The United States Consulate in Sao Paulo, in partnership with the University Center SENAC, arranged a series of lectures for women to build capacity among students and entrepreneurs in the areas of management and leadership. Approximately 175 women participated in the November-December lecture series. São Paulo Consulate Cultural Affairs Officer Danna Van Brandt highlighted the importance of female representation in all areas of the job market and encouraged participants to follow their dreams, even in fields traditionally dominated by men.
Solange Cruz Bichara Rezende, the President of the Samba SchoolMocidade Alegre, spoke about her experience as one of the few women to lead a Samba School in Brazil. She discussed the challenges of making her school a multi-year champion despite an initial lack of confidence in her capability to lead five thousand people and manage a budget of over one million dollars. Her success in the world of Carnaval has fueled her reputation as a motivational speaker empowering women to succeed in male-dominated fields.
Also through a partnership with the U.S. Consulate and SENAC this month, the photo exhibit curated by João Kulcsár celebrating United States and Brazil Shared Heritage opened at SENAC in November. Featuring 22 photos taken by Brazilian photographers in the US and American photographers in Brazil as well as works by the renowned Brazilian photographer Marlene Bergamo and the renowned American photographer Edward S. Curtis, the project chronicles four Shared Heritage festivals that happened in Sao Paulo over seven years. The festivals have also been used to compile a book with the same name launched in 2013 through a partnership with Editora SESC SP.
