Rafaela Pinah hails from Realengo in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. She is the founder of Coolhunter Favela, a research and consulting space that has collaborated on workshops, campaigns, and projects with brands such as FARM, Heineken, L'Oréal, and Uber. Additionally, Rafaela leads Casa Tok, where she helps approximately 320 children each month, generating savings of R$53,000 on haircuts and braiding services for the community. This initiative, known as "Quarta de Cria," aims to revive the ancestry of Black Brazilian barbering while fostering self-esteem and affection among families who may not have access to these services. More recently, Rafaela launched Galeria Tok in collaboration with Heineken, featuring the exhibition "A Dream in Sideral Space."

To educate content creators and cultural agents in the riverside communities of the Brazilian Amazon, Gil and Zek launched Barco Regatão (Regatão Boat) this year. This vessel serves as a traveling cultural center, traversing the rivers of western Pará, and facilitates discussions, musical performances, lectures, film screenings, photography sessions, and group activities within the communities. Each immersive experience concludes with a celebratory event. Barco Regatão is an initiative of the Instituto Regatão Amazônia and is designed to expand its operations to additional regions in northern Brazil.

Gean is a digital artist and the founder of 2050, a laboratory for innovation and human technologies located in Morro Santo Amaro in Rio de Janeiro. This laboratory develops projects that combine augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and peripheral experiences. In addition to collaborating with brands like Meta, 2050 has an educational component that organizes workshops for children, teenagers, and individuals over 50 to explore future possibilities. This year, 2050 celebrated a significant milestone: the first anniversary of Espaço-Tempo, the first space dedicated to discussing art and technology in the Santo Amaro favela, showcasing both digital and physical works.

Marta was born and raised in Gama, Brazil's central region. Observing the exclusion of women over 50 from critical conversations in the creative market, she founded VOZES 50+ in May. This event brought together 14 prominent women at the São Paulo Cultural Center for two days of interviews and discussions about their professional experiences. Marta currently works as the Communications and Institutional Relations Manager at FCB Brasil and aims to expand VOZES 50+ into a platform with a dedicated website and more meeting opportunities.

Jacqueline Sato is a TV host, actress, screenwriter, and producer. In August, after nearly two years of effort, she launched the program Mulheres Asiáticas on the E! channel. This groundbreaking show features 13 women of Japanese descent across 6 episodes and includes a team of 22 Asian descent women behind the scenes. This year, she also served as an associate producer for the short film “Amarela,” which was the only Brazilian work to compete for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Additionally, she returned to Rede Globo to star in the soap opera “Volta por Cima,” alongside a diverse cast celebrating various Asian origins.

Based on discussions between the People & Culture team and the Transgender Affinity Group at the Soko agency, which was acquired by Droga5 this year, Johana and Paula spearheaded the creation of the "Hormonal Assistance Benefit." This initiative, which is relatively uncommon in the advertising industry, provides support for transgender employees to purchase essential medications for hormone therapy. Launched in February, the benefit is available to all trans employees and highlights the significant impact that ongoing dialogue within companies and agencies can have.

Bianca Comparato has acted in films and series, including Grey's Anatomy. She is also the founder of South, a production company created to showcase Brazilian productions and directors to a global audience. After three years of team building, development, and rights acquisition, South launched its first project in October: YAWARA, an audio series in partnership with Indigenous activist Daiara Tukano. Bianca plans to release a short film and a black-and-white feature film in 2025, paying homage to marginalized cinema. Through South, she is committed to making a difference by supporting emerging talents and new narratives.

Mônica is from northeastern Brazil and, since 2023, has been tasked with an important mission: to help manage KUYA - Centro de Design do Ceará, fostering connections within Brazil and South America. This year, she played a key role in organizing the inaugural KUYA South American Design Festival. The festival not only brought the Peruvian LAD Awards to Brazil for the first time but also created a four-day event in Fortaleza, allowing designers and creatives from various parts of South America to gather and discuss relevant topics. Participation was free of charge, and supported by government initiatives.

João, a 30-year-old from southern Brazil, is the founder of SIGNALS, a platform that publishes videos on TikTok and assists agencies and consultancies in discussing behavior, pop culture, and consumption in a fun, straightforward manner. He runs a WhatsApp group with more than 1,500 members and produces a biweekly newsletter. Throughout the year, João has collaborated with agencies such as wee! from Portugal and the consultancy Float Vibes from São Paulo. His decision to create SIGNALS stems from a desire to demonstrate that research can be communicated unexpectedly and engagingly.

Luiza and Marina are the founders of Estúdio QUE, Brazil's first design studio featuring a team of creatives both with and without intellectual disabilities. Officially launched in December 2023, after four years as part of La Casa de Carlota, the studio's team includes six professionals with intellectual disabilities. In addition to developing graphic projects for major brands such as Itaú and Meta, Estúdio QUE uniquely offers workshops focused on deconstructing experiences for company leaders. These workshops demonstrate how it is possible to create with traditional tools and encourage a departure from ego-driven design.

Thiago is the founder of the Solano Trindade agency in Campo Limpo, a suburb of São Paulo. He is also the co-founder of Perifa Criativa, an initiative that, in May, recruited 25 young people from the outskirts of the city to teach them how an advertising agency operates—covering creative, media, and influencer areas. Created in 2023 in partnership with Ampfy, the second edition of the Perifa Criativa consisted of 10 meetings held in May and June. It offered food, transportation, and classes at the Solano Trindade headquarters in Campo Limpo and the Ampfy agency office in central São Paulo.

Design is omnipresent, manifesting in various forms and experiences. This belief inspired Giulia Fagundes, a designer and teacher from São Paulo, to create the workshop series "Less Design, Please." Aimed at confronting elitism and challenging traditional notions of design, the workshops have been held in cities such as Salvador, Belém, Fortaleza, São Paulo, New York, and Lima, Peru. For instance, part of the workshop in Pará took place at the Ver-o-Peso Market, engaging with artisans and artists who celebrate authentic and vernacular expressions of design.

In June, Guilhermina achieved something unprecedented: she took a group of 5 trans and non-binary people from the advertising industry to Cannes Lions for the first time, covering all expenses. This initiative was the only one for trans people selected by the Equity, Representation, and Accessibility Programme (ERA). Leading the OcupaTrans project, which she conceived in 2023, Guilhermina has brought together agencies and institutions to promote greater access to festivals and events in the industry. So far, she has donated more than 120 passes to trans, transvestite, and non-binary professionals for various events and festivals, including Clube de Criação, More Grls, Whext, You Pix Summit, and Women to Watch Brazil.

Monge Han, a yellow-Brazilian illustrator of Korean descent living in Curitiba, released the book 'Vozes Amarelas' in 2023, which became a best-seller in the comics category on Amazon. This year, he was invited to speak at the Book Biennial, SESC, and on various podcasts. By transforming personal memories into comics, Monge Han uses literature to explore the experiences of Asian descent individuals in Brazil. His upcoming work, 'Daruma: Perseverança,' set to be released in 2024, is an adventure taking place in São Paulo, featuring yellow-Brazilian protagonists and antagonists while addressing themes of family ties, mourning, and racism.

Raquel, 25 years old, was born and raised in Greater São Paulo. She works as a designer and holds a postgraduate degree in photography. In January, she published a teaching guide on the graffiti found on the streets, building gables, walls, and overpasses of São Paulo. Inspired by a desire to investigate and catalog, Raquel shared the guide on social media, where it went viral, garnering over 1 million interactions. This attention prompted teachers to seek its incorporation into their classrooms. For Raquel, graffiti represents a traditional street typography that expresses the city's voice and deserves recognition.

Hugo is a copywriter who has had cerebral palsy since childhood. He grew up on the outskirts of the city and is the son of a single mother. Will, an art director from the interior of São Paulo, entered the advertising world unexpectedly. In February, they launched the TALENTOPCD platform, aiming to map professionals with disabilities in advertising agencies and raise awareness about the topic. Currently, they have a list of over 50 names, and their next step is to expand their search to include individuals with disabilities working in the audiovisual industry and beyond.

Lisiane Lemos is not only a content creator but also serves as the Extraordinary Secretary for Digital Inclusion and Support for Equity Policies in Rio Grande do Sul. She is a co-founder of Conselheira 101, an organization dedicated to empowering black and indigenous female leaders by expanding their understanding of the roles of Boards of Directors, thereby encouraging them to take up positions on the Boards of major brands, companies, and agencies. Established in 2020 with Lisiane's assistance, C101 officially became an institute this year. To date, nearly 150 women have participated in training and mentoring programs.

The field of Public Relations is often mistakenly seen as solely focused on press relations, but it encompasses much more. Reflecting this understanding, Catha launched the Mini PR Manual for free in September. Available through a website, the document received over 500 downloads within just two days of being online. The project not only clarifies what PR is and emphasizes its importance across all areas of work in advertising agencies, but it also provides a gateway for NGOs and socio-environmental projects to seek assistance in this area.

Natália was born in the northern region of Brazil, in Amazonas, and now lives in São Paulo, where she works as an audiovisual producer and educator through her project called Ancestralidade Visual. This initiative uses the camera as a tool for advocacy and for conducting workshops. As a self-taught filmmaker, Natália earned a scholarship to study film in 2023. She released two documentaries this year: Minha Câmera é uma Flecha (My camera is an arrow) and Os Sonhos Guiam (Dreams Guide). These films have been showcased in various exhibitions and festivals, earning awards and honorable mentions.

Fabian is a 33-year-old non-binary transmasculine individual of Arab descent and the creator of BRAVA, an educational platform that addresses social and political issues through online courses. Defined as a 'radical space for community building,' BRAVA aims to promote anti-colonial discussions that integrate theory and practice, offering free activities and full scholarships to all who request them. In 2023, BRAVA held 180 courses with daily activities, inspiring agencies like AKQA and brands such as TikTok to commission specific class cycles.

This year, Robson and Luiz collaborated to expand the direction of Influência Negra (Black Influence), a platform with more than 288,000 followers on Instagram. Following a manifesto released in June, Influência Negra officially announced its activities as an audiovisual content producer, aiming to create short films, feature films, and brand activations. A notable project included branded content for Head & Shoulders during the August Olympics in Paris. Additionally, Influência Negra launched CREATORSLAB this year, a free education and acceleration program for Black creators.

Born in Juazeiro, Bahia, Dandara is a designer who works as a creative director, teacher, and director of the ADG (Association of Graphic Designers of Brazil). After a year of engaging in conversations and seeking sponsorship, Dandara was part of a pioneering movement to host the 14th Brazilian Design Biennial, which took place for the first time in the Northeast. This event featured lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and free guided tours. It was held in Aracaju from December 6th to 20th, with the support of the State Government and the Federal University of Sergipe.

Naymare was born in the northeast of Brazil, where she completed her master's degree. She currently resides in Rio de Janeiro, pursuing her PhD in Contemporary Arts. As the founder of the production company AYABÁ and the platform Afrotonizar, this year she is one of the key leaders behind the creation of the Recôncavo AfroFestival. This festival is the first of its kind in the Bahian Recôncavo region, celebrating Black artists in cinema, visual arts, and stage dance. Additionally, Naymare has recruited 16 emerging artists for AfrotonizarLAB, a 3-month creative residency in Salvador. This program aims to introduce new voices into the creative market and culminates in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia (MAM) at the end of the residency.

Bruno Zampoli is a creative director and partner at the agency cccaramelo. He is also the founder of ACID, a fictional newspaper that uniquely combines artificial intelligence, content creation, and humor to spark conversations on Instagram. For Bruno, the goal is not just to use AI in the creative process but to shed light on interesting topics through it. For example, during the August Olympics, he created the Caramel Delegation, which garnered over 500,000 views in just a few hours. In June, he was awarded a Bronze Lion at Cannes for reimagining images of women's soccer teams from 1959, 1963, and 1970 for Itaú Bank.

Daniel is a photographer and director of advertising films, and he is also the co-founder of Click na Favela, a project designed to support young people who, like him, grew up in the Paraisópolis favela. This year, Daniel organized free classes, gathering volunteers to form a group of 20 students who meet on Saturdays for four months. Additionally, Daniel has worked to bring young people onto the sets of major brands like Nike, where they can gain experience as assistants or in production roles. For Daniel, it is essential to help young people build their self-esteem and believe in themselves.

Michele is the founder of UBUNTTU Management and Finance, a consulting firm that assists designers and creative studios in organizing themselves effectively. In a job market characterized by insecurity, Michele initiated a series of workshops in various cities, including Fortaleza, Salvador, and Belo Horizonte, throughout the year. Named the "Creative Entrepreneur Workshop," her goal is to promote a more ethical and fair approach to work, whether it involves assembling a team, creating spreadsheets, or preparing budgets and proposals.

Creating the Papel & Caneta list is a year-long process that involves a lot of research and conversations. It has been happening this way since 2017, when the first list was released, as a way for the collective to shed light on narratives that are often forgotten by the media, festivals, and major awards. Behind the research process is André Chaves, the creator of Papel & Caneta, Rita Romão, a strategy leader who was born and raised in the Northeast of Brazil but currently works in São Paulo, and José Kaeté, a content creator who lives in Belém, Pará, and travels the world defending the Amazon and indigenous peoples.