Brazil (is not) for Beginners

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac Matzner sits down with Stefan Rehm, co-founder and CEO of Intelipost. German by birth, Brazilian by choice, Stefan arrived in São Paulo in 2012 with a one-year visa, no Portuguese, and a mandate to scout e-commerce investments for a Berlin-based VC fund. Fourteen years later, he's still here and running one of Brazil's oldest and most endurin...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners , Isaac sits down with Guilherme Hannud, international trade veteran, serial entrepreneur, and author — a man who has spent 55 years representing Brazilian businesses across more than a dozen countries and helping foreign companies find their footing in Brazil. Guilherme’s story starts early: washing cars at 12, raising 27 caged birds in a São Paulo...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac Matzner sits down with Roberto Giannetti da Fonseca, economist, trade diplomat, and one of the most seasoned voices in Brazilian international trade. With a career spanning half a century — across both government and the private sector — Roberto offers a rare firsthand account of how Brazil's economic relationship with the world has evolv...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac Matzner sits down with Tsai Chi-yu, Founder and CEO of Stay, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons he learned working on scaleups in the early Brazilian tech ecosystem and, and why he is dedicated to building with meaning. Taiwanese by birth and Brazilian by heart, Tsai's trajectory goes from banking in the US and France to...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners , host Isaac Matzner sits down with Alykhan Kareem, co-founder and former CEO of Sonoma Market, Latin America's leading premium wine marketplace, for a deep dive into Brazilian wine and the Brazilian Wine industry. While Argentina and Chile dominate South American wine discussions, Alykhan reveals how Brazil—with 150 years of winemaking history...

Welcome to the new season of Brazil (is not) for Beginners ! To kick things off, host Isaac Matzner sits down with Louize Oliveira, Coordinator of Sustainability at Sicoob, one of Brazil’s largest banking cooperatives. While Brazil has historically been dominated by big-banks, Louize explains how Sicoob, which serves over 9 million members across 2,400 cities – including 450 communities where trad...

In this special Season 3 recap of Brazil (is not) for Beginners , we look back on 19 episodes featuring founders, executives, investors, and creators working across Brazil’s most dynamic sectors. Through extended excerpts and fresh reflections, this recap highlights the themes that emerged most clearly in 2025: complexity, adaptability, creativity, and the deep importance of relationships. Across...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac Matzner sits down with Lucas Lima, partner at LASP Capital and experienced angel investor, to explore the many facets of investing in new entrepreneurs in Brazil. Lucas explains how the early-stage investment process works, from identifying promising opportunities and evaluating potential businesses to understanding founder motivations and de...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac Matzner hosts Alexandre D’Ambrosio, a lawyer and former executive at major corporations such as Votorantim, Santander and Vale. Together, they explore the nuances of corporate governance and the bicultural perspective of business that Alexandre brings from his years living and working in both the United States and Brazil. Throughout the conve...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac Matzner hosts Gustavo Ruiz and Gustavo Zago, the co-founders of Caccao, an early-stage startup that combines AI with relationship intelligence to increase companies sales and growth. This is an open conversation with two entrepreneurs who are in the midst of their journey, who recently pivoted their thesis and who are searching to find produc...

In this episode of Brazil Is Not for Beginners, host Isaac interviews Eduardo Zilberberg, the Z in BZCP, a leading local law firm focused on M&A advisory services, where he focuses on helping entrepreneurs navigate the country’s complex business landscape. Throughout the conversation, Eduardo shares practical lessons for entrepreneurs on fundraising, building trust with investors, and understa...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners , Isaac sits down with Schreiner Parker, Head of Emerging Markets at Rystad Energy, who has built a career at the center of Brazil’s oil and gas industry. Originally from a small town in Texas, Schreiner traces his journey in Brazil’s energy sector, from early work around the time of discovery of the pre-salt reserves to leadership roles at Wood Mac...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac sits down with Guilherme Bonifácio, one of Brazil’s most successful serial entrepreneurs and co-founder of Kanoa Capital, a pioneer in the search fund space. Guilherme was one of the co-founders of iFood, the market leader in food delivery in Brazil, but this episode focuses on Guilherme’s journey after iFood, in particular his experience fou...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac Matzner sits down with Philip Kauders, CEO & Co-Founder at Courageous Land. They discuss Philip’s journey to Brazil, his career transition from finance to sustainable agriculture, and his efforts through Courageous Land to combat climate change via agroforestry and carbon credits. Philip explains the economic and environmental benefits of...

In this episode of Brazil (is not) for Beginners, Isaac sits down with Marcos Couto, President and CEO of Alper Seguros, seasoned insurance executive, and veteran board member. With nearly 40 years in the industry, Marcos has done it all—from starting out in marine insurance at 14, to leading growth strategies at companies like ACE Brazil and executing major turnarounds at Tempo Assist and BR Insu...

'Brazil (is not) for Beginners’ is back with a new video episode! This time, Isaac interviews Arcelia Gallardo, from Mission Chocolate, elected BEST CHOCOLATE for 2 consecutive years by VEJA SÃO PAULO COMER & BEBER. In this episode, Arcelia shares her fascinating journey from working in the culinary industry in Los Angeles to starting her acclaimed chocolate business in Brazil. Key points...

In this episode of 'Brazil (is not) for Beginners,' Isaac welcomes Rafa Lichtenecker, VP of Operations at ID Wall, to discuss the complexities and challenges of fraud in Brazil. With 14 years of experience in the fraud and payment industry, Rafa shares his journey from operations to becoming a fraud specialist. The conversation covers the various types of fraud, and dives deep into the uni...

In this episode of 'Brazil (is not) for Beginners,' Isaac welcomesTalita Lacerda, CEO of Petlove, Brazil’s largest pet ecosystem. Talita recounts her inspiring journey from a humble background to leading a major company. The conversation delves deep into the pet industry in Brazil, Petlove’s evolution from an e-commerce platform to a holistic pet care provider, and the peculiarities of Brazilian p...

In this episode of 'Brazil (is not) for Beginners,' host Isaac Matzner interviews Frank Wundheiler, a corporate CFO with over 25 years of experience in various industries including telecom, technology, media, agriculture, and retail in Brazil. Frank shares his insights on the role of the CFO, the unique challenges of operating in the Brazilian market, and his philosophy on team building. K...

In our second video episode of “Brazil (is not) for Beginners,” host Isaac Matzner interviews Thomas Troisgros and Andre Meisler, the founding team of Grupo TT. Recorded live at Thomas’ restaurant Oseille , in Rio de Janeiro, they share their professional journeys from banking and cooking to creating a renowned burger joint in Brazil. They discuss the origins of their business, the challenges and...

In this episode of 'Brazil (is not) for Beginners,' host Isaac Matzner interviews Aaron Stanley, the founder of Brazil Crypto Report. They delve into the crypto market in Brazil, discussing its adoption, unique characteristics, and how it compares to other markets. Aaron shares his journey to Brazil, highlighting how his interests in crypto and journalism converged, enabling him to create...

In this episode of “Brazil (is not) for Beginners,” Isaac interviews Lucas Abreu, founder of the media platform Sunday Drops, who shares his journey from venture capital to content creation. The conversation delves into Lucas's inspirations, and his dedication to maintaining consistency and authenticity in his content creation. Lucas also talks about some of the sectors he is most excited abou...

In this episode of “Brazil (is not) for Beginners,” Isaac interviews Lina Kempf, co-founder of Aliança Empreendedora, about her organization's mission to support micro-entrepreneurs in Brazil, often from lower-income backgrounds. Lina shares her personal journey from Colombia to Brazil, detailing how her experiences with junior enterprises in Curitiba inspired her to focus on social ventures....

In this new episode of "Brazil (is not) for Beginners," Isaac speaks with Tim Chamberlain, co-founder of Brunel Partners, about the intricacies of investing in Brazil. Tim shares his journey from the UK to Brazil via Asia and New York, his role working to raise capital for Brazilian funds and his personal experience living in Brazil including opening a bar in São Paulo. The conversation delves int...

In the latest episode of “Brazil (is not) for Beginners,” Isaac interviews his friend Rebecca Fischer, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Divibank, a leading platform offering payment solutions and access to capital for online businesses in Latin America. They discuss Rebecca's journey from digital marketing to entrepreneurship, and the founding of Divibank. Rebecca also shares her exper...