Smart Neighborhoods, Digitalization, Resilience, and the Inefficiency of Politics Take Center Stage at CEO Brazil Forum

Christian Gebara (Vivo), Waldir Beira Junior (Ypê), Susanna Marchionni (Planet Smart City), and Lucas Aragão (Arko Consulting) Led Day 2 Sessions

By Monica Miglio Pedrosa, Experience Club Brazil

“Digitalization brings people closer.” Since 2019, this has been the guiding principle for Vivo, Brazil’s leading mobile and fiber internet provider. In 2024, the company posted R$65 billion in total revenue. “We believe connection has the power to transform. Digitalization can help build a better world,” said Christian Gebara, CEO of Vivo, during the day’s opening keynote.

To bring this vision to life, Vivo has been building a complete digital ecosystem that goes beyond telecommunications — offering solutions in healthcare, education, finance, entertainment, consumer electronics, energy, and smart homes. Gebara emphasized that, even in an increasingly digital world, the physical experience still matters: the company’s stores receive over 600,000 visits monthly, and the Casa Vivo flagship in São Paulo allows customers to interact with smart devices in a 400 m² space.

Gebara also highlighted key demographic shifts that will shape society and business — including Brazil’s aging population, with 25% of citizens projected to be over 65 by 2042. He encouraged companies to adapt to new family structures (blended families, single-person households, LGBTQ+ couples, and multi-generational living) and to prioritize accessibility for people with disabilities, 71% of whom remain outside the formal job market.

Finally, he warned about the dangers of hyperconnectivity, unveiling Vivo’s new campaign encouraging moments of disconnection and real-world experiences.

Smart Neighborhoods in Affordable Housing

When Susanna Marchionni moved to Brazil a decade ago to launch Planet Smart City’s first project, she planned to stay just eight months. Instead, her work reshaped the future of affordable housing in the country.

Planet Smart City specializes in developing intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive neighborhoods. Its flagship project, Smart City Laguna, in Ceará, is the world’s first social smart city — a 330-hectare development featuring a library and innovation hub, coworking spaces, bike lanes, community gardens, fitness areas, and more. All are accessible via a proprietary app, creating a connected, inclusive community model.

Marchionni recalled the significant obstacles she faced as a foreign woman entering Brazil’s male-dominated construction industry. “No one believed in me,” she said. Nearing financial collapse, she met Stefano Buono — an entrepreneur fresh off a US$3B Nasdaq exit — who became an investor and champion of the project.

Today, Planet Smart City operates in Brazil, India, Italy, and the US, with multiple connected developments in Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, and São Paulo.

Ypê: Blooming Through Adversity

Waldir Beira Junior, president of Brazilian hygiene and cleaning products company Ypê, shared deeply personal stories with the audience — including the loss of his father in a factory accident, his son’s nine-year battle with cancer, and his mother’s kidnapping.

Founded 75 years ago, Ypê faced major crises — including government price freezes in the 1980s that mistakenly capped the company’s soap prices, nearly wiping out its profit margins. Waldir reframed the situation as an opportunity to get more people to try the product, trusting that quality would win loyalty while he worked to reverse the policy.

This mindset — transforming hardship into growth — defines Ypê’s legacy. Today, the company leads in four market categories and has planted 1.2 million trees through its partnership with SOS Mata Atlântica. “Like the ipê tree that blooms in the driest seasons, we must leave the world better than we found it,” Waldir said.

Beyond Polarization: The Real Problem in Politics

Lucas Aragão, partner at Arko Consulting, closed the day with a sharp analysis of Brazil’s political system. “Brazil operates much more between the lines than in the headlines,” he said, noting how national attention is consumed by Lula vs. Bolsonaro debates while crucial issues — such as the AI regulatory framework or the Banco Master scandal that threatened the country’s credit guarantee fund — unfold quietly.

According to Aragão, Brazil’s political machinery is inefficient because legislators focus on securing local re-election via earmarked funds instead of debating national priorities. “The system rewards feudal politics,” he said, warning that this pattern prevents structural reforms.

He also criticized what he calls “negative partisanship” — defining oneself by what one opposes rather than by what one stands for. “It’s safer to say what you’re not than to propose what you are,” Aragão observed, arguing that this logic fosters paralysis.

Finally, Aragão mapped out Brazil’s pentarchy of power — the President, Supreme Court, Senate, House, and Central Bank — followed by political parties, financial markets, and finally civil society, media, church, agribusiness, and industry. “Presidents are elected through consensus with this pentarchy, rarely by conviction alone,” he concluded.

His message to the CEO Forum audience was clear: in a country where political inefficiency is systemic, business leaders and civil society must organize to have a voice in shaping the policies that determine Brazil’s future.