Who we are
The Instituto Îandé was created to help democratize access to education and learning opportunities for children and adolescents in Brazil.
Inspired by the concept of equality of opportunity for the full development of human capabilities, as proposed by Nobel laureate and philosopher Amartya Sen, the initiative was established to support programs and projects that focus on reducing educational inequalities and fostering learning environments for populations living in conditions of social vulnerability.
Brazil carries a social debt, particularly toward its Afro-descendant population. The country has enormous potential to grow by ensuring that children and adolescents have equal opportunities to access the job market in the future — with greater equity — and become the nation’s next generation of leaders.
Equipe
Maria Brant is the Executive Director of Instituto Îandé. She has more than two decades of experience working with international and civil society organizations, including UNESCO, Human Rights Watch, and Conectas Human Rights, among others. She has also worked for over 15 years as a consultant in program design, monitoring and evaluation, and in developing social investment strategies for foundations and governments.
In recent years, she has focused on fostering and coordinating networks of civil society organizations dedicated to addressing inequality, such as ABCD (Ação Brasileira de Combate às Desigualdades) and the National Pact to Combat Inequalities. A specific focus of her work has been tackling racial inequalities. She has led initiatives on this front promoted by Black-led organizations and networks, including the Instituto de Referência Negra Peregum and the Coalizão Negra por Direitos.
Maria holds a degree in International Relations from PUC-SP, a master’s degree in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a PhD in International Relations from USP. She has served on the boards of Oxfam Brasil and Oxfam International.
Maria also has experience as a journalist at O Estado de S. Paulo and Folha de S. Paulo, where she currently edits a column on inequality.
Paulo Mattos is Co-Founder, Managing Partner, CEO, and Co-CIO of IG4 Capital. Before founding IG4 Capital, Paulo was a Partner at RK Partners, a consultancy specializing in debt restructuring and operational turnarounds, and Managing Director at GP Investments, a leading alternative investment firm in Latin America.
At GP Investments, Paulo served as Head of Infrastructure and Telecommunications Investments and sat on the Investment Committee (2012–2016). He founded BR Towers S.A., Brazil’s first major independent cell tower company, where he served as Chairman of the Board (2012–2014), before its sale to American Tower Corporation.
Prior to GP Investments, Paulo was Executive Vice President of Business Strategy, Wholesale, and Regulatory Affairs at Oi S.A. (2009–2012), Brazil’s largest telecommunications company at the time. He served on Oi’s Executive Committee, Financial Risk Committee, and Operations Committee. Paulo also worked at the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) as Managing Director, serving on the Credit and Investment Committee and as Head of the Management Committee (2007–2009).
He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors at Iguá Saneamento S.A. (2017–), one of Brazil’s leading private water and sanitation companies, and a Board Member at OPY Health S.A. (2019–), a healthcare infrastructure and logistics company for hospitals and medical service providers, in which IG4 Capital is the controlling shareholder.
Paulo is also a venture capitalist and Co-Founder of Capital Lab Ventures, a proprietary venture capital platform focused on Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT). In addition, he is Co-Founder and Board Member of the Instituto Iguá, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing new technologies and education for sustainable access to water and sanitation. He also serves on the Fiscal Council of the Inter-American University Association (AUI), a nonprofit educational group that operates schools in Brazil.
Paulo holds a J.D. and a Ph.D. in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP), was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Yale University, and is a Visiting Fellow at King’s College London. He is a permanent member of the Board of Partners of the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (CEBRAP) and a former Associate Professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) — both leading Brazilian think tanks in public policy and business administration.
She is a sociologist and educator who works as a trainer of school principals and teachers with international organizations and across different Brazilian states in the fields of education and race relations. She has coordinated international technical cooperation projects in several African countries.
She has developed educational content for institutions such as MASP, SESC, Itaú Cultural, Intermuseus, and UNIFESP. She wrote the preface for the book Teaching Community – A Pedagogy of Hope by bell hooks (2021) and has published articles on human rights, equity, race relations, and youth and adult education.
She is a member of the National Commission on Literacy and Youth and Adult Education (CNAEJA–MEC, 2023) and serves as Deputy Executive Coordinator at the organization Ação Educativa.
She holds a degree in Economics from FEA–USP and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from FGV. Over the past 20 years, she has served as an executive leading the areas of Sustainability, Communications, and Organizational Development at major companies such as Banco Real (now Banco Santander) and Racional Engenharia.
She took part in the creation of Ideal Invest, an impact investment fund focused on higher education in Brazil, and has also led sustainability projects in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). She served as Executive Director of Instituto Reciclar and was Co-Founder and President of Projeto LACE.
She is currently the Executive Director of Instituto CCR and Director of Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Innovation at CCR S.A.
As Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the philanthropic organization Thousand Currents, Sandra currently leads the development and implementation of the organization’s regional strategy. She also has extensive experience supporting social movements both in Brazil and across the African continent.
Sandra holds a degree in International Relations from UNESP and a master’s degree in the same field from UnB. She is also an alumna of the International Advanced Research Institute at Brown University and a member of the Columbia Women’s Leadership Network.
Rafael Oliva is Managing Partner at Oliva Institutional Development, a consultancy that supports civil society organizations and public institutions, focusing on institutional development processes and strategic planning.
He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Economics from UNICAMP, a PhD in Public Administration and Government from EAESP/FGV, and is certified in conflict mediation by the Lusophone Mediators Certification Institute (ICFML).
Suelaine Carneiro is a sociologist and holds a master’s degree in Education. She currently coordinates the Education Program at Geledés – Black Women’s Institute. She served as an advisor to the National Rapporteur on the Human Right to Education (Plataforma DHESCA) during the 2007–2010 mandates and coordinates the Rede Primeira Infância no Centro (Early Childhood Network at the Center).
She has extensive experience in the field of education, with an emphasis on race relations, gender, human rights, popular education, feminism, inequalities, and racial violence.
Gema Esteban Garrido is a Global ESG Advisor with more than 25 years of experience across multiple sectors and executive roles, always working in forward-looking areas. She is a specialist in sustainability and ESG, with the ability to develop strategic long-term perspectives that balance risks and opportunities.
Before joining IG4 Capital, Gema spent several years at Telefónica, most recently as Director of ESG Investors (2018–2020), where she reshaped the company’s ESG strategy to attract ESG-focused investors and positioned Telefónica as a leader in the most influential ESG rankings — consistently achieving a top 5 position.
Previously, she held various executive positions at Telefónica, including Digital Strategy, Industry Analyst Relations, Global Operations Strategy, and Strategic Business Planning. Prior to that, she worked at British Telecom and in the software industry.
Gema also serves as a Board Member of the Global Women Telecommunications Network and is Co-Founder of Women for Good, while mentoring and advising young entrepreneurs.
She holds an Executive Management Program (PDG) from IESE Business School, a degree in Investment Management from the University of Geneva, and a Certification in ESG Investing from the CFA Society. Gema earned her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Pontifical University of Salamanca in Madrid.