Hugo Afonso de Carvalho

Connector, Entrepreneur, Student

I’m Hugo Afonso de Carvalho, a Business Administration student at the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), passionate about leadership, innovation, and social impact. One of the most transformative chapters in my journey was serving as President of Apoio Consultoria Júnior. During my tenure, I led the company to achieve the prestigious "Alto Impacto" recognition—the highest award in the Brazilian junior enterprise movement. This milestone was the result of deep team engagement, strategic alignment, and active support for our sales team in closing impactful projects. At our leadership transition ceremony, I was honored with the award "We Turned Our Restlessness into Results", recognizing my contribution to achieving our sales goals and driving the company forward. I also served as a Regional Advisor (Conselheiro Multiplicador) at Núcleo Triângulo, where I collaborated with fellow advisors from 44 different junior enterprises across our region. This experience allowed me to learn, grow, and evolve alongside outstanding teams from the Triângulo Mineiro. I was awarded "Connector Advisor of the Year" for my efforts in strengthening the connection between Uberlândia’s junior enterprises and our university (UFU), as well as integrating them into Uberhub, the city's award-winning innovation ecosystem, which was named “Community of the Year” at Brazil’s prestigious Startup Awards. Currently, I co-own a specialty coffee roastery with my sister, where we combine purpose, quality, and a deep connection to the land to create meaningful coffee experiences. I am also working as a Continuous Improvement Intern at Autus, a General Motors dealership. In this role, I apply Lean Six Sigma principles in real-world scenarios and am currently developing a Yellow Belt project in partnership with Seta, a training and consulting company. This project focuses on designing strategies to reduce fuel expenses across nine dealership units, helping improve operational efficiency. Most recently, I contributed to the organization of Startup Day, an initiative led by Uberhub, further connecting my city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with innovation and opportunity. I believe in the power of ideas to change the world—which is why I am leading the organization of a TEDx event in my city, creating a platform for voices that inspire, connect, and challenge the way we think.

I am deeply committed to fostering meaningful connections—with people, ideas, and the environments to which I belong. I firmly believe that transformation begins with genuine connection: when we take the time to listen, share our experiences, and cultivate curiosity about others. In every space I enter, I carry the intention of leaving it better than I found it—enhancing collaboration, purpose, and momentum. I am also deeply passionate about coffee—not merely as a beverage, but as a cultural phenomenon, a ritual, and a bridge between worlds. I approach specialty coffee with great curiosity, exploring its flavors, origins, brewing techniques, and the nuances that elevate it to an art form. For me, coffee represents a moment of mindfulness—an opportunity to slow down, observe, and be fully present. Whether I am building teams, organizing events, or refining a brewing method, my driving force remains the same: a profound appreciation for people, for stories, and for everything that ignites transformation from within.

I believe that true transformation occurs when leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation are driven by meaningful connections. It is not merely about leading teams or building businesses—it is about cultivating ecosystems where individuals collaborate, challenge one another, and grow together. Throughout my journey—from leading a junior enterprise and connecting 44 student-run organizations to supporting award-winning startup ecosystems and establishing a purpose-driven coffee roastery—I have witnessed firsthand how ideas evolve more rapidly when shared, how innovation emerges from diversity, and how leadership flourishes within a strong community. Great leaders are not isolated visionaries; they are facilitators of connections. They foster environments where bold ideas are conceived and tested, creating spaces where individuals feel encouraged to build, fail, learn, and persevere. I firmly believe that we need more environments like this, and I see TEDx as one of them.

My first introduction to TED Talks came during high school, when my essay teacher would occasionally incorporate TED and TEDx talks into our lessons to help us develop stronger arguments and enhance our writing skills. These talks were instrumental in refining my ability to articulate ideas effectively, ultimately contributing to my success on my final essay. One of the talks that had the greatest impact on me was “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” by Sir Ken Robinson. It broadened my perspective on education, showing me that learning extends far beyond textbooks and daily routines. It encouraged me to explore ideas beyond the classroom and embrace a multidisciplinary mindset—rooted in curiosity, creativity, and continuous growth. That talk marked a turning point in my journey, and since then, TED has remained a source of inspiration, driving me to seek new challenges and engage with transformative ideas.

Few people know that I have a deep understanding of the transformation coffee undergoes during roasting. I have dedicated time to studying how heat, time, and technique influence the flavor, aroma, and structure of specialty coffee, learning how to accentuate the unique characteristics of each bean through a meticulous and intentional roasting process. There is something remarkable about unveiling the natural sweetness, acidity, and complexity of coffee. It is a slow, intricate craft that demands knowledge, intuition, and deep respect for everything that came before—from the soil to the harvest. Roasting, to me, is a way of honoring the bean’s journey and telling its story as it deserves to be told.