Felipe

Felipe grew up in Costa Barros, a favela in Rio de Janeiro. He was struck by the numerous abandoned spaces, such as open fields or worn-down buildings, that were frequently taken advantaged by outsiders for dumping waste. Because he did not want his community to be abandoned and unsafe, he decided to create his first initiative, Felipe launched a social venture to provide young children with an opportunity to play games and enjoy public spaces. Today, Felipe is bringing pride back to living in Rio de Janeiro's favelas by beautifying spaces and encouraging creative outdoor play through his two ventures, PlayArt and Project Follow Me. Transforming unoccupied spaces into community-owned places, these two ventures encourage young people to reoccupy, recover, and revitalize public spaces for community beautification as well as cultural and recreational activities.