Gera Team

Duda is a founding partner of Gera, Executive Chairwoman at Grupo Salta Educação, and a board member at Edify Education and Grupo Vitus.

From 2013 to 2022, Duda served as Co-CEO at Grupo Salta Educação, being one of the founders of Escola Eleva and one of the key players who helped Grupo Salta become the largest primary education network in Brazil.

Before founding Gera, Duda worked at McKinsey and in the Private Equity division at PCP-UBS Pactual, focusing on the education and consumer sectors. She also worked at the Local Education Department of Rio de Janeiro, coordinating a strategic project for early childhood education.

Duda holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Virginia, USA (2001), and is an alumna of the Harvard Business School through the OPM program (2023). Duda served on the board of Fundação Estudar from 2018-2023 and currently sits on the Na Prática committee. She also serves as a board member of Escola Alef Peretz and a member of President Lula's Sustainable Social Economic Development Council.

Originally from Olinda, Pernambuco, Duda is a mother of three kids (Cacá and Janjão, 9-year-old twins, and Tetê, 4 years old). She is passionate about education and is a public speaking teacher. A swimmer since the age of 6, Duda is a triathlete and loves waking up early for running or cycling sessions.

Rafaela is a founding partner of Gera, serves as board chair at Grupo Vitus, and as a board member at Grupo Salta and Edify Education.

From 2013 to 2022, Rafaela held the position of board chair at Grupo Salta Educação, actively shaping major strategies and expansions, playing a key role in establishing Grupo Salta Educação as the largest primary education network in Brazil.

Before founding Gera, Rafaela worked at Banco Pactual (providing legal advisory services to the Investment Banking area) and in the legal department of Inbrands. She was also a partner at G5 Advisors.

She holds a degree in Law from PUC-Rio.

Rafa, originally from Salvador, Bahia, is the mother of Thomaz, 14 years old, and Cecília, 12 years old (not to mention her four "furry children"). She is passionate about scientific research, medicine, gastronomy, and recently got bit by the tennis bug.

Leila has been a partner at Gera since 2012, being a member of the firm's founding team. She currently serves as board chair at Edify Education and as a board member at Grupo Salta Educação.

Before joining Gera, Leila worked at Gávea Investimentos in the macro investments area. She also served as a visiting consultant at Brilliant, a Silicon Valley company backed by Social Capital.

She holds a degree in Economics from PUC-Rio, graduating with the highest GPA, and attended Harvard Business School through the 2017 PLD program. She is also a board member of Positive Ventures.

Leila, a Rio de Janeiro native, is the mother of Tom, aged 2 , and 1-month old baby Lucas. She is passionate about family, travel, and books.

Jorge Paulo Lemann has been a partner at Gera since 2010 and has served on the boards of Grupo Salta Educação and Edify Education.

Before joining Gera, his well-known success story includes founding Banco Garantia in the 1970s and co-founding the 3G Capital investment group with Marcel Telles and Beto Sicupira. He is renowned for his role in transforming companies like AmBev, Burger King, and Heinz into global powerhouses, employing efficient merger and acquisition strategies. His innovative business acumen and emphasis on efficiency have firmly established his role as one of Brazil's leading entrepreneurs.

Additionally, he has consistently invested in education through initiatives such as Fundação Lemann and Fundação Estudar, securing a reputation as one of the leading philanthropists in Brazil.

He holds a degree in Economics from Harvard University.

Originally from Rio de Janeiro with Swiss origins, Jorge Paulo is passionate about tennis and committed to supporting good individuals who dream big.

Bruno Elias joined Gera as a partner in 2023, concurrently serving as President of Grupo Salta since 2013 and as a board member at Grupo Vitus.

Before joining Gera, Bruno worked in the Equities division at Banco Opportunity from 2004 to 2008. In 2008, he assumed the role of General Director at Colégio Pensi, where he had studied during his adolescence and began teaching in 2000.

He holds a degree in Engineering from the Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), graduating first in his class, and a master’s degree in economics and business management from Fundação Getulio Vargas.

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Bruno is the father of Bruninha, aged 9 , Felipe, aged 5, and Betinho, aged 2. He is passionate about motivating others, negotiation, and learning new things.

Giovanna serves as the CFO of the Vitus Group and has been a partner at Gera since 2017, joining the team in 2014 as an intern.

Before joining Gera, Giovanna worked in the music production industry, with her latest role as the tour manager for the Canadian band Santuarium.

Giovanna holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from IME and completed an Executive MBA at Insper in 2020.

A native of Rio de Janeiro, she has a "furry daughter" named Doha. She is passionate about music, travel, and training and developing talent.

Lucas joined the team in 2015 and has been a partner at Gera since 2018, in addition to being the CFO and overseeing investor relations.

Before joining Gera, Lucas worked in international finance at Boeing and in the investment advisory department at Ágora. He has also served as a member of the audit committee at Bluefit Academia.

He holds a degree in Business Administration and a postgraduate degree in LLM: Business Law from Fundação Getúlio Vargas. Additionally, he completed the GMP program at UCLA Anderson School of Management in 2023. 

Lucas, a native of Rio de Janeiro, is a former tennis player and coach. Today, he continues to play tennis and has also become a triathlete.

Victoria has been a partner at Gera since 2020, having initially joined the team in 2018 as an intern.

Before joining Gera, Victoria worked in the commercial operations area at brMalls, safeguarding the financial well-being of the assets.

She holds a degree in Economics from Fundação Getulio Vargas, where she pursued her studies with a performance-based scholarship.

Victoria, originally from Rio de Janeiro, is passionate about music, cinema, and travel.

Thiago joined the team in April 2023.

Before joining Gera, Thiago was part of Grupo Salta Educação, actively involved in the group's major merger and acquisition operations. Previously, he had worked in the Business Development area at Prumo Logística.

He holds a degree in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and holds an MBA in Corporate Finance from Fundação Getulio Vargas.

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago is the father of Bernardo, aged 6 months. He loves spending time with family, traveling, and practicing sports.

Nicholas has been an intern with the Gera investment team since August 2022.

He is currently pursuing a degree in Economics at PUC-Rio, expecting to graduate in the second half of 2025.

Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Nicholas enjoys books, travel, and connecting with new people.