Daniela Castro grew up playing sports in a French boarding school in São Paulo, Brazil. She understood at an early age the societal inequities that existed, not just in sport, but within her community. Her passion for sport was superseded only by her desire to positively influence change in Brazil. “Since I was little, I wanted to do something for my country,” Daniela says. “From a very early age, I knew I wanted to work for human rights. This is what defines me.” 

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s in economics and public policy, Daniela worked for ten years as the manager of the sports organization, Athletes for Brazil. Combining her love of sports with her passion for social issues, Daniela and her team at Athletes for Brazil worked to promote legislative changes around sport for development issues as directed by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. 

In 2017, Daniela served as the Deputy Secretary of Sports for São Paulo. She is currently the Founder and Executive Director of Impacta Advocacy, a social enterprise that addresses various issues across the economic, social, and environmental sectors in Brazil.