About us
We believe in entrepreneurship and networking as the basis of our vision! We support the development of initiatives and businesses connected to the generation of social value and regeneration of the planet. As such, we act in synergy with the Sustainable Development Goals 5 (gender equity), 8 (fair work) and 10 (reduction of inequalities).
We exist to identify and shed light on the best of people and places: their riches to be fostered!
We exist to inspire companies, institutions and people to develop creative solutions to complex problems.
We exist to articulate and connect initiatives, people and ideas for interdependent and sustainable development.
Our team
Raízes knows that – as important as good projects and initiatives are – it is people who make them happen! That is why we are so proud to bring together competent, committed, and – above all – engaged people in our team. Staff at Raizes accumulate different skills and experiences, but above all, they share a huge desire to change the world!
Our history
Raízes Sustainable Development emerged from a collective dream that remains to this day: to use tourism as a development vector. To get us to where we are today, a lot has happened over the last 15+ years. The idea came about at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), from the encounter between Mariana Madureira and Marianne Costa, who first created, in 2003, a junior company that awakened in them the willingness to become entrepreneurs.
Get to know our history
Recognizing the soil
Raízes was created in 2006 as a result of the entrepreneurial spirit of 2 tourism graduate lady friends. Our roots began to expand and garner recognition and, before long, we added tourism-associated production to our growing list of expertise.
In 2008 we expanded into social business, and in 2009 we launched our first own project – which later on earned us the Social Entrepreneur Award of the Future, promoted by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.
The first bud
This is how, in 2009, our income generation project sprouted in the Jequitinhonha Valley, in Minas Gerais, our birthplace.
We have impacted women and families from more than 20 local communities, initially with a fair-trade craft project in the region. We went on to co-create (with the artisans) the community-based tourism itinerary Do Barro à Arte (From Clay to Art).
Our little plant then got split in two, and today the itinerary is conducted by Vivejar, a spin-off conceived by Marianne, who at the time decided to resign as one of the 2 founding-partners of Raizes.
Branches emerged
Little by little, we saw our branches grow stronger. In 2014, we were certified as a B Company and became part of a global network of leaders who use their businesses to build a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economical system for the people and the planet. Our network of collaborators and consultants continues to expand, including a new partner, Jussara.
Leaves sprouting in another part of the world
In 2016, our leaves crossed the Atlantic Ocean and led us to the first international performance. In Cape Verde, Africa, we started helping business initiatives and innovative projects to develop rural tourism for the Rota de Aldeias (Rural Villages Route) from Santo Antão Project.
That same year we worked with the United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP in a campaign for sustainable tourism at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Our blossoms, what are they?
Little did we know that the following year, we would start a new project full of meaning: the Owner of My Flow. This beautiful partnership with Korui Life Cycles is our little blossom– as expressed in the logo of the initiative. The goal is to combat menstrual poverty in Brazil by empowering girls and women. We first promote a safe exchange environment to combat the taboos around menstruation, and then make the donation of menstrual cups.
Bearing fruit
Over the past few years, we have had the pleasure of seeing our stems grow, reaping various fruits. We specialize in accelerating small businesses and have started to contribute to socio-biodiversity through mentoring, incubation, and acceleration programs as drivers of the ecosystem impact, alongside large companies in Brazil and the rest of the world.
That said…
We provide solutions to various problems using sustainability as a premise. We believe that through our projects, we can translate all the potency we have acquired over these years of history and plural narratives. We invite you to come with us!
Awards
Here at Raízes, we have been recognized through several national and international awards. We believe that these convey credibility and extend the scope of our impact, as they increase the confidence of our customers and partners in the purpose and seriousness of the work we do.
Some of our clients
