Leonardo Borges Veloso

I am a professor, mentor, and project coordinator in the areas of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology, with a strong commitment to transformative education. My work focuses on integrating active learning methodologies, project-based learning, and social-emotional development to empower young people to create meaningful impact.
Over the past years, I have trained more than 3,000 students in entrepreneurship and innovation, helping them develop leadership, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills. I currently lead Inovanaça, an award-winning educational program at Colégio Nacional in Brazil that guides students through the full cycle of social innovation — from identifying real-world problems to developing validated solutions and pitching impactful prototypes. The initiative has become a reference in entrepreneurial education, fostering projects that address social, environmental, and community-based challenges.
Through Inovanaça, my students have created ventures such as youth-led events, digital platforms, public policy simulations, and community engagement campaigns. Many of these initiatives have received national recognition in programs like Startup in School (Google), the Liga Jovem Challenge, and NASA’s Space Apps Challenge.
In 2025, I joined the Latin American Leadership Academy (LALA) as a mentor to support the next generation of ethical and impact-driven leaders in the region. I also teach in undergraduate and graduate programs, with a focus on innovation, educational technology, management, and entrepreneurship.
Throughout my career, I have received over ten national and regional awards, including the ANGRAD 2024 Award for coordinating an innovative university extension project that connected high school and college students in a collaborative entrepreneurial ecosystem.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (UFU), a postgraduate degree in Administration (UFRGS), an MBA in Management (FGV), and a Master’s in Technology, Communication, and Education (UFU), where I researched how digital tools can enhance entrepreneurship education.
My mission is to help build a more connected and just Latin America by empowering young people and educators to become changemakers capable of designing real, impactful solutions for the challenges we face today.