MeetingHenriqueAlvesPinto–redefiningBrazilianbusiness

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Brazilisdoingwellbyanystandards.Inrecentdecades,theimprovementsintheeducation,healthandlivingstandardsofmillionshaveoutpacedthoseofmostnationsaroundtheworld.HenriqueAlvesPintoiscontributingsignificantlytothisprogress.WithanentrepreneurialvisionthatwouldhavebeendismissedoutofhandjustagenerationagoinBrazil,Henriqueisabreathoffreshairinoneoftheworld’smostexcitingentrepreneurialenvironments.Andthegreatthingis–it’sallbythebook.Infact,youcouldsayhe’swritinganewchapterinBrazilianbusiness,withalltheflairwehavecometoexpectfromthecountrythatbroughtustheSamba,CarnivalandBossaNova!

Henriquehasbeenrunningbusinessesformorethanhalfhislife,andhe’sonly36.Moreimportantly,however,heischangingthelivesofmanywithhispassionforequalityandsustainability,andthebeliefthatyoucanachieveanything,aslongasyouputyourheart,soulandeffortintoit.WespoketoHenriqueinbuzzingdowntownSãoPaulo.Heseemstoknoweveryone,andviceversa.Aswetalk,however,itbecomesclearthathe’smodest,likable,andasmentallysharpasatack.Agoodrecipeforsuccessitwouldseem.

Powerofthepeople

Henrique:“Didyouknowthatyouarecurrentlyinthebestcountryintheworld?Justtakealookaroundyou.Incrediblenature,sunshinealmostallyearround,beachesthatareincomparable.Wehavenowars,nodictatorshipandweenjoyfreedomofreligion.Butdoyouknowthebestthingaboutthiscountry?Itspeople.Twentyyearsago,wewerenotinagreatplace.Therewasagreatdealofcorruption,weexportedmainlyrawmaterialsandaround15%ofourchildrenweren’tattendingschool.Butthepeoplehaveturneditallaround.We’renowthe8

largesteconomyintheworld,almostallourkidsareineducation,andourexports,whichnowincludelargeproportionsofhigh-techgoods,areincreasingbyanaverageof20%peryear.That’sprettygoodprogressintwodecades.”“Istartedinbusinessaboutthetimeourcountrystartedturningitselfaround,attheageof18.IfullyappreciatethegreathandIwasdealt,butwithoutwantingtobeimmodest,IhaveachievedwhatIhavebecauseIbelieveinmyself,andbecauseIworkdamnhard.Andsinceyouhavetothinkanyway,whynotthinkbig?Iwouldliketoaddsomethingherethough,andthatisthatifyou’redoingthingsbig,Ibelieveyoualsohavetheresponsibilitytodothemright.”

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