Different Paths, One Shared Purpose: How Maria Clara and João Câmara from Norte Ventures Are Redefining the Possibilities of Creating Impact
How Maria Clara Vieira and her supporter, João Câmara, are discovering that impact can take many forms—and that the right conversations can reveal paths that once seemed out of reach.
At just 19, Maria Clara Vieira has already dedicated much of her journey to causes that go beyond her own future. During her gap year, a period between high school and college focused on personal and professional growth, she is exploring her next academic and career steps while remaining committed to civic education, democratic participation, and the role young people play in building more equitable societies.
That commitment is deeply rooted in her own story. Born in Maranhão, Brazil, Maria Clara moved with her family to a riverside community in the neighboring state of Piauí. Starting at age 12, she crossed the Parnaíba River every day to attend school in her home state. Moving between these two different realities showed her early on how access to education can expand opportunities and change the course of people’s lives.
It was at school that she began turning this interest into action. Throughout high school, she was involved in student government and earned medals in several academic competitions, including the Brazilian Geopolitics Olympiad (OBGP), the Brazilian English Language Olympiad (OBLI), and the Brazilian Public School Mathematics Olympiad (OBMEP), among others. She also participated in civic education initiatives such as Politize!.
Her interest in the subject grew even stronger when she conducted research on political polarization and civic engagement among young people in Brazil’s Northeast. Her study explored how social media, misinformation, and fear of conflict influence young people’s willingness to express political opinions and participate in democratic dialogue. The research also led to the creation of the Civic Education Academy (AEC), an initiative founded by Maria Clara to strengthen civic education and youth participation.
In 2025, she attended LALA’s Leadership Bootcamp. Since then, she has become involved in several of the organization’s initiatives. She served as a Fundraising Coach, guiding future campers as they raised the funds needed to attend the bootcamps. She also participated in the Mentorship Program and the Employability Workshop, both designed to support young people’s personal and professional development. Today, she serves as an Admissions Officer, helping select the next generation of bootcamp participants, and is also part of the Mentorship Program’s research team.
By the time she graduated from high school, Maria Clara had already gained a wealth of experience and a clear sense of the causes she wanted to champion. What she was still figuring out was how to turn that purpose into a career. That question ultimately led her to LALA Impulso.
Different Starting Points, One Shared Belief in Human Potential
That’s how Maria Clara met João Câmara, a partner at Norte Ventures. As a program partner, the venture capital firm—which invests in entrepreneurs building innovative businesses in Brazil—selected João to represent the company in the program and support Maria Clara.
For João, getting involved reflected values he had long embraced: a commitment to volunteering and a belief in the transformative power of education. He saw the program as an opportunity to support a young woman at a pivotal moment in her development, long before the results of that support would become apparent.
Maria Clara’s resilience, curiosity, and intellectual ability quickly caught his attention.
“There’s never a meeting where she doesn’t ask outstanding questions that show just how deeply she wants to understand the subjects that interest her.”
Although they share many interests, the two grew up with very different levels of access to resources and opportunities. João was raised in a middle-class family in Belo Horizonte, with a support network and professional role models that Maria Clara didn’t have in the same way. He recognizes that difference and admires everything she has accomplished:
“At 19, she’s already reached places I hadn’t reached at that age. That makes me admire her even more.”
This perspective reinforced one of João’s core beliefs about Brazil: the country is full of talent, but the opportunities and resources needed to develop that talent are far from equally distributed.
“What often stands between young people like her and everything they could achieve is access to information, resources, or even mentorship. For those who provide that support, the cost is relatively small. For those who receive it, it can change the course of a life.”
Looking Beyond the Career Paths She Already Knows
Getting to know João’s professional journey introduced Maria Clara to new ways of connecting her interests with opportunities in the job market. Although he is also passionate about social issues and public policy, João has found different ways to contribute to these causes through the private sector. His perspective challenged Maria Clara’s assumption that a career dedicated to social change must necessarily take place in the nonprofit sector or public service.
Through their conversations, finance and entrepreneurship began to emerge as alternative paths for building a career that aligns with her values.
João also found the relationship to be an opportunity to learn. During their first conversation, Maria Clara shared a phrase that stuck with him:
“If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, everything will work out just fine.”
João often comes back to that phrase because it captures something he believes in, too: every experience, even when things don’t go according to plan, can open the door to the next opportunity.
That willingness to explore and learn has also shaped their relationship. By getting to know a professional path different from her own, Maria Clara began considering new career possibilities and realizing that she could bring her interests and values into spaces she had never previously imagined herself working in.
For Maria Clara, this support means much more than career guidance:
“I come from a small town in the countryside of Piauí, where we don’t always have access to the same professional networks and role models available in other places. That’s why having someone willing to share their experiences, listen to my questions, and help me think through my decisions means so much to me.”
That’s precisely what LALA Impulso means to Maria Clara: not having someone else choose her future for her, but having access to role models and support that help her make her own decisions with greater perspective and confidence.
Five years from now, she hopes to look back and recognize how much she has broadened her worldview and strengthened her ability to navigate the unknown. Her professional journey may take many different forms, but her purpose remains clear: to strengthen civic education and youth participation across Latin America.
New Ways to Turn Purpose Into Impact
Maria Clara and João’s relationship shows how bringing together people with different life experiences can broaden horizons and create opportunities for mutual learning. Through LALA Impulso, young leaders connect with people willing to share their time, knowledge, and professional networks, building relationships that go far beyond career advice.
For João, being part of this journey is also a way of giving back:
“If someone opened a door for you at some point in your life, this is the most direct way to pay it forward.”
Sometimes, opening a door means more than helping someone reach a specific destination. It means showing them that other destinations are possible.
Because there’s more than one way to make a difference.
Want to help young Latin American leaders discover new possibilities? Learn more about LALA Impulso and find out how you can support the journey of a young leader.
Learn more: https://lalaimpulso.latinamericanleadershipacademy.org
