Hi, I'm Rafael.
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Rafael dos Santos is an entrepreneur and multi-award-winning leader in the field of communication and events. Since 2021, he has been undertaking entrepreneurial endeavors. He has previously owned a press agency, and his clients have been featured in the media over 3,000 times. Currently, Rafael holds roles as a cultural events producer, editor-in-chief of High Profile Magazine, Content Advisor for Harvard Business Review Magazine, and presenter at Mais Brazil Radio in London.
He has won eight awards, including The Sunday Times' '100 Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs in the UK'. His award-winning TED talk 'What it takes to be a migrant entrepreneur' has been watched over 157,000 times. Rafael has organized over 500 events in four countries and is the creator of the most prestigious event in the world for Brazilians abroad, the 'Best of Brazil in the World Awards', also known as the "Brazilian Oscars". Rafael is the author of 5 books, speaks 3 languages, teaches at 2 universities, and holds an MBA.
We're all migrants but above all, we're humans.
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Rafael dos Santos é um empreendedor e líder multi-premiado na área de comunicação e eventos. Desde 2021 empreendendo, já foi proprietário de agencia de assessoria de imprensa e seus clientes foram publicados mais de 3 mil vezes an mídia. Hoje o Rafael exerce funções de produtor de eventos culturais, editor-chefe da High Profile Magazine, Conselheiro de Conteúdo da Revista Harvard Business Review e apresentador na Rádio Mais Brazil em Londres
Já ganhou oito prêmios, incluindo o Sunday Times 'Os 100 Empreendedores mais Inspiradores no Reino Unido'. Sua premiada palestra TED 'O que é preciso para ser um empreendedor migrante' foi assistida mais de 157 mil vezes.
Rafael já organizou mais de 500 eventos em quatro países e é o idealizador do evento mais prestigiado do mundo para brasileiros no exterior, 'Premiação Melhor do Brasil no Mundo', também conhecida como "Oscar Brasileiro". Rafael é autor de 5 livros, fala 3 idiomas, leciona em 2 universidades e possui um MBA.
Long bio
Rafael was born in Santa Catarina, a state in the south of Brazil in 1981. The son of a fisherman and a housewife his humble beginnings were the push for his parents to move to Santos (a city in Sao Paulo state) so Rafael and his two sisters could receive a better education.
At the age of 21, Rafael moved to London, after living for two years in Sao Paulo, one of the world’s largest cities. He left his job as a support analyst at Microsoft, to learn English in London. Between 2001-3 Rafael worked as a kitchen porter, cleaner, glass collector and waiter to be able to pay his expenses. In 2003 an opportunity came along and he started managing houses. Between 2005-14 he ran his own business – an agency that managed and let rooms in flatshares. For 12 years Rafael rented accommodation to more than 2000 migrants (young professionals and students) in London. He grew the portfolio under his management from 1 to 75 houses, 15 members of staff and a seven-figure turnover. In 2013 Rafael wrote the book – ‘Moving Abroad, One Step At A Time’ – published in English, Portuguese and Chinese and in Singapore and Malaysia.
In 2015 Rafael decided to support migrant entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. The first pilot project was the Migrant Business Accelerator – a 16-week programme where 10 migrants were selected to attend workshops in marketing, finance and operations and 25 mentors are donating their time to help the participants to launch their businesses. The programme evolved to become a coworking space named mi-HUB. The business closed down because of Brexit.
Rafael is a guest lecturer in two universities in London. At Regent’s University, he teaches he teaches Entrepreneurship and South Bank he teachers Public Relations.
Rafael has won seven business awards and has been the keynote speaker in hundreds of events around the world, including the World Entrepreneurship Forum in China where he spoke to an audience of 1000 people.
Most recently Rafael was listed on the Sunday Times as the ‘Top 100 Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs in the UK’ and won an award for his TED Talk.
Interesting (and fun) facts about Rafael: he speaks three languages, has travelled to 60+ countries, had three plastic surgeries (so far!), had dinner with The Queen and has been married for 10 years to an English gentleman.
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