Brazil

ReadyNation worked with business leaders in Brazil to encourage private sector support for early childhood.

In consultation with RNI, a new initiative led by the Jose Luiz Egydio Setubal Foundation (FJLES) was developed to build private sector support for early childhood in São Paulo, Brazil. FJLES and its research arm, the PENSI Institute, focus primarily on early childhood and health-related issues. Jose Luiz and foundation advisor, Marcos Kisil, introduced the concept of building private sector support for the topic at ReadyNation’s 2018 Global Business Summit on Early Childhood in New York City. The initiative’s objective was to offer a complete picture of the topic as a business issue to executives and other relevant parties over a series of targeted workshops. A preliminary meeting was held in São Paulo for organizing principals and an array of company executives followed by four subsequent workshops open to a broader audience including early childhood advocates and policymakers. All workshops were hosted by and held at the offices of FIESP (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo), with whom FJLES operated in concert. Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the international and domestic business case for early childhood investments from all angles: economics, brain science, company leaders, family-friendly policies, corporate social responsibility, and public policy advocacy.