Meet TSG Governing Board Member, André Bastos
The Simple Good would like to introduce André Bastos, our newest TSG Governing Board Member. Join us in welcoming him to The Simple Good Family! Get to know him below!
Where are you from originally and where are you located now? I’m originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I moved to the US in 2011 to do my MBA in New York at NYU Stern and then moved to Chicago in 2014. Chicago is my wife’s hometown. Her family has an entertainment family business that has been around for more than 30 years, called the Pumpkin Farm.
What is your professional background and what do you currently do for a living? I’m a business-building senior level executive and entrepreneur with a strong finance, strategy, operations, sales, and general management background in startups and large corporations. I created a technology-based business from scratch, while orchestrating and closing investment funding from major firms such as Goldman Sachs, 3G Capital, IFC, and Franklin Templeton. I’m adept at leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data to achieve a cutting-edge B2C financial service offering. I developed an agile culture across the enterprise that delivers significant productivity improvement. I was awarded the 2020 Best FinTech CFO in Brazil. Received a Master of Business and Administration in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. I’m a former board member of tech and media companies, PadTec and Pini, and a current member of the Global Innovator Program by the World Economic Forum.
How do you connect to the arts? I see myself as an ambidextrous leader. Arts helps me connect with another side of the brain that the rules of logic and finance do not necessarily apply. I like the quote, “If you practice an art, be proud of it and make it proud of you … It may break your heart, but it will fill your heart before it breaks it will make you a person in your own right.”- Maxwell Anderson.
How did you get connected to The Simple Good and what has it meant to you to be a member of the Board? I attended the City of Big Dreams event last year, impressed by all the work presented. People on stage and around were just full of joy. It united poetry, music, dance, and visual art under a single inspiration. Priya gave a great speech. I purchased a piece of art called “come as you are” that brings delight to our home. I felt that I would like to support and be part of the community, and by coincidence, a couple of months later, Stephanie Pirishis, who chairs the Board, invited me to be part of the Board.
How have you seen The Simple Good’s impact? You need to go to one of the events to see it by yourself. The energy and creativity of the youth are indescribable. People are empathetic, positive, and connected, even though many have had severe trauma.
What does The Simple Good mean to you? The simple good for me is to empower youth to think positively and see that they can have better lives. The saddest thing in people’s life is loneliness. Good connect people and bring joy. It takes a group of exceptional people to do the simple good and transform this process into a multiplier effect through art and discussions. According to Da Vinci, Simplicity is the last level of sophistication.
What do you want to see in the future for The Simple Good? One million students impacted by the Simple Good!
Is there anything else you want our TSG community to know about you? I can’t wait to learn from this great community! I love to read, learn and connect with people. I have the goal to learn something new every day, taking me out of my comfort zone. I have two daughters and two pets at home: one sphynx cat and a white pigeon from a rescue. I love to run around Chicago. I will do my fourth Chicago Marathon this year.
You can connect with André on LinkedIn and congratulate him on joining the TSG family!
Find more on our mission, support our programs and get your TSG Gear by visiting our website: http://www.thesimplegood.org/
