Lemann Fellowship

Established in 2009, the Jorge Paulo Lemann Fund fosters educational exchange between Columbia University and Brazil. The Lemann Fund provides support to Brazilian students who wish to study at SIPA, and for students with a deep interest in the overall advancement of Brazil, through their past, present, and future educational and professional experience. It also supports the research interests of SIPA’s faculty and students.

Brazil is the fifth largest nation and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, alongside Russia, India, and China. By enabling SIPA to enroll the best and brightest students from Brazil and those interested in studying in Brazil, the Lemann Fund helps SIPA meet the growing demand for Brazilian thought leaders and policymakers.

The Lemann Fund also strengthens Columbia University’s research, teaching, and discussion of Latin America. The Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) is one of the nation’s foremost centers in the field. Within ILAS, the Center for Brazilian Studies serves as a key focal point for students and faculty with an interest in Brazil.

Jorge Paulo Lemann was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1961.

In 1971, Mr. Lemann and three partners founded the Brazilian investment banking firm Banco Garantia, which Mr. Lemann helped build into one of Brazil's most prestigious and innovative investment banks. Forbes described it as "a Brazilian version of Goldman Sachs."

Mr. Lemann and his partners later purchased control of a Brazilian brewery that eventually became AmBev. In 2004, AmBev merged with Interbrew of Belgium to become InBev, one of the world’s largest beverage producers. InBev later merged with U.S.-based Anheuser-Busch.

Mr. Lemann serves on the boards of Lojas Americanas S.A., the Gillette Company, and the Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd. He is chairman of the Latin American Advisory Committee of the New York Stock Exchange and a member of the International Advisory Boards for Credit Suisse Group and DaimlerChrysler. Mr. Lemann also is a backer of 3G Capital, which in 2010 purchased the fast-food chain Burger King.

Mr. Lemann is a director for the Brazil office of Endeavor, an international nonprofit development organization that finds and supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

Students who apply to SIPA for the following full-time programs may be considered for a Lemann Fellowship if granted admission: MIA/MPA (fall-semester admission), and PEPM/PESP (summer-semester admission). 

Students awarded the Lemann Fellowship upon admission to SIPA will have it renewed for their second year as long as they continue to make satisfactory academic progress by the end of their second semester.

Lemann Fellowships are awarded upon admission and it is not possible to apply for it for the second year of study.

SIPA awards self-starter grants to first- or second-year students to deepen knowledge of Brazil and explore projects that advance social entrepreneurship and innovation in or related to Brazil. Fellows participate in dialogues with scholars and other thought leaders about innovation and public policy challenges in Brazil and elsewhere. The special support for Fellows fosters the development of a cohort of students who are focused on social entrepreneurship and innovation in Brazil.

2022-2023 Fellows

Zachary Benetatos, SIPA MIA ‘24

Through this research I am developing the Unconventional Investment Project, which aims to produce a new generation of venture capital by developing an actionable strategy to accelerate foreign direct investment in Brazil’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Catarina Vidotto Caricati, SIPA MPA-DP ‘23

This project aims to propose solutions to improve climate finance in Brazil by looking at funding and investment flows and using examples from other countries. It will be data-driven, with added inputs from experts in the sector.

Ana Cláudia Cunha Costa, SIPA MPA ‘23

This projects aims to analyze the adequacy of the Superintendência do Desenvolvimento da Amazônia (SUDAM) design and the programs which has been financed by the Constitutional Fund to Finance the North Region (FNO).  These programs are armed at promoting regional sustainable development in the Amazon. The project will make use of the SUDAM’s strategic budget planning and public data.

Maximiliano Valder Espinosa, SIPA MPA ‘23

This project seeks to establish contacts with the Brazilian pig associations to carry out an analysis of the current state of the use of pig manure. Once the diagnosis has been made, the idea is to consolidate contacts with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and/or Foreign Affairs to promote positive aspects that change how people, especially in universities like Columbia, perceive the livestock industries in Brazil.

Juan Camilo Farfan Romero, SIPA MIA ‘23

This project will conduct interviews with key leaders of non-governmental organizations, companies, government representatives, community leaders, and ranchers to identify opportunities to create alliances and projects that decrease the intensity in the area of livestock and reduce the agricultural frontier in the Amazon rainforest.

Marcelo Scalabrin Müller, SIPA MPA ‘23

This project will leverage previous work experience and skills to craft a user journey approach for designing urban interventions in either the field of re-urbanization or crime reduction and prevention in Rio de Janeiro. We will compile the outputs of our User Journey Mapping as a deliverable to potential partners, including policy alternatives related to specific challenges.

Haotian Zhang, SIPA MIA ‘23

This project aims to carry out research on the social impact, responsibility, entrepreneurship and other environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues of Chinese companies or joint ventures investing or operating in Brazil. China has been the biggest trade partner of Brazil for years and both countries constitute key members of BRICS which represents crucial emerging markets.

 

Drawing on SIPA’s experts in social entrepreneurship, SIPA conducts workshops that focus on designing projects and organizations that achieve measurable social impact. Students selected as Lemann Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows attend special workshops, “Achieving Social Impact: Brazil and Beyond”, which convene each academic year.

SIPA conducts ongoing annual workshops that focus on designing and launching projects and organizations that achieve measurable social impact. Students selected as Lemann Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows are encouraged to attend special workshop sessions on “Achieving Social Impact: Brazil and Beyond.” Sessions meet throughout the academic year and feature experts from SIPA and Brazil.

2023 WORKSHOPS

Workshop session

March 6, 2023

Ronaldo Lemos: Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Otavio Miranda: Founder of Gabriel, a startup using cameras to improve urbanism and urban safety in Brazil.  He is also a specialist in Brazil-China relations.

Workshop session

March 7, 2023

Ronaldo Lemos: Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Lucas Delgado: Lucas Delgado is co-founder of EMERGE, with experience in developing innovation projects focused on deep techs in industries from different sectors, working with over 2,000 technologies and 3,500 scientists with clients such as Ambev, Natura, Novartis, and Braskem. He also has roles on some startups through the Emerge Venture Builder: Executive Leader on NAtiva Biotech (biotech), Innovation and R&D on Cellva (foodtech), and advisor on FitoFit Health (biotech) and Mangute Ingredients (foodtech).

Workshop session

March 8, 2023

Ronaldo Lemos: Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Mariana Caetano: CEO and Co-Founder, SALVA Digital, a company focused on utilizing data to yield better environmental outcomes.  Caetano is also a former agri-tech VC investor and has extensive experience as a coffee farming administrator.

 

2022 WORKSHOPS

Workshop session

February 8, 2022

Ronaldo Lemos: Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Marcelo Medeiros: Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs

Marcelo Furtado: Senior Advisor at Impact Delta and Partner at ZSCORE

Workshop session

February 10, 2022

Ronaldo Lemos: Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Marcelo Medeiros: Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs

Patrícia Campos Mello: Journalist at Folha de Sao Paulo and SIPA Visiting Scholar

Workshop session

February 15, 2022

Ronaldo Lemos: Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Marcelo Medeiros: Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs

Gabriel Aleixo: Business Developer & Board Member of Hathor Network.

Tiago Peixoto: Senior Public Sector Specialist at the World Bank

Wrap-Up session

March 30, 2022

Merit E. Janow: Dean Emerita, School of International and Public Affairs; Professor of Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs

Ronaldo Lemos: Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Marcelo Medeiros: Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs

Luciana Ribeiro: Managing Partner and Cofounder of EB Capital

 

2021 WORKSHOPS

Data and Development: How data governance is reshaping development and international relations

April 15, 2021

Dean Merit E. Janow convened a virtual workshop on Data and Development: How data governance is reshaping development and international relations in April 2021. This student-centered event featured Ronaldo Lemos, SIPA Adjunct Research Scholar and Professor at the Rio de Janeiro State University Law School, and Isabella Marinho, an expert in environmental policy and former consultant for the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Division at the Inter-American Development Bank.

The workshop focused on the challenges of data and technology in general in support of economic development. The developing world finds itself at the crossroads of difficult decisions. How can governments transition a variety of services on to digital platforms? What level of legal protection should be given to personal data and non-personal data? Who should be responsible for the technological infrastructure of the country? What kinds of data governance should be promoted and what kinds should be discouraged? What to do about emerging technologies such as AI and others from the perspective of development? The session framed these contemporary debates and discussed how they have been addressed, especially from the perspective of a middle-income country like Brazil. The session also included a special segment about Data and Sustainability, which also addressed projects and issues related to technology and development, from the perspective of sustainability.

The workshop was attended by current SIPA students with an interest in data and development as well as recent alumni and prospective and recently admitted SIPA students from Brazil. A short promotional video of the event is available.

 

2020 WORKSHOPS

Welcome Lunch with Lemann Fellows Across Columbia

October 4, 2019

Gustavo Azenha: Executive Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS), Director of Graduate Studies for Master’s Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Director of the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies at Columbia

Frederic de Mariz: UBS expert in impact investing and SIPA Lecturer

Victoria Murillo: Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs

Rodrigo Soares: Lemann Professor of Brazilian Public Policy and International and Public Affairs

Workshop session

February 14, 2020

Ronaldo Lemos: Founder and Director of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Visiting Professor

Ilona Szabó: Associate Research Scholar in the Institute of Latin American Studies

Workshop session

February 20, 2020

Ronaldo Lemos: Founder and Director of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Visiting Professor

Alessandra Orofino: Executive Director and Co-Founder of Nossas

Workshop session

February 28, 2020

Ronaldo Lemos: Founder and Director of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Visiting Professor

Alexandre Schneider: Associate Research Scholar in the Institute of Latin American Studies and Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs

Workshop session held via Zoom

April 15, 2020

Merit E. Janow: Dean, School of International and Public Affairs; Professor of Professional Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs

Ronaldo Lemos: Founder and Director of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Visiting Professor

Thiago Camargo: CEO of Movimento Brasil Digital and SIPA Alumnae, MPA ’16

Patrica Ellen de Silva: Secretary of Development, Science and Technology of the State of Sao Paulo

Hussein Kalout: Political Scientist and Research Scholar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs of Harvard University and at Harvard’s Center for Middle East Studies.

 

2019 WORKSHOPS

Welcome event and Fellows project pitch

November 29

Gustavo Azenha: Executive Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS), Director of Graduate Studies for Master’s Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Director of the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies at Columbia

Frederic de Mariz: UBS expert in impact investing and SIPA Lecturer

Márcio Fortes: Columbia University Visiting Scholar, former Congressman from Brazil, former President of the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES) and a Member of the Board of PETROBRAS

Rodrigo Soares: Lemann Professor of Brazilian Public Policy and International and Public Affairs

Neimy Escobar: Project Coordinator for Universities at the Lemann Foundation

Workshop session on Law, Innovation, and Civic Engagement

February 27

Ronaldo Lemos: Founder and Director of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Visiting Professor

Miguel Lago: co-Founder and President-Director of Nossas and SIPA Lecturer

Workshop session on Urbanism, Innovation, and Social Change

March 8

Ronaldo Lemos: Founder and Director of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Visiting Professor

Guilherme Wisnik: Professor at the University of Sao Paulo's School of Architecture and Urbanism

 

Workshop session on Innovation in Health Services and Technology

April 3

Ronaldo Lemos: Founder and Director of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro, Professor of Law and Innovation at the Rio de Janeiro State University and SIPA Visiting Professor

Patricia da Silva, President of Optum in Brazil (a technology company for health and innovation services)

A new track in the SIPA Dean’s Challenge Grant supports Brazil-oriented Challenge Grant teams. The SIPA Dean’s Challenge Grant invites students to put their policy passions into entrepreneurial ventures – whether for profit or not for profit – and to design cutting-edge projects that use ICT and/or data analytics to advance a public policy objective through entrepreneurship. Special new recruitment and support elements have been added to the SIPA Dean’s Public Policy Challenge to cultivate new student-led enterprises to solve pressing contemporary issues that affects Brazil. ​The enterprise is part of the existing SIPA Dean's Public Policy Challenge Grant, which provides funding, mentorship, and guidance to students to develop and establish social ventures that utilize ICTs to address a pressing policy challenge. The selected teams receive an award to help fund the launch or further development of their venture in Brazil. For more information, please get in touch with [email protected]. Learn More

SIPA seeks to widen research, teaching, and engagement on Brazil.  We invite scholars, practitioners, and social entrepreneurs to participate in activities related to Brazil, support student-led projects, and seek to expand SIPA’s related academic infrastructure.

 

FACULTY EXPERTS

Ronaldo Lemos

Adjunct Senior Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs

Ronaldo Lemos is an internationally respected Brazilian academic, lawyer, and commentator on intellectual property, technology, and culture. Lemos is a co-founder and Chief Science Officer of the Institute for Technology & Society of Rio de Janeiro (itsrio.org), and professor at the Rio de Janeiro State University´s law school. He is a board member of various organizations, including the Mozilla Foundation, and Access Now. Lemos was one of the creators of Brazil’s Internet Law (Marco Civil da Internet), enacted in April 2014, creating a comprehensive set of rights for the internet in Brazil, including freedom of speech, privacy, and net neutrality. Lemos' academic qualifications include a J.D., University of Sao Paulo Law School, a Master of Laws degree, Harvard Law School, and a Doctor of Laws degree, University of Sao Paulo.

Lemos has led Workshop sessions from 2019-2021, has advised students, including SIPA Challenge Grant Tech2Protect team members, and previously taught a SIPA course on Tech Policy in the Developing World: Data Governance.

Marcelo Medeiros

Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs



Marcelo Medeiros studies social inequality. He has training in Economics and Sociology. He currently is visiting professor at Columbia University. He was a researcher at Ipea, a professor at the University of Brasilia, and taught once a year at UNSAM - Buenos Aires. Marcelo was also a researcher at the International Poverty Centre - UNDP served as a policy expert at the Brazilian Audit Court (TCU) and as an adviser for the Brazilian National Science Council (CNPq). He held visiting appointments at Princeton University, the Yale Law School - New Haven, University of California, Berkeley, Sophia University - Tokyo, CNRS - Cermes3 - Paris, the Institute for Human Development - Delhi, Indira Gandhi Institute - Mumbai, and CSC - Cambridge University. Prof. Medeiros won the Fred L. Soper Award of the World Health Organization for best study in public health, 2012, the National Treasure Prize for studies in Public Sector Economics 2012 (3rd place), the Anpocs prize for best Brazilian Ph.D. Dissertation in Social Sciences 2003, a Senate Medal for studies in development in 2000, and an award for best study by undergraduate students at the 1993 Eneco. Prof. Medeiros has authored, co-authored, and edited numerous books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles in the areas of social inequality and mobility, demography, health, education, poverty, development theory, and disability and social protection. He is a member of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science.

Medeiros will teach a Spring 2022 SIPA course, participate in workshops, events and seminars, as well as pursue his research on inequality and Latin America.

Miguel Lago

Lecturer of International and Public Affairs (Part-time)



Miguel Lago is the co-founder and president-director of Nossas. Nossas is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works as a system of civic mobilization infrastructures and a laboratory for activism and civic engagement.  Miguel developed and teaches the course Social Innovation, Technology and Public Policy in the Global South at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). He is also a lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, where he teaches a class on technology and democracy. His research interests include public policy, technology, participatory politics, and citizen-led city development. He holds a bachelor degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Public Administration, both from Sciences Po Paris.

Lago led a 2019 Workshop session on Law, Innovation, and Civic Engagement and teaches a SIPA course on Social Innovation, Technology, and Public Policy in the Global South.

 

GUEST EXPERTS

Gabriel Aleixo, Business Developer & Board Member of Hathor Network, participated in a 2022 Workshop session.

Mariana Caetano, CEO and Co-Founder, SALVA Digital, a company focused on utilizing data to yield better environmental outcomes.  Caetano is also a former agri-tech VC investor and has extensive experience as a coffee farming administrator.  

Thiago Camargo, CEO of Movimento Brasil Digital and SIPA Alumnae, MPA ’16, participated in a 2020 Workshop session on designing and launching projects and organizations to achieve measurable social impact.

Lucas Delgado, co-founder of EMERGE, with experience in developing innovation projects focused on deep techs in industries from different sectors, working with over 2,000 technologies and 3,500 scientists with clients such as Ambev, Natura, Novartis, and Braskem. He also has roles on some startups through the Emerge Venture Builder: Executive Leader on NAtiva Biotech (biotech), Innovation and R&D on Cellva (foodtech), and advisor on FitoFit Health (biotech) and Mangute Ingredients (foodtech).

Patricia Ellen de Silva, Secretary of Development, Science and Technology of the State of Sao Paulo, participated in a 2019 Workshop on Innovation in Health Services and Technology and a 2020 Workshop session on designing and launching projects and organizations to achieve measurable social impact.

Marcelo Furtado, Senior Advisor at Impact Delta and Partner at ZSCORE, participated in a 2022 Workshop session.

Hussein Kalout, Political Scientist and Research Scholar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs of Harvard University and at Harvard’s Center for Middle East Studies, participated in a 2020 Workshop session on designing and launching projects and organizations to achieve measurable social impact.

Isabella Marinho, an expert in environmental policy and former consultant for the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Division at the Inter-American Development Bank, presented at a 2021 Workshop session on Data and Development.

Patrícia Campos Mello, a journalist at Folha de Sao Paulo and SIPA Visiting Scholar, participated in a 2022 Workshop session.

Otavio Miranda, Founder of Gabriel, a startup using cameras to improve urbanism and urban safety in Brazil.  He is also a specialist in Brazil-China relations.

Alessandra Orofino, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Nossas, participated in a 2020 Workshop session.

Tiago Peixoto, Senior Public Sector Specialist at the World Bank, participated in a 2022 Workshop session.

Luciana Ribeiro, Managing Partner and Cofounder of EB Capital, participated in a 2022 Workshop session.

Alexandre Schneider, President of the Instituto Singularidades and former Associate Research Scholar in the Institute of Latin American Studies and Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs participated in a 2020 Workshop session.

Ilona Szabó, Associate Research Scholar in the Institute of Latin American Studies, participated in a 2020 Workshop session.

Guilherme Wisnik, Professor at the University of Sao Paulo's School of Architecture and Urbanism, led a 2019 Workshop session on Urbanism, Innovation, and Social Change.

SIPA offers Capstone Workshops each spring to address real-world problems in Brazil through its pathbreaking Capstone Program. Six to eight students and a faculty advisor undertake a clearly defined project for a partner institution either focused on Brazil or located in Brazil, such as a social enterprise, government agency, non-profit organization, or company. The workshop teams engage in substantive research and analysis, and produce actionable recommendations that will be utilized by the partner organization.

 

2023 CAPSTONES

Urban Analytics and Municipality Integrity

Client: Niteroi Municipality

The City Hall of Niteroi has been working on expanding the offer of digital services, improving the quality of public services, implementing the electronic process, and expanding the use of technologies to improve public management.. The Digital Strategy of the City of Niterói will guide the government’s transformation through digital technologies. The Digital Strategy will define principles, objectives, and public policy initiatives to offer better quality, simpler and more accessible services to the population of Niterói.

In December of 2022 the Strategy will be launched and during 2023 this Capstone will start to monitor and evaluate (M&E) its implementation. This Capstone is built upon concepts of development economics, international development, behavior sciences, political sciences, public policy and administration, urban innovation, data science, business management and research methods to help students learn the practical skills and knowledge needed to work across silos and make decisions about very complex urban development issues.

Tasks performed include:

- Frame the challenge/opportunity Niteroi faces and identify relevant case studies;

- Build indicators/metrics to inform decision making vis-a-vis the challenge/opportunity faced based on sectors’ priorities set by the city;

- Find and/or help build the data sets needed to feed indicators/metrics and the new implementation M&E system;

- Code/calibrate algorithms to produce the desired business insights (in collaboration with computer/data sciences students from Columbia School of Engineering recruited for this project);

- Build/prototype user-interfaces/dashboards for the decision-maker;

- Recommend new policies and programs including the mobilization of stakeholders.

 

Student team: Andres Almeida Gomez, Andrea Vega Moreno, Julia Lara Leite, Joshua Fife, Madeline Ninno, Roger Tejada, Sherri Zhang, Zaynab Abdi

Faculty advisor: André Corrêa d'Almeida

 

2020 CAPSTONES

Promoting Sustainable Fashion in Brazil’s Garment Supply

Client: Associação Brasileira do Varejo Têxtil (Brazilian Association of Textile Retailers or ABVTEX)

The Associação Brasileira do Varejo Têxtil (Brazilian Association of Textile Retailers or ABVTEX) was founded in 1999, and represents some of the most important retail chains that sell apparel, footwear, handbags, accessories, as well as home textile goods. The main objective of the project was to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of ABVTEX’s social and labor auditing protocols and processes with the aim of converging on international best practices. The team worked to 1) assess ABVTEX’s social/labor auditing protocols/procedures/guidelines in order to provide feasible recommendations based on global social/labor auditing standards and practices; 2) conduct careful benchmarking of ABVTEX’s current auditing mechanism and performance against international best practices in monitoring and auditing schemes, particularly in the global value and supply chains; and 3) carry out extensive research to identify best practices and the enforcement mechanisms of the labor/social standards in the global supply chain. Lemann Foundation support also allowed the team to translate their report into Portuguese at the client’s request.

Student team: Claudia Baethgen, Aizhan Kamidola, Eleanor Katz, Diana Marcela Rincon Rico, Daria Schitrit, Jiayu Song

Faculty advisor: Scott Martin

 

AI-Driven Innovations at the Brazilian Judiciary

Client: ITS RIO

The objective of the project was for the Capstone team to conduct research and field work at the National Council of Justice (CNJ), a public institution that aims to improve the work of the Brazilian judicial system, in order to assist in the elaboration of strategic plans of recommendations for government adaptation, aiming at the development of artificial intelligence applications in the Brazilian Judiciary. The project included 1) field study on CNJ attributions and possibilities of action in order to improve the work of the Judiciary – the field study took place in the Department of Information and Communication Technology of the National Council of Justice (CNJ), and focused on mechanisms for administrative and procedural control and transparency; 2) literature review on national strategic research for artificial intelligence development; 3) analysis of available Artificial Intelligence tools developed and used by the Brazilian Judiciary; 4) interviews with CNJ members, Public Prosecutor of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal Supreme Court ministers and 5) elaboration of specific recommendations to be followed by the CNJ. The team’s work was recently translated into Portuguese. The study was very well received by the National Council of Justice (CNJ). The CNJ announced that they will continue the study, including other initiatives of AI use that were not listed at the time of the study´s publication. In addition, the study was presented and debated in various seminars organized by the judiciary, and also mentioned in press articles.

Student team: Katie Brehm, Momori Hirabayashi, Clara Langevin, Bernardo Rivera Munozccano, Katsumi Sekizawa, Jiayi Zhu

Faculty advisor: André Corrêa d'Almeida

 

2019 CAPSTONES

Measuring Digital Transformation in Brazil

Client: Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC)

In this project, the workshop team assisted MCTIC in developing an online dashboard to track progress in implementing Brazil’s national digitalization strategy. This project supported Brazil’s accession process to join the OECD; therefore, one element of the project was to identify indicators and related data sources that will be comparative with OECD countries. Thankfully, the project was not affected by the recent change of government – the team’s main contacts at MCTIC were still in place and leading the dashboard initiative. After conducting extensive comparative research and developing a prototype dashboard, the workshop team traveled to Brazil during SIPA’s March break to meet with relevant officials at MCTIC, as well as other experts in the digital technology space, to get feedback on their initial proposals and to gain a better understanding of the needs and preferences of future users of the dashboard. The team finalized its proposals and submitted to MCTIC in May 2019.

Student team: Sanjana Gorti, Clarissa Leon, Shandana Sajjad, Damini Satija, Marsha Sneh Monteiro, Priyanka Soni, Lorena Urbina

Faculty advisor: Akbar Noman

Developing A ‘First Mile’ Impact Assessment Tool for Natura Cosmetics' Sustainable Supply Chain in Brazil

Client: Natura Cosmetics S.A.

Natura Cosmetics, Brazil’s largest cosmetics manufacturer, has a long history of commitment to environmental and social sustainability. As a founding member of the Union for Bio-Ethical Trade (UEBT), Natura was the first company to have its entire supply chain management practices certified under UEBT standards. One aspect of the supply chain that has not yet been studied in depth is the “first mile” – the impact on Amazon rainforest communities of participating in Natura’s supply chain by supplying raw and processed natural resources for use in Natura products.  In this project, the workshop team developed and tested an impact assessment methodology that can be used with communities that supply natural resources to Natura. A member of the team traveled to Brazil over SIPA’s January break to meet with Natura’s sustainability team at its headquarters. The rest of the team traveled to Brazil over SIPA’s March break to visit several supplier communities and cooperatives, as well as a local network of civil society organizations that engages with Natura. During the visit, the team conducted interviews, focus groups and a household survey, and visited factories where seeds and fruits are processed into oil for Natura. Based on this fieldwork, the team submitted its findings as well as a revised set of impact assessment tools to Natura in May 2019.

Student team: Carolina Acosta Gutierrez, Ariana Areti Collas, Aliya Binta Diawara, Hunter Goldman, Hyo Jung (Angie) Kim, Philipp Renner, Frances Schick 

Faculty advisor: Scott Martin

Lemann supported SIPA course "Design for Social Innovation," taught by Sarah Holloway and Columbia University Designer-in-Residence Adam Royalty in Spring 2019, focused on solving deeply entrenched and seemingly intractable problems in K-12 education in Brazil's massive public education system. Students worked in teams around the themes of parent engagement, remediation and special education, and to develop solutions leveraging technology. Winning teams received funding to launch their ventures in Brazil. 

Ana Paula Romero Manzalli Teachers College '19

Co-founder, Sincroniza Educação

Sincroniza Educaçãoto seeks to promote significant improvement in student learning through continuing teacher education and management of projects related to methodology, use of educational technologies, and adoption of the Base National Common Curriculum in Brazil.

Laura Marsiaj Ribeiro MPA '18

Founder and CEO, Eu Ensino

Eu Ensino is a continuing education platform for educators. They offer courses and support tools for pedagogical coordinators and teachers to improve their teaching and monitor progress.