a-gente: The Idea Born from Disquiet

By Milena Pedrosa, CEO and Founder of a-gente

If you were to ask me, "What inspired you to create a-gente?", I would say the answer isn't a simple formula but a combination of factors. It didn't start in an office with spreadsheets, but rather over a conversation with dear friends in a bar in Belo Horizonte. It was there, amidst the laughter and ideas, that the name emerged, and more importantly, the conviction: true transformation is collective.

This conviction is not new. It is the culmination of experiences that led me to realise the urgency of acting together.

The Disquiet that Became a Business Model

My constant disquiet has always stemmed from this: realising just how much we can achieve differently when the perspective is systemic and the action is shared. My professional journey became a laboratory for this very philosophy.

For years as a cultural manager, I learnt first-hand the power of partnerships. The programming at Sesc Palladium, for instance, grew exponentially because we managed

to articulate producers, artists, institutions, governments, and other stakeholders.

Conversely, working in the public sector, directly involved with culture and tourism, I experienced the full potential of a macro-level perspective. It became evident that transformation only occurs when civil society (organised or otherwise), businesses, institutions, trade bodies, and the government decide to act together. When everyone retreats into their own narrative, insisting on looking at only 'one side of the story', we don't just lose the power of the whole: we risk encountering the danger of the single story.

I believe, much like the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie, that the danger lies in the "single story". As such, my role has always been that of the articulator, ensuring that the narrative is never singular. My place is in joint construction, where multiple perspectives are given the space to create real impact, together.

What Keeps Us Creative: Looking Beyond the Border

a-gente is the materialisation of this intent. We are a boutique strategic consultancy that operates as a Hub of Creative and Collective Intelligence, rather than a traditional entity that presumes to hold all the answers.

Our creativity and capacity for innovation are maintained by an always-open perspective that refuses to accept the status quo:

1. People and Movements: The inspiration comes from movements that 'do good' and, fundamentally, from mentors who expanded my vision. My time completing my Master's at the London Business School was a watershed moment. I had professors who weren't just teaching, but actively shaping the new economy. Professor Gayla Molinas, for instance, profoundly inspired me to consider the social ventures model. Professor Ioannis Ioannou, one of the leading global voices in Sustainability, was the one who 'raised the banner' for the ESG agenda within academia, proving that purpose and performance walk hand-in-hand. Even the in-depth understanding of the world of business strategy, which I absorbed from Professor Jéssica Spungin, is now a tool that shows me exactly how we can use corporate structures to enact change.

2. Impact Projects and Continuous Articulation: a-gente's very first projects were born with this collective and global mindset, such as the social impact initiatives in the United Kingdom with Grow Movement and One Kai. This includes a project with the Ministry of Agriculture in Mozambique and the DWS (Desert Women Summit) movement in Morocco. Alongside these, of course, is the Economic Diversification Forum in Minas Gerais, among others.

a-gente is an invitation to a world where the future is not something to be awaited, but something to be built today, collectively.