To take philanthropy in Brazil to another level and, thus, help change the sad scenario of inequality in the country, many social entrepreneurs become 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 escape 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 country's reality.
Below, we mention five names that 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 the world's favelas. And, in fact, the social impact of his work is huge.
Preto Zezé was raised in the Quadras community, in Fortaleza. He began his social activism in Hip Hop culture, created the Movimento Cultura de Rua as a network of young people from favelas who worked for civil rights, and continued to expand his activities.
Cultural producer, writer and entrepreneur, he became one of the main leaders of social organizations in the world, currently serving as national president of Cufa (Central Única das Favelas) – an entity that has developed more than 1,000 projects in all states of Brazil. Mães da Favela project alone , which is a solidarity fund, mobilized more than 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 director-president.
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 stock.
Initiatives like this directly impact the lives of citizens, and Germano continues to take action. He also works on other fronts. For example, he is a mentor for GovTechs (startups that aim to generate innovation in public management) at BrazilLab, an innovation hub that accelerates solutions and connects entrepreneurs with public authorities.
Patrícia Villela Marino
The fight in Latin America to reduce violence, increase transparency and encourage active citizenship relies on the strong 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 in networks 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 space in Brazil.
Elie Horn
Founder of the construction and real estate developer Cyrela, Elie Horn is conscious of the need to do good and build a more just world. In 2015, he joined The Giving Pledge pact, in which he committed to donating the majority of his personal wealth to social causes.
He conceived and created Instituto Liberta 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 Movimento Bem Maior , an organization to which he continues to be involved, being one of the associates.
In addition to investing heavily in philanthropy, he always tries to spread the culture of donation. This year, the businessman participated in the third edition of the Diálogos do Movimento Bem Maior , which addressed the theme of ' philanthropy as a life choice '. The event was attended by 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 runs Rede Globo's Sunday afternoons. But few know about his work as a social entrepreneur. The Instituto Criar de TV, Cinema e Novas Mídias was an initiative of his, carried out in 2003, which aims to enable the professional, sociocultural and personal development of young people through audiovisual media.
Huck also helped found Igah Ventures, a Brazilian venture capital manager that has made commitments to support entrepreneurs who want to transform their markets, to provide an actionable network of relationships to drive growth, and to aim for the long term to build profitable business ventures. sustainable way.
The Globo presenter is one of the leaders associated with Movimento Bem Maior and is also a member of the RenovaBR do 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 3pm to 6pm, at Teatro Santander, on Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek, n° 2041, in São Paulo. The meeting, which is a partnership between Banco Santander and Movimento Bem Maior, will discuss how to boost the culture of donation to reduce social barriers and promote development. To watch the online broadcast on Movimento Bem Maior’s YouTube channel, click here .
