To elevate philanthropy in Brazil to another level and thus help change the sad scenario of inequality in the country, many social entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly involved in promoting transformative actions, bringing new ideas and different experiences. And, at a time when Brazil aims to take a step forward in its history, seeking to emerge from the tragic period of the pandemic, the mobilization of society must become constant to strengthen these initiatives. After all, strategic philanthropy plays the role of a tool capable of transforming the reality of the country.
Below, we list five names of people who are engaged in this fight:
Black Zezé
Activist and entrepreneur Preto Zezé describes himself on social media as a former car washer who became a leader of positive and powerful agendas in favelas around the world. And, in fact, the social impact of his work is enormous.
Preto Zezé grew up in the Quadras community in Fortaleza. He began his social activism within Hip Hop culture, creating the Street Culture Movement as a network of young people from the favelas who advocated for civil rights, and continued to expand his work.
A cultural producer, writer, and entrepreneur, he has become one of the leading figures in social organizations worldwide, currently serving as the national president of CUFA "Mães da Favela" ) project alone , a solidarity fund, mobilized over R$ 400 million in 2021.
Germano Guimarães
In 2010, a civil society organization was created with the purpose of contributing to the formation of an innovation ecosystem in public services in Brazil: the Tellus Institute . This was a pioneering organization in the country, and among its founders was Germano Guimarães, who continues to lead the institute today as its CEO.
Since the organization's creation, several initiatives have been developed, such as the Clique Saúde project in Pelotas (RS), implemented to provide real-time information on the location and availability of medicines in the city, based on the digitization of the central public pharmacy's inventory.
Initiatives like this directly impact the lives of citizens, and Germano continues to take action. He also works on other fronts. For example, he mentors GovTechs (startups that aim to generate innovation in public management) at BrazilLab, an innovation hub that accelerates solutions and connects entrepreneurs to the public sector.
Patricia Villela Marino
The fight in Latin America to reduce violence, increase transparency, and encourage active citizenship relies heavily on the work of Patrícia Villela Marino, co-founder and president of the Humanitas360 Institute .
Launched in 2015, the institute aims to develop collaborative solutions to achieve significant social transformations within a generation. The idea is to build a more socially just continent, with entrepreneurs and organizations working together to provide sustainable improvements in living standards and to empower citizens.
Patrícia is also the co-founder of Civi-co , an innovation hub that brings together impact entrepreneurs and social activists who aim to generate positive transformations in society and in the public and governmental spheres of Brazil.
Elie Horn
Elie Horn, founder of the construction and real estate development company Cyrela, is aware of the need to do good and build a more just world. In 2015, he joined The Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of his personal wealth to social causes.
He conceived and created the Liberta Institute in 2016, with the mission of helping to combat the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in Brazil. Two years later , aiming to strengthen the philanthropic ecosystem and multiply the positive impact, Horn is one of the founders of the Bem Maior Movement , an organization to which he remains connected, being one of its associates.
In addition to investing heavily in philanthropy, he always tries to spread the culture of giving. This year, the businessman participated in the third edition of the Bem Maior Movement Dialogues , which addressed the theme of ' philanthropy as a life choice '. The event included the participation of his wife Suzy Horn and the couple David Vélez, one of the founders of Nubank, and Mariel Reyes – who also signed the Giving Pledge.
Luciano Huck
Everyone knows Luciano Huck as the presenter who currently hosts Sunday afternoons on Rede Globo. But few know about his work as a social entrepreneur. The Instituto Criar de TV, Cinema e Novas Mídias (Create Institute of TV, Cinema and New Media) was his initiative, created in 2003, which aims to enable the professional, socio-cultural and personal development of young people through audiovisual media.
Huck also helped found Igah Ventures, a Brazilian venture capital firm committed to supporting entrepreneurs who want to transform their markets, providing an actionable network to drive growth, and focusing on the long term to build profitable businesses sustainably.
The Globo presenter is one of the leaders associated with the Bem Maior Movement and is also a member of the RenovaBR and Agora! movements, two groups that encourage people to participate in the renewal of democracy.
All five of these names – Preto Zezé, Germano Guimarães, Patrícia Villela Marino, Elie Horn, and Luciano Huck – will be together at the Legado this Monday, April 25th, from 3 PM to 6 PM, at the Santander Theater, located at Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek, nº 2041, in São Paulo. The event, a partnership between Banco Santander and the Bem Maior Movement, will discuss how to boost a culture of giving to reduce social barriers and promote development. To watch the online broadcast on the Bem Maior Movement's YouTube channel, click here .
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