Education and Certificates

This certification added a stronger product management lens to the technical and strategic side of my work. It reinforced the importance of prioritization, backlog discipline, stakeholder alignment, and keeping delivery closely tied to customer value rather than activity alone. That framing is especially useful in complex web and digital programs, where good outcomes depend on translating broad strategy into clear decisions, sequenced work, and measurable progress.

This certification strengthened the infrastructure-side perspective needed to evaluate AI readiness in a more grounded way. It helped connect cloud concepts, operational requirements, and AI systems thinking into a clearer view of what organizations actually need in order to support modern intelligent platforms. That is especially relevant in enterprise environments, where web programs increasingly intersect with broader infrastructure, governance, and technology strategy decisions.

This certificate expanded my practical understanding of the infrastructure layer that supports AI-native products and enterprise adoption. It reinforced the operational realities behind compute, orchestration, deployment, and reliability, which are often overlooked when conversations stay at the model or application layer. That grounding is useful when thinking about how AI capabilities fit into real production environments, especially in organizations balancing speed, scale, and operational discipline.

This course was valuable because it connected the modern web back to the historical, technical, and policy decisions that shaped it. Understanding how the internet evolved, how trust and security models emerged, and where trade-offs were made adds useful perspective when working on contemporary platforms. It continues to inform how I think about resilient architecture, digital governance, and the long arc between infrastructure decisions and user-facing experiences.

This course added useful business context to the more technical side of my work by grounding private equity and venture capital in the investor perspective. It covered market structure, fund and vehicle design, the full deal-making lifecycle from fundraising and investing through portfolio management and exit, and the practical use of valuation methods in illiquid settings.

That framework sharpened how I think about capital allocation, risk, incentives, and long-term value creation. It continues to influence how I evaluate digital initiatives not only as delivery efforts, but as investment decisions that need to justify timing, cost, upside, and strategic fit.

My time at UC Santa Barbara overlapped with the earliest stages of building real products, experimenting with digital ideas, and getting hands-on exposure to the web as both a technical medium and a business platform. Even though the degree was not completed, those years helped establish the core direction of my career by combining academic computer science foundations with practical entrepreneurial experience. It was an important period of transition where classroom learning and real-world execution started to converge.

Just as importantly, UCSB was where I met many of the friends and future co-founders who shaped that chapter directly. Those relationships led to ventures such as the textbook-sharing app 1night.me and later Swaapr, both built around real student needs and practical ways to make course materials more accessible and affordable.

What began as campus experimentation grew into tangible momentum: our team won a major Silicon Valley startup competition as its youngest and smallest group, earned more than $100,000 in software services, attracted outside interest, and expanded the product into a broader student marketplace used across campuses. The campus environment created the context for ideas, creative collaboration, and early ventures to take shape with people who would remain important across both personal and professional life. In that sense, UCSB was not only where technical interests deepened, but also where a key part of the network behind those early milestones began.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme at the International School of Curitiba provided a rigorous academic foundation that emphasized analytical thinking, research, and clear communication. The program encouraged students to examine complex issues from multiple perspectives while developing discipline in writing, inquiry, and structured problem solving. I remain grateful to the teachers and mentors who guided that experience and helped cultivate the intellectual curiosity and global perspective that continue to influence how I approach technology, systems thinking, and digital strategy today.

One of the most influential courses in the program was Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS). It framed technology not just as systems and infrastructure, but as something that shapes organizations, societies, and human behavior.

As part of the IB requirements, I built a website for the IB Program at the International School of Curitiba with resource links and a student discussion board. Developed in 2008 using HTML, CSS, Adobe Photoshop CS3, sitemap sketches, Taco HTML Edit, CyberDuck, and a HostGator VPS, it became one of my earliest hands-on website projects. I also completed a 12-page IB Extended Essay titled “World of Warcraft: A Study of the Negative Impacts on a Young User’s Development into Real World Society Provided by the In Game Society,” which examined how virtual communities and game environments can influence behavior, identity, and social development.

IB Diploma Course Load:

• IB English A1 HL
• IB Physics HL
• IB History HL
• IB Portuguese A2 SL
• IB Math Studies SL
• IB Information Technology in a Global Society SL
• IB Theory of Knowledge

Completing school at the International School of Curitiba provided an early cross-cultural foundation that later became highly relevant in global digital work. Graduating with both American and Brazilian high school diplomas meant learning to navigate multiple academic systems, languages, and cultural environments from an early age. That experience shaped an adaptable mindset and an international perspective that continues to influence how I collaborate across global teams, markets, and disciplines.

My time at the school was marked by a balance of academic achievement, leadership involvement, and broad participation in extracurricular activities. These experiences helped develop the discipline, curiosity, and communication skills that later became essential in professional environments that require both technical thinking and cross-functional collaboration.

Beyond academics, I was deeply involved in student leadership, service programs, and competitive and creative activities throughout high school. Participation in clubs, athletics, and community initiatives provided early opportunities to lead teams, contribute to shared goals, and build confidence in collaborative environments. These experiences still inform how I approach strategy, teamwork, and long-term professional growth.

Achievements & Recognition:

• Academic Achievement Award — Computer (Grade 9)
• Academic Achievement Award — Math (Grade 9)
• Academic Achievement Award — High School Music (Grade 10)
• Most Improvement — Brazilian History & Geography (Grade 9)
• Most Improvement — Chemistry (Grade 10)
• Quarterly High Honor Roll — Grade 9 (Q4)
• Quarterly Honor Roll — Grade 10 (Q2, Q4)
• Quarterly Honor Roll — Grade 11 (Q1, Q3)

Leadership & Activities:

• Knowledge Bowl — Grades 10–11; Team Captain (Grade 12)
• Global Link — Treasurer (Grade 10), Vice President (Grade 11)
• National Honor Society — Grades 10–12
• Student Council — Vice President (Grade 10)
• Student Council — Class Representative & Webmaster (Grade 11)
• High School Music Group — Guitarist (Grades 9–10)
• Chess Club — Grade 10
• Adopt-A-School Organization — Grades 11–12
• High School Basketball — Grades 9–10
• High School Volleyball — Grade 10

Additional Programs & Training:

• CSIP (Continuous School Improvement Process) Focus Group — Grades 10–12
• Brazil Model United Nations — Delegate of Zambia - Grade 11
• Formal Guitar Study — 2005–2007