Martins Imhangbe at Web Summit: Art That Changes the World
Martins Imhangbe Web Summit was not originally on my schedule. When I first met the Bridgerton actor at Web Summit 2022, I had no idea who he was. That chance encounter became one of my favorite conference memories, and it changed how I experienced his talk the next day.
One reason I love returning to Web Summit Lisbon is simple. You never know who you will meet after the conference floor closes. Some of the best conversations happen away from the stages, inside lounges, cafés, restaurants, and Night Summit events.
That is exactly how I met Martins Imhangbe.
The Night Before the Spotlight
It was the evening before Martins was scheduled to speak at Web Summit 2022. Earlier that night, I had spent time with people I met through one of the Black tech networking events. Those gatherings had quickly become one of my favorite parts of the conference.
Later, I wandered into another lounge area during Night Summit. People sat around talking over drinks, introducing themselves, exchanging ideas, and taking a break after a long day of sessions.
One man sitting on a sofa looked familiar.
So I walked over.
“Hey… how are you doing?”
We started chatting casually. Nothing formal. Nothing that felt like networking. Just two people talking.
After a few minutes, I laughed and asked, “Don’t I know you?”
He smiled.
“No,” he said. “I’ve just got one of those faces.”
We both laughed and kept talking.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to Web Summit. I told him I was covering the conference as media, then asked what brought him to Lisbon.
“I’m speaking tomorrow,” he replied.
His answer caught my attention.
Martins explained that his presentation would explore art, storytelling, emotional connection, and how creative work can provoke culture and change the world.
Then it hit me.
“Wait…”
“You’re Will Mondrich from Bridgerton!”
He laughed.
Then I laughed too.
Somehow, the conversation simply carried on as though nothing had changed.
What I appreciated most was that Martins never led with celebrity. He introduced himself as another attendee enjoying Web Summit and talking with people. That authenticity stayed with me long after our conversation ended.
When Art Refuses to Be Background Noise
The next day, I sat in the audience for Martins Imhangbe’s session on the ContentMakers Stage. I wanted to hear the ideas we had only touched on the night before.
Interviewed by British Vogue’s Mark Joseph Russell, Martins explored a question that feels urgent in a world full of content. How do we create art that emotionally resonates, challenges culture, and has the power to change the world?
The conversation felt refreshing. It was not about algorithms, streaming numbers, celebrity, or personal branding. Instead, Martins brought the audience back to something more human.
Artists do not create great art simply to entertain. At its best, art invites us to feel, question, and see the world differently.
His comments stayed with me because they apply far beyond film and television. Whether we write articles, create music, produce documentaries, build companies, or develop technology, lasting work usually reaches people emotionally first.
As someone who tells stories through DG Speaks Media & Press, I felt that deeply. His presentation shifted my attention away from acting itself and toward the responsibility every storyteller carries.
Stories Shape the Way We See the World
While listening to Martins speak, I thought about the stories that have stayed with me over the years. They are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets or loudest campaigns. Instead, they reveal something true about being human.
That was the heart of Martins’ message. Art can move people emotionally, challenge accepted ideas, and start conversations that continue long after the credits roll.
In an era where we scroll past thousands of images, videos, headlines, and opinions each day, meaningful storytelling feels even more valuable. It asks us to pause. It also asks us to care.
His perspective fit beautifully at Web Summit. Much of the conference focused on artificial intelligence, startups, venture capital, and emerging technologies. Still, Martins reminded the audience that technology may change how stories reach us, but it cannot replace the human experiences that give those stories meaning.
Art That Lingers After the Credits
Like millions of viewers, I first knew Martins as Will Mondrich from Bridgerton. His character is a boxer, businessman, husband, and father who wrestles with identity, ambition, loyalty, and belonging.
Those themes help the series resonate around the world. Yes, Bridgerton gives viewers romance, elegance, and beautiful costumes. However, underneath the sparkle, the show also explores family, power, race, friendship, class, and personal growth.
Martins’ presentation suggested that powerful art should do exactly that. It can entertain us, but it should also leave us thinking.
The best stories stay with us because they keep asking questions after the performance ends.
Why Creativity Belonged at Web Summit
At first glance, an actor speaking at one of the world’s largest technology conferences might seem unexpected. Yet the more I listened, the more it made sense.
Technology alone does not drive innovation. Imagination does too.
Every startup begins with a vision of how the world could work differently. Entrepreneurs solve problems, while journalists, filmmakers, nonprofit leaders, scientists, and artists shape the stories that help us understand ourselves and one another.
That connection between creativity and innovation has surfaced often during my years covering Web Summit Lisbon. Whether I was listening to climate scientists, food innovators, entrepreneurs, or artists, the most memorable speakers understood one thing. Facts alone rarely inspire action. Stories do.
I thought about that again while writing The Best Conversations at Web Summit Never Happened on Stage. The conference is full of bold ideas, but the ideas that endure are almost always connected to people willing to share honest experiences.
Every Story Leaves a Mark
Martins’ session also reminded me that storytelling carries weight. Filmmakers, actors, journalists, authors, and content creators all shape how audiences understand people whose lives may differ from their own.
Because of my background in international development, I think about that responsibility often. When I cover food systems in Africa, profile women entrepreneurs, review independent films, or write about travel, I want the story to expand understanding. I never want it to flatten people into stereotypes.
That is one reason Martins’ presentation resonated with me. He did not center the conversation on celebrity. He centered it on purpose.
His message challenged the audience to think beyond content that simply attracts attention. Instead, he asked us to consider work that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
For me, that idea extends well beyond film. It is the philosophy I hope continues guiding DG Speaks as we tell stories about culture, innovation, food, travel, and the remarkable people working to make the world better.
Leaving the Stage, Carrying the Conversation
When Martins left the stage, my mind went back to our conversation the night before. Had I recognized him immediately, I probably would have asked about Bridgerton, taken a quick photo, and moved on.
Instead, we had a genuine conversation first. We talked about Web Summit, creativity, and why he had come to Lisbon before television ever entered the conversation.
Looking back, I am grateful for that. Sometimes the most interesting people at conferences are simply people until we attach titles and accomplishments to them.
That experience also reinforced one of my favorite things about Web Summit. The conference brings together people from industries that do not always share the same spaces.
During one week in Lisbon, I found myself talking with startup founders, investors, scientists, nonprofit leaders, journalists, artists, actors, and entrepreneurs. Those conversations pushed me to think beyond my own field. They also reminded me that innovation does not belong to technology alone.
Martins’ session fit perfectly into that broader picture. His message was not simply about acting. It was about creating work that matters.
In a world overflowing with content, the stories that endure connect us emotionally, challenge our assumptions, and encourage us to see each other differently. As both a journalist and storyteller, that is exactly the kind of work I hope to keep creating through DG Speaks.
Continue the Conversation
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Planning Your Own Web Summit Experience?
If Web Summit Lisbon is on your travel list, give yourself extra time to experience the city beyond the conference. Explore official event information through the Web Summit website, then discover Lisbon’s neighborhoods, food, and history while you’re there.
For walking tours, cultural experiences, and day trips, browse GetYourGuide. Looking for affordable accommodations? Compare options through Hostelworld. If you’re planning a longer international journey, consider SafetyWing travel insurance and check visa requirements through iVisa.
Disclosure: DG Speaks attended Web Summit as accredited media. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting independent journalism.
