2025: The year a-gente leapt off the page and into the world

From Colombia to London, from Minas Gerais to Portugal: our map as a territory of impact

The social impact consultancy that a-gente chose to become does not suit being stuck in a closed office. It demands the street, dirt tracks, departure lounges, freshly brewed filter coffee, exchanging glances, asking questions, and scribbling in notebooks during face-to-face meetings. The year 2025 was the year we came off the paper, but the truth is that it was the year a-gente truly embraced the world and dove into multiplicity. Even before the official launch of the brand, our diary was already stamped with international events, from BTL in Lisbon to the event at the London Business School, The Ocean Opportunity, in partnership with One Kai.

More than a timeline, a way of acting

We do not look at 2025 as a timeline, but as the consolidation of our DNA. It was the year of practising active listening and translating complex themes into a language that everyone understands. We connected people who might never have sat at the same table, proving that good ideas only become transformative action within a collective. We crossed borders, accents, and different realities, certain that real impact is only made when we are in motion.

When colours teach us about business

Our time in Colombia was an open-air lesson. What left a mark on us was not just the people, the traditional tourist spots, or the events we attended, but how culture pulses on every corner, from the graffiti on the walls to the street markets. There, we saw the "creative economy" stop being a technical term and turn into art generating income and tourism that respects memory. We saw the local entrepreneur transforming their own history into the future. We saw districts being creative and collective. We returned with the certainty that Latin America has a lot of colour, a unique recipe for development made with identity and a lot of vibrancy.

Roots in Minas and global conversations

The official brand launch was a milestone, but the work remained intense back home. A great example was our curation at the 1st Economic Diversification Forum of Conceição do Mato Dentro. The mission? To place the public sector, large companies, and the community side by side to speak the same language. We spoke about cheese, natural parks, scenic roads, the Espinhaço Mountain Range, and new economies in a way that engaged everyone. It was proof that the vocation of a-gente is to connect the local territory to major global debates.

Strategy with heart beats stronger

We crossed geographical borders, but the boundaries of trust were the most important. Working with the Grow Movement, boosting entrepreneurs in African countries, and being able to have the inspiring leadership of Violet Busingye by our side was a turning point. Hearing from an international organisation that a-gente delivers structure with heart sums it all up. For us, structuring means organising processes and designing paths. But putting heart into it means never forgetting that, behind every spreadsheet and every piece of strategic data, there are people, families, and entire communities being impacted.

Female leadership that moves deserts and builds strong narratives in Minas Gerais

At the Women Desert Summit, our participation went far beyond curation and bridging discussions. It was also about real connections with the Moroccan desert and with all the women there. It was about offering real support to these women who lead in challenging scenarios, often arid in both climate and opportunities. Receiving feedback that we carry the energy of realisation is worth more than any numerical indicator. We understand that female leadership is not just about having women on stage, but ensuring we have a support network and public policies so that their ideas can stand tall. We saw this same strength in the connections with Federaminas Mulher and the 7th FEME, the State Forum of Women Entrepreneurs 2025 in Montes Claros, reinforcing our mantra that nothing prospers if done in isolation. Identity connects us, and the movement transforms. A massive cheers to this beautiful movement from Minas under the leadership of the wonderful Bel Mendes.

The passport for 2026 is already stamped

Ending the year circulating between Latin America, Europe, and Africa shows that the challenges are global, but the solutions are born from multiple perspectives, from local and genuine encounters. If 2025 was the year of expansion and discovery, 2026 arrives as the year to consolidate this collective. We are going to deepen relationships and open new routes where the creative economy generates positive impact. The team at a-gente is ready and our bags are packed. Shall we go?