Since she was a teenager in Brazil, Thaís Olivetti knew she wanted to dedicate her life to making a difference in the lives of others. In her pursuit, she earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo before earning a master’s in Social Development.

While following her passion to help others, Thaís co-founded an organization called, “Empodera—Transformação Social Pelo Esporte,” which means “Empowerment as Social Transformation through Sport.” As executive director, she oversees all components of the organization, which primarily includes advocacy work toward the prevention of key challenges facing women in Brazilian culture, including sexual harassment, violence, and gender stereotypes that make sports socially inappropriate for women. Thaís is also determined to use her platform to address gender inequities in Brazilian sports organizations and has continued to expand Empodera’s reach through initiatives that provide safe and inclusive sports projects for women and girls. Moreover, she has created and distributed several resources for coaches and PE teachers to further develop their capacities to create safe spaces for female students.