The first DESIGN SPRINT in Manaus was amazing!
During the 14th and 15th of October, we had a weekend of learning, creativity with talented women. The process, led by IDEO trainers, taught participants how to apply human-centered design to their independent media project. As part of the workshop the girls prepared to apply to the New Ventures Lab (NVL) – the new acceleration program that will provide education, guidance and access to finance opportunities for 17 weeks.
Know each of our participants, which motivated them to be part of Design Sprint and how they want to transform their world.
If you also want to be part of a work weekend like this apply now to the upcoming Design Sprint weekend:
São Paulo: November 4-5:
Macarena Mairata / @MacarenaMairata

She has a degree in Social Communication – Journalism at Martha Falcão Faculty. She is currently an academic on the History course at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM). She began his professional life writing about social movements, political demonstrations and human rights for Jornalistas Livres and Mídia Ninja. She wrote academic articles on Environmental Journalism and the Journalistic Market. She has experiences with activist journalism, having been part of the NGO Greenpeace and Médecins sans Frontières.
She is currently responsible for the communication of the SDSN-Amazonia at the Sustainable Amazonas Foundation. What motivated her to enroll in the Manaus Sprint design was the opportunity to be with women who think collectively in themselves, but also in their close people; women who share ideas that take into account the human being and a development with real sustainability. From that experience she hopes to share knowledge and learn and thus, keep walking, dreaming and seeking to motivate / help people to realize their dreams.
Jéssica Botelho / @jessbotelho

Journalist and researcher. She is currently studying the Postgraduate Program in Communication Sciences at the Federal University of Amazonas and is the coordinator of the core for Studies and Practices in Cyberculture. She participates in topics related to journalism and digital issues in the Amazon perspective and is a member of the Youth Observatory of Internet Society.
The inspiration for participating in the Sprint Manaus Design comes, firstly, from the admiration for the work developed by Chicas Poderosas in favor of gender equality in media narratives, encouraging women’s leadership in innovative projects. Motivation comes from the willingness to create an initiative of independent communication in Manaus in the same perspective, therefore understand the process of the New Ventures Lab.
In this space she hopes to learn how to use the Human Centered Design as a tool to contribute in innovative narratives on social issues and also what paths to follow for the construction of an independent media project.
With the Sprint Design weekend she wants to generate transformations in her environment, articulating and developing a media project that is a healthy work space for women and where critical issues related to the Amazon are discussed, especially in relation to gender inequality. Finally she wants to replicate the knowledge shared in this space with other women who could not participate.
Comunidade Tumbira






What inspires / motivates them to be in the Manaus Sprint Design?
The opportunity to learn more about the area of communication – being working with reporters – and other possibilities that are emerging in our Community.
What do you hope to learn in this space?
Learn more about our role in the media and in that super important space that is journalism and digital media.
How do you think you can generate transformations in your environment with this learning space?
Through projects that can increasingly promote communication and empowerment both young and women, as we are embedded in a male-dominated culture, against which we struggle daily through our own attitudes. and communication is our greatest ally in this fight. It allows us to have a voice and to be able to transform our reality.
Laís Rebecca Ribeiro / @bexduran

Academic in Visual Arts, feminist, mother and entrepreneur with a vegetarian food project called Supimpa Smoothies.
What inspires / motivates them to be in the Manaus Sprint Design?
What inspires her to participate is to know the application of design in her video and image editing projects and understand how to apply design in her project brand.
She hopes to have a more graphic repertoire to use in visual, audiovisual and photographic laboratories.
Débora Menezes

Journalist, environmental educator and teacher in Scientific and Cultural Divulgation at the Laboratory of Advanced Journalism of the State University of Campinas (Labjor-Unicamp). Currently coordinates the Educom Green – Communication and Environmental Education and is a volunteer facilitator of the Amazon Network of Environmental Education (RAMEA). For the last 10 years, she runs the blog Educom Verde and has lived in Manaus since February 2016 to work as an NGO coordinator. Today has a consulting company in education, communication for socio-environmental management and environmental education, called Educom Verde, where she also hopes to develop projects of entrepreneurship, communication and culture with partners.
What inspires / motivates you to be in the Manaus Sprint Design?
Know the methodology that works and exchange ideas with other colleagues who are working in Manaus.
What do you hope to learn in this space?
Learning a way to see my business as a social business (I still have difficulty even explaining to people what I do, though I think it’s essential).
How do you think you can generate transformations in your environment with this learning space?
I hope to better understand my business in order to seek alliances and expand the communicative capacity of people with a focus on social-environmental issues and social mobilization.
Renata Ilha

She is a biologist, with a master’s degree in ecology and works with management projects for sustainability in traditional and non-traditional communities. She is passionate and driven by projects that impact people for a fully sustainable life.
What do you hope to learn in this space?
Learn to think of the human being as an essential part in the construction of alternatives and projects. We are the key to changing our environment. I believe that understanding more about participatory processes and methodologies will help me in this trajectory.
How do you think you can generate transformations in your environment with this learning space?
I think of continuing to build alternative spaces and simple solutions for sustainability in the daily lives of traditional, urban and rural communities.
As part of the event we talked about feminism and each participant gave his point of view. Do you want to know what they have to say? In our Instagram account you can find the answers to our conversation #whatisfeminism and all the photos of the event:
Thank you to all the participants!