Recognition & Impact

The moments people believed in me before I believed in myself

I'm not gonna lie — imposter syndrome is real. Some days I still can't believe I'm here, doing this work, getting recognized for it. But these awards? They're not just about me. They're about the people who saw potential when I didn't, the communities that lifted me up, and the responsibility I now carry to do the same for others.

Every scholarship, every award, every leadership role came with a quiet voice in my head asking "why me?" This page is my answer: because I'm not done fighting for fairer systems. And apparently, some people think that's worth supporting.

The Journey

2024-2025
🎓 Major Scholarship

Chevening/Lemann Scholar

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office + Lemann Foundation

One of 30 scholars selected from across Brazil for this prestigious award. Fully funded MSc at University of Essex. When I got the email, I cried. Not the happy tears — the "holy shit, this is real" tears.

What it means: Not just money for tuition. It's validation that my intersectional approach to AI fairness matters. It's a platform to connect with global leaders. It's proof that a queer Black woman from Baixada can make it to the table where decisions are made.

2024-Present
🌍 Community

Member, Black in AI

Black in AI

Being part of this community isn't an "award" in the traditional sense, but it's recognition that matters. Black in AI amplifies the work of Black researchers globally — and they chose to amplify mine.

What it means: I'm not alone. There's a whole network of brilliant Black researchers fighting the same battles, asking the same questions about fairness and representation. We push each other to be better.

2023
🏆 Professional Excellence

SPOT Awards

Ernst & Young

Recognized for exceptional client service and technical excellence in cybersecurity consulting. EY doesn't hand these out like candy — you earn them.

What it means: I can do the corporate thing. I can deliver results, meet deadlines, impress clients. But more importantly, I proved (to myself, mostly) that being authentic doesn't mean compromising quality. I showed up as myself and still excelled.

2020
⭐ Leadership

Most Promising Leader Award

Casimir Pulaski Foundation

Received during my time in Poland, studying Cultural Studies. This was when I started really understanding how power, culture, and identity intersect. The foundation saw leadership potential before I even knew what that meant for me.

What it means: Leadership isn't about being the loudest in the room. It's about using your voice to lift others. This award taught me that my perspective — shaped by being from Baixada, being queer, being Black — is exactly what makes me a leader worth following.

Leadership & Community Work

Awards are nice, but this is where the real work happens

👥

Chief Diversity Officer

Shaping Horizons

2020-2022

Leading DEI strategy and implementation for a global organization. This isn't performative diversity — it's building systems that actually work for marginalized folks. Unbiased recruitment, inclusive policies, accountability frameworks.

Making sure the people who come after me don't have to fight as hard to belong.

📚

Communications & Data Team

Negritude no PhD

2023-Present

Supporting Black Brazilian scholars in their PhD journeys. Data analysis, communications strategy, mentorship. We're building pipelines for people who've been systematically excluded from academia.

Representation in academia isn't enough — we need structural change. That's what we're building.

🌍

Collaborator

Firma Preta

2020-2021

Publicizing academic and professional opportunities abroad for Black and Indigenous Brazilians. Information is power — and we were making sure that power was distributed equitably.

Opened doors that people didn't even know existed. That's the work.

💼

HR Officer for Diversity & Inclusion

Shaping Horizons

2022-2023

Before becoming CDO, I was in the trenches of HR — implementing inclusive hiring practices, addressing bias in performance reviews, creating safe spaces for difficult conversations.

Learned that diversity work is messy, uncomfortable, and absolutely necessary. No shortcuts.

What All This Actually Means

Look, I could frame all of this as "building my resume" or "career advancement." But that would be bullshit.

Every scholarship I received came with the weight of everyone who didn't get it. Every leadership role came with the responsibility to not screw it up for the next person. Every award reminded me that I'm not just representing myself — I'm representing every queer Black woman from the Global South who's been told they don't belong in tech.

"Success isn't about collecting trophies. It's about using whatever platform you've been given to make the ladder easier to climb for the people behind you."

That's what drives me. Not awards. Not recognition. The knowledge that other people like me might see my work and think "if she can do it, maybe I can too."

And honestly? That's the only award that matters.

Want to Work Together?

I'm always looking for collaborations that center equity, justice, and community impact. Whether you're hiring, building something cool, or just want to talk about making tech less terrible — let's connect.

Get In Touch See My Work