Lessons learned with
PAULA MIRAGLIA – NEXO BEBEL ABREU – BEBEL BOOKS CRISTINA TARDÁGUILA – AGÊNCIA LUPA
What do Paula Miraglia, co-founder of Nexo, Bebel Abreu, founder of Bebel Books, and Cristina Tardáguila, director of the Lupa Agency in Brazil, have in common? These three wonderful women have created their own independent projects, navigating the waves of the world of entrepreneurship with an enormous passion for journalism and innovation. Today we want to share with you three inspiring stories that have revolutionized the way of investigating and narrating, without dying in the attempt. Here, we tell you your biggest advice when you start.
Mariana Santos – Chicas Poderosas, Paula Miraglia – Nexo, Bebel Abreu – Bebel Books, Cristina Tardaguila – Lupa
A little less conversation, a little more action. When Paula Miraglia began testing her own independent media project, a year of planning had already passed. She worked with her co-founders Renata Rizzi and Conrado Corselette and the team for three months, unable to publish. First it was necessary to find the voice and identity of Nexo Jornal, the digital medium that seeks to offer its readers rigorous and contextualized information with an original focus. Those were days of putting all the knowledge and patience to the test. Today, this team of 30 people – including journalists, developers, designers and producers who publish infographics, reports, videos, opinion pieces and news – are winners of the online journalism excellence prize awarded by the Online News Association, in the category of small newsrooms.
To achieve her dream, she knew that a well-defined product was her best business card, especially in an industry where people think and talk a lot, but do little. As Paula says, “we’re not going to stay here talking. We want to do.”
Since 2015, they have managed to sustain the medium with the strong participation of their subscribers, an audience that according to Paula is very qualified and demanding. Not in vain, Nexo Jornal has sought ways to be extremely transparent with errors. “People appreciate this detail and that allows criticism not to come with such aggressiveness,” explains Paula, who works as General Director of the media.
The tip of Paula: Have a balance between work and life.
“We started this project with a lot of passion, but we have to keep space for ourselves. Our work also demands creativity, inspiration, sleep and health.”
If you do not know, ask for help.
The best thing that Cristina Tardáguila did when she started Agencia Lupa, the first fact-checking agency in Brazil, was to understand that there is always the need for advice, be it from people with whom dialogue is made as equals or groups that are totally different. “If you do not have a director, an investor or even a team to dazzle, you have to show the project to the people”, said Cristina.
Recognizing what she didn’t know also allowed her to detect weaknesses and ask questions to manage up to the smallest detail of LUPA. How many people do you have on your team? Are we going to publish a note per month or one per hour? How much does your equipment cost? Is it going to be the whole freelance world? Are you going to spend a sponsorship on social networks?
Starting her own environment also involved knowing how to manage and direct. After working with the news agency EFE and in the newspapers O Globo, Folha de S.Paulo and the Piauí magazine, in 2016 she become familiar with the business world with an MBA in Digital Marketing and thus embody her role as a business woman. As Cristina shared in the first day of the New Ventures Lab, “who are in charge in the great generations of the world, are excellent journalists…”
Learning your business and your market was a fundamental step to understand two problems inherent in having a fact-checking project: polarization and hatred. Confronting the powerful has had a personal risk for her and her team, especially when the attack is not directed towards the message, but towards the messenger.
The tip of Cristina:
“Feel and transform the proto into something of yours. It is important to write your idea and know how to work it to make it yours.
A book has a voice
“When I published it, I’m automatically relating myself to something…”
Says Bebel Abreu. Although in Brazil there is a huge difficulty in the distribution of books, this architect and entrepreneur has managed to create a network called Bebel Books that today has more than 15 publications. The strength of her project lies in connecting illustrators and artists in Brazil and encouraging them to publish, independently.
Bebel books is a hobby but it is also a job. The beauty of being independent is that it’s fun and you do not have to be giving anybody satisfactions. When asked why she does all this she responds: because
“é muito masa”
the Brazilian word to say that something is incredible ..
The love of working close to people also led her to move away from the digital and think about the manual.
We can not forget to do manual activities. Our life is increasingly digital, which is good, but at the same time this globalization is falling and now we have to look very local. They are the people with whom it is beautiful to have contact with
said this entrepreneur.
One of her latest publications is called É bom para o moral (It’s good for moral) was created in response to homophobia. These are three books drawn from nudes to make a critique of the sex taboo.
The tip of Bebel
Write your ideas. Don’t let them stuck in your head, go to events. Encourage fun moments that make funny laughs.
Brilliant minds inspiring the world of journalism
The first week of NVL has passed! What better way to take the first steps learning from those who have years of experience. On this occasion we were accompanied by experts in journalism, entrepreneurship, innovation and business to work on the development of a team plan and business models.
We want to thank Google Brasil enormously for opening the doors of its offices in Sao Paulo and to Open Society Foundation for being the greatest ally of Chicas Poderosas in supporting this program.
Meet our guests of honor in this first week of #NVLChicas:
Cristina Tardáguila – Agência Lupa
Cristina Tardáguila was born in Belo Horizonte and grew up in Rio de Janeiro. She graduated and holds a postgraduate degree in Journalism (from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain). She completed an MBA in Digital Marketing from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in 2017. Since November 2015, he has headed Agência Lupa, Brazil’s first fact-checking agency. In her resume as a reporter and editor, she accumulates passages in the newspapers O Globo (Rio de Janeiro) and Folha de S.Paulo (São Paulo), as well as the Piauí magazine. Cristina is still the author of the book “A arte do descaso” (Ed. Intrínseca), which tells the story of the main art theft in Brazil. She was a finalist in the Communicate 2017 Award in the Entrepreneurship category and was nominated for the Gabriel García Márquez 2017 Award in the innovation category. She presented two TEDx on false news and fact-checking.
Melissa Bell – Vox
Melissa Bell is the Publisher of Vox Media, the fastest growing modern media company known for its standout technology, high-fidelity advertising, and editorial networks that go deeper into the topics passionate people care about most. She is responsible for editorial strategy and development of the company’s networks, including SB Nation, Eater, The Verge, Vox, Curbed, Recode, Racked, and Polygon. Bell is also the co-founder of Vox, Vox Media’s flagship network known for explaining the news.Melissa has been named one of the Most Connected Women by Marie Claire, Most Powerful Women in Washington by the Washingtonian, and a top media Changemaker by Digiday.
Prior to Vox Media, Melissa oversaw digital platforms at the Washington Post, where she was also one of The Post’s most-read bloggers and a columnist for the Style section. Before joining The Post, she helped launch Mint, a Wall Street Journal subsidiary in India, where she lived for four years. She hails from San Diego, California and makes a mean banana-and-cheese quesadilla.
Paula Miraglia – NEXO
Paula Miraglia is one of the co-founders and the Chief Executive Officer of Nexo Jornal, a digital-only news startup in Brazil, based in São Paulo. Paula holds a PhD degree in Social Anthropology from the University of São Paulo (USP), where she also graduated in Social Sciences. Previously she has been the Director General of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime – ICPC, based in Canada, and the Executive Director of the Brazilian office of ILANUD -United Nations Latin American Institute. She has also work as a consultant to the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Barbara Fernandes – Paradigma
Barbara is passionate about tech, startups, PM and world culture. In the previous years have been mentor for startups and MBA’s teacher. In 2017, was business Mentor of Microsoft Imagine Cup and Judge of Startup Weekend Woman Recife in 2016. She have worked as IT executive in complex portfolio of projects in many industries (Consulting Services, Healthcare, Government, Industry, Telecommunications, Energy, Engineering, Nonprofit, Bank and Media), with large budgets and multiple sites of delivery. Had the opportunity to lead regional Operation and Portfolio KPIs, with a team of +180 IT professionals. Also managed relationship with C-level customers and partners and worked with strategic planning and setting business strategy. Was executive of International Business where was responsible for Sales , Operation and evaluation to Open International markets in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Angola, Mozambique, USA and Canada. Also was part of the Board of PMI (Chapter Pernambuco) and in 2012 became President.
Adriana do Ó – Novaerah Consult
Adriana is an engineer working for fifteen years with strategic planning, budget management and process risk management. She have been working with business model CANVAS as a method and is also a specialist in BSC – Balanced Scorecard, a method that translates the strategy into perspectives. She was partner Impact HUB Recife, a coworking and empowerment Platform. In 2015, she was part of the Organizer team at the HUB Recife Startup Weekend Woman. Adriana has worked with Collaborative Economy with Creation of Partners for common focuses in networks of entrepreneurs. Participant and Counselor at the Winspiration Women Entrepreneurs Network, storytelling Curatorship at TEDx and sponsor and Mentor to implement the 1st place business of Startup Weekend Change Makers in Pernambuco.
Karina Israel – YDreams Global
With over 20 years of professional experience, Karina Israel is one of the pioneers in the development of business interactivity in Brazil. She began her career in the 1990s at MediaLab and directed production at Ogilvy Interactive in Sao Paulo before her departure for a master’s degree in Science, Technology and Society at the University of Salamanca. In Portugal, the executive created the advertising division of YDreams, a pioneer in the Brand Experience movement in the world, led the first real-time interactive activities on mobile devices, billboards and Western concept stores. In 2006, she took a postgraduate course in Business Management from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. In 2010, she returned to Brazil to assume the executive direction of YDreams in Brazil. In 2012, she completed a Post-graduation in USP, in Culture, Media and Information. In 2016 after an IPO in Canada, her company becomes YDreams Global.
Juliana Wallauer – Mamilos Podcast
Ju Wallauer is a advertising planner, passionate about brands and content. As a planner she has worked for over 10 years developing strategies for brands such as Bradesco, Unilever, Kraft, Mentos e CBF. She was part of the idealization and coordination of SWU festival – a platform to connect people and brands to sustainability through music. With Cris Bartis she created Mamilos – a podcast that talks about complex and controversial topics with empathy and respect, using non violent communication tools.
Bebel Abreu – Mandacaru and Bebel Books
Bebel Abreu is an architect, entrepreneur and independent publisher. She was born in João Pessoa and has lived in Brasilia and Vitória before arriving in São Paulo, in 2004. There she manages Mandacaru, the Brazilian partner of What Design Can Do and producer of exhibitions and conferences related to graphic arts. In parallel, Bebel has founded Bebel Books, who has published more than 60 titles about illustration, calligraphy, photo and much more.
Pedro Doria – Meio
Pedro Doria, 43, is a journalist, native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He’s the founder of startup Meio, a daily newsletter on current affairs. He was the editor in chief for digital at O Estado de S. Paulo and executive editor at O Globo, two out of the three largest Brazilian newspapers. He was a Knight Fellow at Stanford University and a Peter Jennings Fellow with the National Constitution Center. Doria has covered foreign affairs, politics and technology and his weekly column on Silicon Valley strategy and the digital lifestyle runs at both O Estado and O Globo. He’s also a columnist at CBN radio. In 2012, he led the team that won the Esso Prize for Innovation in Journalism — Brazil’s Pulitzer —, and he was picked as the best technology writer of 2015. Doria is also the author of seven books — the last three on Brazilian History. He is the father of two boys and a teenage girl.
Breno Costa -BRIO
As a reporter, worked from 2008 to 2013 in Folha de S.Paulo, covering politics, public administration, budget issues and also investigative assignments based in Brasília, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. Left the newsroom to get full dedicated to create BRIO with his early cofounders. Breno was in charge of content delivery before BRIO’s pivot, when it used to publish longform stories. As a reporter, Breno had works published in The Intercept Brasil, Piauí, Superinteressante, among others.
Paty Gomes – Jota
Patricia is a product manager at JOTA. She was previously a reporter and creative editor at EdSurge, where she writes, edits and experiments with interactive journalism. Before joining EdSurge, she earned a Master’s degree in Media Strategy and Leadership at Northwestern University being awarded with The Harrington Memorial Digital Storytelling Prize.
Paty is also an ambassador at Chicas Poderosas. Prior to coming to the US, Paty was part of the team that founded Porvir, the first education technology news website in Brazil. She was also education reporter and editor at Folha de S.Paulo, the largest Brazilian newspaper.
Mariana Ribeiro – Nossas
Her career as a professional in the field of social impact began back in 2012, when she decided to quit her job as a brand manager at Brazil’s largest private bank to co-found Imagina na Copa, a social impact-focused webserie.
For 2 years, She have traveled throughout Brazil to document stories of young social leaders. Imagina na Copa released a total of 75 short-documentary films on YouTube and other social media channels. The project was nominated twice to the World Summit Youth Awards.
In late 2014, she moved to NYC to work at Purpose. In the role of both strategist and campaigner, she could bring together storytelling expertise and passion for empowering people and organizations to change the world for better. I have worked with corporate brands including Unilever, Intel and Nike. Today, she works as Director of Comms and Projects at Nossas, one of the main organizations in the field of civic technology in Latin America. At Nossas, use groundbreaking technology to bridge the gap between citizens and policy-makers, giving them the ability of influencing political outcomes directly through campaigns.
Most recently, they’ve created a feminist chatbot called Beta, which is making it easier for Brazilian women to mobilize in support of gender equality. Since its launch earlier this year, 45,000 individuals have interacted with Beta.
