Through the Cubo Itaú Impact Journey Program, companies will receive classes and mentoring to build businesses offering innovative social and environmental solutions 
 

The Cubo Itaú Impact Journey, an initiative led by Fundo Vale in partnership with Ago Social and jointly carried out with Cubo ESG, which is working to promote the social and environmental impact economy, has selected startups in a variety of areas to take part in a capacity-building program with experts in the segment. In all, 72 businesses applied to the program and 30 were chosen. Of the selected enterprises, 37% are part of Cubo Itaú’s ESG Hub, 50% are in the traction phase, 47% have annual revenue of less than R$1 million, 43% are between three and five years old, and 52% are based in Brazilian states other than São Paulo. 

“I’m very proud to be able to elevate the impact agenda to a new level of reach, business results and connections. We really believe in people’s ability to be agents of transformation, whether directly or as part of an organization. It is these agents of transformation that we want to support through Fundo Vale’s Impact Journey,” said Gustavo Luz, Fundo Vale’s executive director. 

The six-month program will include in-person meetings at Cubo Itaú, one of Brazil’s foremost innovation and entrepreneurship hubs, as well as online meetings. There are three stages: 20 hours of training with live and online meetings, from May 7 to July 9; group and individual mentoring to help draw up an impact plan, from July 23 to October 31; and a closing event called the “Cubo Impact Summit,” which will take place on December 3. During this event, the three startups that have evolved the most in terms of social and environmental impact will receive prizes. 

The first training module, titled “Roots and Horizons: Rescuing Purpose and Unlocking Opportunity,” explores the essence of the era of social and environmental impact and its meaning. It will discuss the opportunities that arise from generating social and environmental impact, as well as the importance of innovative approaches to mitigating problems in this area. 

The second module, called “Restructuring the Economy: Risk, Return, Impact,” focuses on the intersection between investment and impact. It will explore impact investment strategies, methods for evaluating the impact generated and the vital importance of communicating results effectively. 

Finally, the third module, “Shaping the Future: Strategies for Integrating Social and Environmental Impact into Business,” examines practical ways of incorporating social and environmental impact into organizational culture and business operations. Issues such as building a sustainable value chain, promoting collaboration and partnerships, and adopting business models oriented toward social and environmental impact will be addressed. 

The mentors include Juliana Vilhena, strategy, management and impact manager at Fundo Vale, where she leads sustainable development and social and environmental innovation initiatives; Nathalia Cipoleta, senior sustainability analyst at Fundo Vale, specializing in social and environmental projects, impact assessment and volunteer management; and Alexandre Amorim, co-founder of Ago Social and the Brazilian Social Alliance for Inclusion and Diversity, who was rated among the 100 top global leaders in this area by the Meaningful Business Community in 2021, as well as featuring in the 2018 Forbes Under-30 Ranking and the 2013 Folha Social Entrepreneur List.  

Here are all the selected businesses: 4 Hábitos Para Mudar o Mundo (“4 Habits to Change the World”), 8D Hubify, Abundance Brasil, Acordos Brasil, Allugg, Amazon Reuse, ATLAS Florestal, Botnicks, Cubos Academy, DINAM, Doc4doc, EcoCreator, ESGscan, Esphera Tecnologia, Futurai, GRILO, Hoff Analytics, Home Agent, LandApp, Lingopass, Luna Green, ManejeBem, Next Coders, O2BLUECARBON, O Celeiro, Strada, Télos, The Blue City, Wastebank, and Yom Kids. 

 
Find out more about Vale’s partnership with Cubo Itaú 

Since 2015, Cubo Itaú has been selecting and fostering startups with the potential to scale up their business models. The community now includes more than 500 domestic and international startups, and Fundo Vale joined as a supporter in June 2023. The business promotion and investment fund financed by mining company Vale decided to partner with Cubo Itaú in order to strengthen the positive social and environmental impact agenda within one of Latin America’s leading innovation hubs, while expanding access to Cubo Itaú’s innovation opportunities for the ecosystem by bringing on board the network of partners supported by Fundo Vale that work with forest conservation and restoration and the bioeconomy. In addition to financial support, the partnership is designed to be an avenue for mutual collaboration. 

Fundo Vale stimulates innovation with a focus on social and environmental impact at Vale 

Vale employees interested in impact businesses will also be able to take part in two programs focused on this subject. The first, called the Vale Impact Network, was launched on April 17 for internal stakeholders. It aims to create a community of employees interested in boosting this agenda at Vale. The idea is to show employees how they can apply impact themes to their work at the company. The second program, Impact Mentors, will select 60 employees to mentor 20 businesses from Fundo Vale’s network and its partners. Its launch is scheduled for May 15.