Our time in Brazil is ending, and we are thinking back on São Paulo.

We learned a new city; we noticed differences between New York and São Paulo, North and South America; we heard from more than twenty influential Brazilian leaders - including a Nobel Prize winner and founders of businesses and NGOs - and we visited markets and museums. More than anything, we were asking ourselves a question: how is Brazil managing its rapid growth and environmental and social responsibilities?  

What we learned was supported by the hands-on experience we had. We not only heard from Candido Bracher, the former CEO of Itaú Unibanco, the largest financial institution in all of South America, we also spent a morning at their headquarters. Candido has seen a problem, global climate change, which can no longer be ignored. He knows that his home, Brazil, has a duty to protect the Amazon from deforestation, as it is an essential bulwark against rising CO2 emissions. With his influence, he has brought together dozens of business leaders to work with the Brazilian government to meet climate goals and protect the Amazon, where more than 20 of our scholars are currently on a Fellowship.

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We also saw how change is being made in Brazil’s underserved communities. We engaged in dialogue with the President of the Brazilian Red Cross, and also volunteered there. We heard from the founders of Project Canelinhas, who bring football to Brazil’s children in the favelas. They use football as a bridge to a network of educators and other social action programs to improve everything from literacy to access to dental hygiene.

Over this month in Brazil, we saw firsthand how a bank is run, how billions of dollars are managed and protected, and we saw what it takes to save a life with the Red Cross. We have seen how everything from banks to football are bridging growth and responsibility in Brazil.

This journey we are on across the world is an opportunity to make the sort of connections we will need to be changemakers. We are bursting with ideas, we are staying connected with the people we’ve met in São Paulo and New York City, and we cannot wait to see who we will meet next, in Paris…

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