Brandmine Crossroads
48 founders. 3 days. Zero panels.
An anti-summit for exceptional founders from the Global South.
What Conferences Have Become
- Keynotes you could watch on YouTube
- Panels where no one says anything real
- Badge-scanning for relevance
- 50 LinkedIn connections, zero relationships
What Crossroads Delivers
- Small groups where everyone speaks
- Activities that level status
- Learning FROM each place, not about it
- 3-5 relationships you'll maintain for years
The Anti-Summit Philosophy
Year One: The Chokepoint
For 500 years, whoever controlled the Strait controlled global trade
84 languages spoken in one city's markets. Then Singapore rose, trade shifted—and Malacca chose heritage over competition.
What you'll experience
Sunrise on the Strait
Watching container ships pass through the chokepoint in silence
A Famosa Fortress
Dinner at Portuguese ruins that changed world trade
Peranakan Grandmothers
Rendang perfected across 60 years
Portuguese Settlement
Descendants preserving a dying language
The question Malacca asks:
What happens when you're no longer the chokepoint?
Why here first: Crossroads begins where Brandmine lives (Penang, 4 hours away). Master the experience locally before international scale.
What's next: Year 2 → Kazan, Russia. Year 3 → Quanzhou, China. Year 4 → Ahmedabad, India.
Is This For You?
Founder-led brand from the Global South
Russia, India, China, Brazil, Southeast Asia, Africa, Middle East—where Brandmine focuses, you belong.
Revenue-generating, not pre-product
Real business, not pitch deck. Idea-stage? We'll see you in a few years.
Curious about the world
You want to understand how founders build across cultures, continents, crises.
Willing to be vulnerable
You'll make pottery badly. You'll share real stories. Status doesn't protect you here.
Fully present for 3 days
No flying in for dinner. No "checking email." Everyone commits completely.
Questions
How much does it cost?
$1,500-3,000 sliding scale by geography. Scholarships available.
How do I get invited?
Express interest above. We curate for diversity—geography, sector, gender, stage. A Brandmine profile helps.
Why Malacca first?
Crossroads begins where Brandmine lives (Penang, 4 hours away). Master the experience locally before international scale.
Can I send someone from my team?
Founders only. Not building the company? This isn't for you.
What about the 20-year plan?
Malacca (2026) → Kazan (2027) → Quanzhou (2028) → Ahmedabad (2029) → Salvador (2030) → Baku, Cape Town, Tbilisi, Istanbul, Zanzibar, Fès, Isfahan, Samarkand, Addis Ababa, Timbuktu. Each location earned by executing the previous one exceptionally.
Is there a formal application?
Not yet. Express interest; we'll reach out as plans develop.
More questions?
[email protected] — we read everything.
Crossroads 2026 is forming
If this is the gathering you've been looking for, raise your hand.
Invitations start with interest. We curate for diversity.