Identifying problems and creating solutions is in our DNA
We do this by listening to, connecting, and empowering people, companies, and communities through research, courses, training programs, and consulting.
About us
History
Olabi was born in 2014, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the goal of making technology more accessible, diverse, and connected to Brazilian realities. Inspired by the concept of makerspaces, or spaces for making, we emerged as a space for creation, experimentation, exchange, and inclusion, where technology, education, and popular culture could meet.Learn more about our journey.
Estamos sempre em movimento.
Estamos sempre em movimento.
In twelve years, we have impacted over 1 million people, both directly and indirectly, and expanded our work to various territories, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Germany, from the interior of Bahia, Brazil, to Silicon Valley, U.S.A. Always with the same purpose: to use technology as a language to imagine other worlds and collaborate in their construction.
Timeline
Values
Diversity as a driver of innovation
Collective Creation
We work based on listening, participation, and co-authorship—from the bottom up, and with those who have historically been on the margins of decision-making spaces.
Technology with Purpose
For us, technologies are means of social, cultural, and political transformation.
Intentionality
Our training programs combine technical skills with human development, promoting a sense of belonging, mindset transformation, and social mobility.
Plurality
From Black women to people 60+ in all regions of Brazil, we want to expand who accesses, creates, and leads technological development in the country.
Team
Gabriela Agustini
Gabriela Agustini
Co-Executive Director
Co-Executive Director
She holds a Master’s degree in Design and Society from PUC-Rio and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication from the University of São Paulo (ECA-USP). She is a professor of Culture and Technology at Universidade Cândido Mendes (Rio de Janeiro) and teaches executive courses for companies across Brazil. She is also an Ashoka Fellow, part of the global network that supports social entrepreneurs leading systemic change. She serves on the boards of Instituto de Tecnologia e Sociedade do Rio (ITS Rio), Instituto de Tecnologia e Equidade (ITE), Coding Rights, and the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG), based in Berlin and active worldwide. For over ten years, she has curated events focused on innovation, technology, and society, presenting her work in more than 20 countries across five continents. She is co-organizer of the book De Baixo para Cima (Editora Aeroplano, 2014) and host of Conexão Maker, a reality TV show broadcast on Canal Futura about entrepreneurship, emerging technologies, and social impact.
Silvania Bahia
Silvania Bahia
Co-Executive Director
Co-Executive Director
She holds a Master’s degree in Culture and Territorialities from Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) and is an associate researcher with the Art and Artificial Intelligence research group at the University of São Paulo (USP). She was recognized by The Future Laboratory (UK) as one of the 100 most innovative people in the world. In 2023, she received the Internet Governance Highlights Award from the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), and in 2021, she received the Protagonista Brasil Award for her work advancing Brazil’s inclusive digital transformation. She is a columnist for Fast Company Brasil, where she writes about technology and innovation. She serves on the advisory boards of several organizations, including Museu do Amanhã, InternetLab, Artigo 19, NUPEF, Instituto Toriba, Instituto Update, Gênero e Número, Mulheres Negras Decidem, Instituto Museu Itamar Assumpção, LAVITS, and Énois – Journalism Lab. She is the editor of Can a Robot Be Racist?, the first book in the Museu do Amanhã’s “Pensando Amanhãs” collection (2023). Her work includes international collaborations and the co-direction of the documentary Quadro Negro, which addresses the experiences of Black students in Brazilian universities. She also participated in the Lauttasaari Manor Residency in Finland, collaborating for three months with the Anti-Racism Media Activist Alliance (ARMA) project. In 2017, she received the Digital Culture Highlights Award: Social Innovation and Technology, granted by Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB) and the Advanced Program in Contemporary Culture at UFRJ. She has been invited to speak at major technology and innovation events in Brazil and abroad.
Roberta Hélcias
Roberta Hélcias
Executive Coordinator
Executive Coordinator
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from ESPM-RJ and a postgraduate degree in Production Engineering and Economics from UFRJ. She worked on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with CSM Live, at the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in marketing and communications agencies, and in refugee-focused projects at the Cape Town Refugee Centre and the Agency for Refugee Education, Skills Training & Advocacy. At Olabi, she manages all projects, leading strategic planning and overseeing the production flow of each initiative, while coordinating project managers and their respective activities.
Clara Queiroz
Clara Queiroz
Project Manager
Project Manager
She holds a degree in Social Communication from ESPM-RJ and is currently pursuing a specialization in Social Responsibility and the Third Sector at UFRJ. She has 10 years of experience in advertising agencies and production companies, coordinating audiovisual and brand communication projects. She served as Science Communication Coordinator at Instituto Serrapilheira, contributing to the creation and implementation of the Camp Serrapilheira program.
João Bernardo Oliveira
João Bernardo Oliveira
Projects and Communication Assistant
Projects and Communication Assistant
An Advertising undergraduate student at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), he was part of the university extension project “Tubo de Insight.” He has experience in production, event supervision, and client services. At Olabi, he works as a Projects and Communication Assistant.
Joyce Santos
Joyce Santos
Project Manager
Project Manager
She holds a degree in Library Science from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and has over 10 years of experience in school libraries and institutional reading promotion projects at organizations such as SESI and SENAC. She currently works as a Project Manager at Olabi, supporting initiatives and training programs within the PretaLab Network.
Vera Felix
Vera Felix
Projects Assistant
Projects Assistant
She holds a degree in Advertising from PUC-RS and has over a decade of experience as a designer and art director at agencies and design studios in Rio Grande do Sul. She currently lives in Rio de Janeiro, where she is transitioning her career to data analysis while working as a Projects Assistant at PretaLab.
Gyssele Mendes
Gyssele Mendes
Communication Manager
Communication Manager
Gyssele Mendes is a journalist, activist, and researcher. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and a Master’s degree in Communication from Universidade Federal Fluminense. She is co-organizer of the book Who Controls the Media? and the publication series Right to Communication in Brazil Report and Silenced Voices. With 16 years of experience in communication across the private sector, agencies, government, and civil society, she is currently a PhD candidate in Communication and Culture at UFRJ and a member of MediaLab.UFRJ, where she researches topics related to algorithmic anxiety. At Olabi, she serves as Communication Manager.
Daniele Valente
Daniele Valente
Financial and Administrative Coordinator
Financial and Administrative Coordinator
She holds a degree in Accounting from Universidade Estácio de Sá and has more than 15 years of experience in finance, including 10 years working on social impact projects. She oversees financial management for international cooperation projects and accountability processes for public and private institutions. At Olabi, she coordinates the organization’s accounting, financial planning, and administrative areas.
Davi Santos
Davi Santos
Information Technology Manager
Information Technology Manager
Davi Santos holds a degree in Information Technology Management from Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul and a postgraduate degree in Data Engineering from Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. He is a technology manager with over 10 years of experience, including the last six dedicated to social impact initiatives. He currently serves as Technology Manager at Olabi and Instituto Fogo Cruzado, leading projects that integrate data, innovation, and social transformation. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with Instituto Criar de TV, Cinema e Novas Mídias and worked for four years in the advertising industry at agencies such as New Vegas, Live, and F/Nazca. A specialist in data and in building technology departments within the third sector, his mission is to build bridges between technology and social justice.
Conselheiros
Yasmin Thayná
Yasmin Thayná
Consultive
Consultive
Yasmin Thayná is a director and screenwriter. She directs the telenovela "Dona de mim," currently airing on TV Globo. She is a talent at Rede Paradiso. She recently directed the short film "O tempo é um pássaro," which is currently screening on the film festival circuit. She directed the feature film "Virgínia e Adelaide," in partnership with Jorge Furtado — based on the lives, work, and encounter between a Black Brazilian sociologist and a white German Jewish physician, starring Sophie Charlotte and Gabriela Correa. She directed "Amar É Para os Fortes" (2023, Prime Video), a social drama about motherhood, violence, and justice. She also directed "Toda Família Tem," a comedy series. Known for the short film "Kbela" (2015), awarded Best Film of the African Diaspora at the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2017, Yasmin has directed numerous series, television programs, short films, and music videos. In 2021, Forbes magazine named her one of the 90 brightest Brazilians under 30 in their field. She is a CriativeX, selected by Wired (50 people transforming creativity in Brazil). She wrote and directed the second season of the series "Política: Modo de Fazer" (2020, GloboNews); she was a screenwriter on "Por um Respiro" (2020, Globoplay) and "Fartura" (2019), a short film nominated for Best Documentary by the Brazilian Film Academy. Her work has screened at numerous international festivals in Brazil and abroad.
Winnie Nascimento Dos Santos
Winnie Nascimento Dos Santos
Consultive
Consultive
A PhD candidate in the Social and Work Psychology Program at the University of São Paulo (USP). She holds a master's degree from the Social Psychology program at PUC-SP, Center for Work and Social Action. A psychologist trained at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, she holds a postgraduate degree in People and Business Management from the City University of New York (CUNY) and advanced training in Human Resources Management from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). She has worked in generalist Human Resources as well as Recruitment & Selection and Training & Development, working with employees across all hierarchical levels, both Brazilian and international. She is currently a researcher and project coordinator at the Center for the Study of Labor Relations and Inequalities (CEERT). She is also a Visiting Researcher at the Afro-Latin American Research Institute at Harvard, a consultant in management, labor relations, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and a clinical psychologist.
Eliane Costa
Eliane Costa
Consultive
Consultive
She holds a PhD in History of Science, Technology, and Epistemology from UFRJ and a master's degree from FGV's School of Social Sciences, where she coordinates the MBA in Cultural Assets: culture, economy, and management. From 2003 to 2012, she was Sponsorship Manager at Petrobras, responsible for the Petrobras Cultural Program — at the company she had joined in the 1970s as a computer systems analyst-developer. Today she works as a consultant in digital culture and in public and private cultural management. She is the author of Jangada Digital (Ed. Azougue, 2011) and co-editor of the collection De baixo para cima (Ed. Aeroplano, 2014), on citizen innovation. She has a degree in Physics, a postgraduate degree in Systems Engineering, and an Executive MBA in Communication.
Lígia de Medeiros Batista
Lígia de Medeiros Batista
Consultive
Consultive
She holds a degree in Law and has experience in research and policy advocacy in human rights, having worked on issues including the right to adequate housing, freedom of expression and social protest, land and territorial rights of quilombola and traditional communities, public security and police violence, among others. She has also worked in international philanthropy, contributing to strengthening the anti-racist agenda in Latin America and leading the development of grantmaking strategies, network building, and the mobilization and engagement of private social investment toward strategic action against racism and the promotion of racial equity. She holds a master's degree in Public Policy in Human Rights (PPDH/NEPP-DH) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and conducts research on the representation of Black women in politics. In 2017, she was a fellow of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015–2024). Her main interests lie in human rights; public security; democracy; participation, representation, and confronting political inequalities; and racial and gender justice in Latin America.
Grazi Mendes
Grazi Mendes
Consultive
Consultive
Grazi is Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Americas at ThoughtWorks, a global technology consultancy. She brings over 20 years of experience working at the intersection of technology, society, innovation, and transformation, in both national and multinational companies. She holds a master's degree in Futures Design and dedicates her work and research to the social impact of technology. She is also a guest professor in executive programs at some of Brazil's leading business schools, where she shares perspectives on leadership, organizational strategy, and innovation with social responsibility. She is the author of Ancestrais do Futuro – What Change Does Your Movement Create? She writes a regular column for MIT Sloan Review Brasil, a publication of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the world's most respected technology institutions. She is a TEDx speaker, with the talk "Courage as a Movement Toward the Future." She was recognized as one of the Global Top 100 Futurists and Innovators by MIPAD, in partnership with the United Nations, and ranked among the top 10 most in-demand speakers in Brazil. She is the co-founder of PONTE, a diversity and inclusion hub, and of the Pré-Enem Morro do Papagaio prep course, which connects young people from underserved communities with quality education.
Lucia Nader
Lucia Nader
Consultive
Consultive
Lucia is an activist, researcher, and independent consultant with expertise in democracy, social change, and human rights. A political scientist by training, she has been researching and working with activists, NGOs, and donors for 30 years. Her current PhD research at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) – University of Sussex focuses on regenerative activism, examining the enablers that renew, restore, and revitalize human rights work at the individual, organizational, and movement levels. She has served on the boards of several NGOs and philanthropic organizations and currently sits on the boards of Olabi (Brazil), Article 19 (International Office, UK, and Brazil & South America), and SUR – International Journal on Human Rights (editorial board, Brazil). She is also an emeritus board member of the Fund for Global Human Rights (USA). She was Executive Director of the Brazil-based organization Conectas Human Rights until 2014, and led its Foreign Policy and Human Rights Program, with a focus on south-south relations, during her 13 years with the organization. Since then, she has focused her work on strengthening institutional processes and fostering individual and collective care and protection within organizations. She facilitates team-building, governance, and strategic planning processes, as well as collaborative research initiatives. Recent or selected consultancy contracts include projects with Luminate, the Ford Foundation, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, Open Society Foundations, Thousand Currents, Urgent Action Fund for Women, Protection International, and Instituto ProComum.
Carolina Althaller
Carolina Althaller
Fiscal
Fiscal
Carol Althaller is a communications strategist and independent researcher working to drive organizational and social change. She has worked on communications strategy in the private sector and in social organizations such as Olabi and Instituto Update, focusing on projects addressing gender issues and their intersections. She was recently part of the team behind Eleitas: women in politics, an initiative that seeks to spread innovative practices emerging from women's entry into institutional politics across different Latin American countries.
Fabro Steibel
Fabro Steibel
Fiscal
Fiscal
Fabro Steibel is an affiliate of the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University and a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Council. He holds a PhD from Leeds University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship and research stays at UFF, United Nations University, and the University of California San Diego. He is currently Executive Director of ITS Rio.
Iana Barenboim
Iana Barenboim
Fiscal
Fiscal
Iana has worked for over a decade on the design, implementation, research, evaluation, and training of development programs and policies in Mozambique, Brazil, and other African countries. An economist, she is a co-founder of MUVA — which began in 2015 as a £20 million UKAID program in Mozambique and became an independent organization in 2020 — and Executive Director of MUVA Consulting International (MCI), its consulting arm. She works "from the ground to systems," combining research rigor with the presence of someone who implements, so that evidence moves out of the field and reaches decision-makers. MCI operates across five areas: program design; research; monitoring, evaluation, and data-driven learning; facilitation and governance; and training. Iana was part of MUVA's leadership in mobilizing resources from the World Bank, FCDO/UKAID, USAID, GIZ, WFP, the European Union, AFD, and the UN, with several of those rounds under her direct leadership. She has designed, implemented, and evaluated programs and research in Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and from north to south across Brazil. She has published research with IDS, World Bank Blogs, Oxford Policy Management, and Building State Capability (Harvard). She is the co-author of Decisões Financeiras e o Comportamento Humano (Figurati, 2021), the first book on behavioral finance published in Brazil.
Institutional Support
Partners
