João Graça

Listen up about João Graça, straight up one of the real deal tech guys out there. This dude’s process is all about jumping into the deep end, crushing it, and pushing the boundaries of AI and language tech.

So, João’s from Portugal, right? He’s got a Ph.D. in computer science from IST, which is like the Harvard of Portugal, and then he did a postdoc at Penn. Dude’s legit smart. But what really makes him stand out is how he took that brainpower and turned it into something huge. He’s a co-founder and CTO of Unbabel, a company that’s changing the game in AI-powered translation. Basically, they help companies talk to the whole world without bullshit language barriers. That’s some advanced stuff, and he’s been leading the charge.

Before that, he was deep in research at L2F at IST, working on speech and language tech, basically, how machines understand and process language like humans do. He’s published a ton, recognized as an expert in NLP and machine learning, and he’s been influential enough to get into the Forbes Tech Council since 2018. That’s no small feat, it’s industry respect on another level.

But João isn’t just about research and tech. He’s also a startup dude, been Chief Scientist at Dezine, and did research at FlashGroup. Plus, he’s an active investor in cool startups like Easol, Meight, and Replai. He’s all about nurturing the tech scene, especially in Lisbon, where he even founded the Lisbon Machine Learning Summer School (LxMLS). Dude’s about building communities and leveling up the talent pool.

What’s wild is how his process screams motivation. He started in academia, dove deep into research, then took all that knowledge and built Unbabel, a real-world solution that’s literally bridging language gaps globally. It’s like he saw the power of AI and decided to go all-in. That’s what starting something is all about: taking your expertise, seeing a problem, and building a solution that actually changes things.

He’s not just some tech nerd in a lab, he’s out here having an effect, investing in the future, and helping others level up too. His story’s about combining hardcore research with real-world hustle. That’s why he’s so important, he’s proof that if you’re passionate and willing to jump into the messy middle, you can build something that’s not just successful but also legit changing how the world communicates. No Cap.