I was born and raised in Joinville, SC, a dynamic industrial city known as the "Manchester Catarinense" for its thriving mechanical and manufacturing hub, home to Brazil's largest mold-making and metalworking industries and host of the world-renowned Joinville Dance Festival. My earliest memories are filled with sketches, from animals and landscapes to people, always drawing, always creating.

At age 8, my curiosity exploded when my dad brought home our first computer. I quickly taught myself by exploring features online, becoming the go-to tech helper in my circle. Later, in early high school, he signed me up for an AutoCAD course. I mastered it in just three months, and even before the course ended, that skill opened the door to a machining apprenticeship at SENAI, where I learned how drawings truly come to life.

After high school, I faced a tough choice between full-time Mechanical Engineering or a night technician certification in Mechanical Projects. Financial constraints made the decision easy, but as I dove into my technician course, I fell in love with designing and building. While studying, I worked at Dom Bosco Machining and soon joined Boxcar, where I designed products and learned from a former Volkswagen logistics expert, experiences that shaped my ambition to pursue further study in Production Engineering at UDESC, one of Brazil's top-ranked universities.

While at UDESC, I balanced studies with work at Kozetek, delivering firsthand lessons on flexibility, collaboration, and leadership. After graduating, I joined Multicase Systems to support automotive customers, but realized I needed to improve my English to bridge global opportunities. That led me to Centennial College in Toronto to study Project Management and start my Canadian journey.

Canada quickly felt like home, from working in software development at JVC Precision and 7Gen to expanding my craft and mindset. In 2023, I turned a long-standing passion into reality and founded Nengatu, a bootstrapped ERP startup. As a solo founder, I've worn nearly every hat, from backend and frontend developer to marketer, legal manager, and salesperson, learning to prioritize ruthlessly and build with heart.

When I'm not behind the screen or sketching ideas, you'll find me strumming my electric guitar, something I began at 14, and later taught neighborhood kids at age 15. I met my wife through music; we formed a classic rock band in university and married before moving to Canada. Today, she supports Nengatu's visuals while excelling in her own career. And yes, growing up, I wasn't a soccer fanatic like many Brazilians. I loved volleyball, and still do, along with swimming and cycling.