Batch: Achievements
- Co-founded Z1, a Brazilian digital bank for teens and young adults, and got into Y Combinator Winter 2021
- Co-founded Vereda Educação, making high-quality affordable K12 education accessible in Brazil
- Gained finance experience at Itaú BBA, including an exchange program in London
- Worked in LatAm Treasury and FP&A at Kraft Heinz
- Holds a business administration degree from Babson College, USA
- Led Z1 to prioritize diversity with specific hiring targets for POC, trans folks, and women in tech
The lowdown on Joao Pedro Thompson
Yo, you gotta hear about Joao Pedro Thompson. This guy’s the real deal, born to shake things up. Started out in finance, doing the whole investment banking thing at Itaú BBA, even did a stint in London, that’s some solid grind right there. Then he jumped into Kraft Heinz, messing around in LatAm Treasury and FP&A. Dude’s got a serious finance background, but what’s crazy is how he flipped that into something way bigger.
Back in 2017, Joao co-founded Vereda Educação. That was all about making quality K12 education affordable for Brazil’s middle class. He saw a big problem, kids couldn’t get good education without breaking the bank, and he decided to do something about it. That’s kinda his vibe: identifying gaps and then jumping in to fix them.
Then, in W21, he co-founded Z1, a digital bank aimed at teenagers and young adults in Brazil. This isn’t just about banking; it’s about giving young people access and literacy, a way to level up their financial game early. And holy shit, Z1 got into Y Combinator’s Winter 2021 batch, which is a huge deal. That kinda validation shows this guy is not just dreaming big but actually crushing it.
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Talk to herWhat’s wild is how his past in education and finance fuels his mission with Z1. He’s super motivated by the idea of fighting financial illiteracy and making financial services accessible for Gen Z. Basically, he’s on a mission to create a future where young people aren’t left behind just because they don’t have the right info or access.
And he’s more than just about the tech side, he’s all in on pushing for real diversity. Z1 tries to be one of Brazil’s most diverse companies, with clear targets for hiring people of color, trans folks, women in tech. That’s rare in the startup world, especially here.
Bottom line: Joao Pedro Thompson is a dude who saw problems early, education gaps, financial illiteracy, and used his background in finance and business to build stuff that actually makes a difference. He’s about giving power back to the youth, making tech and finance more inclusive, and showing that startups can be a force for good. No cap, he’s one of those founders you wanna keep an eye on.
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