My father grew up in the favellas without parents, his mother (my grandmother) died when he was just a kid and he never knew is father, as is common in the slums. He was able to support himself through pickpocketing and any other way to feed and clothe himself. Sometime in his late teen years, through a gang connection, he was placed in a job at a factory. He worked his ass off at jobs like this for twenty years.

He has never told me how, but one day he left his job and started a small manufacturing business, partnering with the manager from his very first job who he had befriended.As soon as he could afford it, he took my mother and sister and moved to the United States.

I lived in Brazil for almost five years after grad school. My father passed away just last year, and I promised him to go back and look for entrepreneurs like him to fund with micro loans.

My father represents the entrepreneurial spirit that you claim is lacking in Brazil. I know that you are wrong when you say Brazilian culture cannot support a Silicon Valley.