About the Chamber of Commerce

The Brazil-Minnesota Chamber of Commerce was created to promote cultural, social, educational, and commercial relations between Brazilians and Minnesotans. Its founders, including Brazilian and American citizens, all have substantial experience living and working in Brazil since the 1960s.

The Board of Directors

Jeffrey J. Hanson

President

26 years of business operations in Brazil

Graduated with an International MBA from IMD, Switzerland and a Mechanical Engineering degree with an Environmental Engineering minor from the University of Minnesota. Travelled the world extensively with the International Division of Donaldson Company covering engineering, sales and marketing before moving to Brazil. While in Brazil managed subsidiaries for 2 Minnesota multinational companies for 8 years and also owned and operated a Brazilian importing, manufacturing and sales company in Brazil for 18 years. Married a wonderful Brazilian woman and raised 2 children in São Paulo through high school. Still passionate for Brazil, moved back to the USA in 2004 where I continue to work for stronger and better ties between Brazil and Minnesota.

Robert H. Scarlett

Vice president

Rob Scarlett has had a 40-year career in international sales and manufacturing; and although still active in business, has shifted more of his time into service as a director and/or advisor to several small and medium-size companies and philanthropic organizations. Shortly after graduating from Carleton College in 1966, he became part of a private NGO team in Venezuela, Brazil and Peru that created some of Latin America’s first microfinance institutions. Building on that experience, he began a decades-long business career that kept him active throughout Latin America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. In addition to his international business consulting work, Rob currently serves as a board member or advisor for a number of Minnesota organizations; including, the AVEKA Group, Inc., Minnepura Technologies, PBC; Clearwater Biologic, LLC: Venn Foundation; and the Sundance Family. In recent years, Rob also served as Board Chair for Global Minnesota and President of Minnesota-Uruguay Partners of the Americas. He speaks German, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, and has also lived and worked throughout Europe, South Africa, and throughout most of Latin America.

Eduardo Martins

Treasurer

Eduardo Martins holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University Federal of Paraná and an MBA in Economics and Financial Management from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, both in Brazil. Living in Minnesota since 2015, he has also taken classes as part of the Professional Development Program from Carlson School of Management (University of Minnesota). Eduardo is a finance professional and started his career in the consumer products segment, moving to the water and wastewater management and more recently in the agribusiness. With over 16 years of experience in different areas of finance in several countries and regions, currently his role covers finance for the Americas region. Besides spending time with his family, Eduardo loves to run and bike with friends, read, travel and explore new cultures.

Patrícia Ribeiro

Director

Lawyer, with both in-house and law firm experience in Brazil, holding a Master of Laws from the University of California, Davis School of Law (2016), a Specialization in Brazilian Corporate Law by the School of Law from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (2014) and a Bachelor of Laws from Faculdade de Direito de Joinville (1997). She is licensed by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB/SC), to practice law nationwide in Brazil; as well as by the California State Bar, as a Provisionally Licensed Attorney. Her expertise has been developed working for large multinational companies of different sizes, providing strategic consulting services to foreign companies wanting to enter the Brazilian market, particularly in the health regulated market. She has vast knowledge of Brazilian corporate law and regulatory law, as well as a basis for comparative analysis of corporate and contractual models adopted in other countries. Her ties to Minnesota began in 2018 when her son Daniel started his undergrad studies at the University of Minnesota, expanding over the years. She has two sons, Daniel and Diego, and during free time she enjoys riding motorcycle with her husband Mauricio.

Anna Fenner

Director

Anna Fenner is a seasoned marketing and product portfolio leader with over a decade of experience driving business growth through strategic portfolio management, brand development, and go-to-market planning. She holds an MBA from Saint Catherine University and is currently a Senior Product Portfolio Manager at Xcel Energy, overseeing commercial and industrial portfolio solutions in multiple states. Previously, Anna held global and regional marketing roles at 3M, managing multi-million dollar product lines and launching successful innovations under iconic brands like Post-it and® Scotch®. A native of Paraná, Brazil, Anna immigrated to the U.S. over 20 years ago and has lived in the Twin Cities for most of that time. She is passionate about Brazilian culture, developing new connections, and giving back to the community through social engagement.

Bruna Mazzurega

Director

Bilingual English-Portuguese marketing professional with over ten years of experience working with CPG (Consumer Products Goods) in highly competitive markets, in both, retail and industry, at multi-national companies as Heineken, Carrefour Group and DIA Group.

Experience with brand management and product development, with background in commercial and supply chain fields; putting forth several projects and campaigns from conception to completion over the years, working with multifunctional teams within the companies and most varied external agencies.

Customer centric oriented, passionate for brands and product development and guided by marketing research and consumer behavior.

Brazilian born and raised; moved to the USA during the pandemic, where I now reside as a permanent resident.

João Moura

A businessman, advertiser, journalist, and consultant, João Moura has over 40 years of direct experience in Brazilian marketing, sales, and business development, as well as more than 30 years of experience in international business. João is the cofounder of DBD Filtros Group (owner of LAFFI Filtration and LAFFI Water), L3 PPM: Publicidade, Propaganda e Marketing, Ltda. (a market intelligence, research, and recruitment company for companies interested in the Brazilian market and publisher of Revista Meio Filtrante and Revista TAE: Tratamento de Águas e Efluentes magazines), and ABRAFILTROS (Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Filtros e de seus Sistemas Automotivos e Industriais), for which he is serving his 7th term as president.

Ricardo Nakano

Over the past two years, he has led the development of innovative AI solutions, including an AI-based executive assistant and trading robots that analyze stock markets. Utilizing Python, NLP frameworks, and Node.js, his team has created systems that optimize operations and deliver measurable impacts, such as consistent profitability in trading.

A dedicated PMP-certified professional with extensive experience in IT and project management, he excels at integrating AI technologies into practical applications. Passionate about advancing technology to solve complex challenges, he focuses on delivering results through collaboration and continuous learning.

More info: https://ricardousa.com/

Jordana Matos

I started a new chapter in my career with nonprofits as Volunteer and International Student Engagement Manager at Global Minnesota. I have a marketing, training, and healthcare background with a passion for supporting my community and help making the world a better place. My previous roles included marketing and training management, medical communications, talent acquisition, and sales. In my spare time, I volunteer as Vice Honorary Consul of Brazil in Minneapolis, supporting my community, and as a Board Director of the Brazil Minnesota Chamber of Commerce helping promote cultural, educational, and business relations between Brazilians and Minnesotans.

Gustavo Galegale

Gustavo Galegale is a partner at Galegale & Associados, Vice President of the São Paulo Chapter of ISACA and an active member of boards in several national and international organizations. With more than two decades of professional experience, he has built his career at the intersection of information technology, governance, risk management, auditing, privacy and artificial intelligence. His work stands out for uniting corporate strategy, regulatory compliance and innovation in highly complex environments.

With a PhD in Business Administration, Gustavo teaches in MBAs and graduate programs at prominent institutions and has trained hundreds of executives, engineers, and technology leaders throughout his career. He is also a frequent speaker at conferences in the Americas, Europe, and Africa, where he addresses emerging topics such as AI governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, and IT/OT integration.

In addition to his executive and academic roles, Gustavo is an entrepreneur in technology-based initiatives that span fintech, marketing automation, and education. His professional trajectory reflects a commitment to developing future leaders, strengthening international collaboration, and promoting the responsible use of technology for companies and society.

George Edwards

George Edwards graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, with a BA in Sociology/Cultural Anthropology and a MA in International Media Business from the University of Westminster in London, UK. He has worked as an English instructor and localization specialist in São Paulo, Brazil, as well as a project coordinator for universities and arts organizations in London and Minneapolis, most recently as an Administrative Analyst in the Department of Arts and Culture of the City of Minneapolis. In his spare time, George enjoys international cinema, world parliamentary politics, and continuing his quest for fluency in Brazilian Portuguese.