
Our mission is to promote Portugal to a Knowledge Nation. Our goal is clear: to elevate Portugal to the very top of the UN's Human Development index within the next 20 years.
FJN will dedicate its resources to projects related to education and lifelong learning. By identifying and developing the skills of the future, we are on a journey to develop human potential in Portugal.
At Fundação José Neves our mission is to transform Portugal into a “knowledge nation”, through education and human development.
Our Foundation is meant to be disruptive and improve lives.
Our ambition is to help elevate Portugal's position in international rankings of education and human development within the next 20 years.
We believe that, in order to reach the development stratosphere, we must have a differentiating strategy and invest considerable resources that will allow us to make an impact in areas that are essential for everyone, such as education, citizenship and social equality.
My commitment as Founder is to provide the Foundation with two thirds of my assets during my lifetime, so we can pursue our mission. We will focus the Foundation's resources on education, with a strong focus on the skills of the future and the digital world, to anticipate and prepare for the changes that lay ahead.
By making knowledge the engine of transformation for a better future, we are opening the door to a more developed Portugal. We will invest in education with a particular emphasis on making lifelong learning a social norm, increasing access to knowledge and developing the personal and professional skills of those willing to join our movement.
We want our enthusiasm to reach all areas of activity. Portugal may not have the natural resources to compete globally, but it does possess the human potential and intellectual power to compete for leadership status in the digital world.
Our strategic vision is anchored on four pillars that guide our activity:
- Advance access to education, through innovative and non-profit financing solutions for students we are broadening the access to quality education and the opportunities of the future with a strong focus on lifelong learning and the development of human potential.
- Develop the skills of the future, by identifying and promoting the skills of the future at all stages in life; by raising awareness to the importance of reskill and upskill; and by becoming a driving force in the field of education.
- Challenge our educational status-quo, by spotlighting new ways of teaching that will accelerate our society’s transition into the digital age; by making lifelong learning the social norm; and by aligning what you learn with the challenges of the future.
- Promote the importance of personal development, and of the intellectual and spiritual dimensions of knowledge, thus strengthening one’s human, moral and ethical sides; by raising awareness to core values that guide us as a society.
This has been the journey of our founding team, a path open to everyone. José Neves, Carlos Oliveira and António Murta’s strategy for Fundação José Neves is based on the same entrepreneurial spirit, strategic vision and passion that have always guided their personal and professional lives.
Our mission is to be a force of change and contribute Portugal's transformation into one of the most developed countries in the world. We will do so following a set of values that are changing the way companies and institutions are managed. It is not enough for us to succeed in “what” we do, but also in “how” we do it.
José Neves
He is Portuguese and one of the most influential managers in the fashion world
José Neves is the founder, co-chairman and CEO of Farfetch - the first “unicorn” of Portuguese origin listed on the American stock exchange.
Born in Porto in 1974, José Neves has the spirit of innovation in his DNA and a passion for entrepreneurship - values he soon revealed.A businessman and manager, José Neves created his first company, Gray Matter, at the age of 19, developing software for the footwear and fashion industries. When he was 21, José Neves launched the Swear sneaker brand. In 2001, he established fashion house B-Store, which would eventually earn him a British Fashion Award.
Building on his previous experience in design, fashion and technology, José Neves launched Farfetch in 2008: the e-commerce company that brings together high-end boutiques, creators and shoppers on a single digital platform that has since become a reference in the fashion world. Headquartered in London, the company is present all over the world, with offices in Porto, Guimarães, Braga, Lisbon, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Shanghai and São Paulo.
Along the way, José Neves and Farfetch received several distinctions, such as: the “Visionário” award given at the Fashion Futures Awards (in 2017) or the Entrepreneur of the Year (2013) awarded by Ernst & Young, among many others. José Neves was also included in the list of the 500 people who are shaping the global fashion industry (BoF500), in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
In 2019, José Neves announced the creation of the José Neves Foundation and made a commitment to donate two-thirds of his assets, during his lifetime, to this Foundation. His personal goal is to transform Portugal through education and the development of its human potential, elevating the country's development index.
Carlos Oliveira
Carlos Oliveira is the co-founder and Executive President of Fundação José Neves. With a background in the fields of economics, innovation and entrepreneurship, he currently holds the position of Advisor to the European Innovation Council (EIC), being the sole Portuguese representative. At the age of 22, he created his first company, MobiComp, which Microsoft would acquire in 2008. He was appointed Secretary of State for Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Innovation, in the XIX Constitutional Government.
António Murta
António Murta is the Managing Partner, co-founder and CEO of Pathena. His background in entrepreneurship goes back several decades. He co-founded retail technology company, Enabler, purchased in 2006 by the Indian group Wipro. He was also a Founding Partner and Business Angel of several IT and MedTech companies.
