Loren Almeida is a Project Manager at the Center for Integrated Studies and Programs of Sustainable Development CIEDS. As a professional with more than ten years of experience in non-profit organizations and intercultural communication, Almeida currently coordinates a support program for small entrepreneurs. Developed in two states of Brazil, this social project places Almeida in close contact with a wide range of groups including public sector entities, companies, universities, and community organizations. The beneficiaries of this project include men and women who want to open or run a business in the cities and, in the long run, generate jobs and increase the income of their families and develop the local economy. Bearing in mind the role of NGOs as multi-stakeholder partners, Almeida aims to assess the best practices in governance and accountability for strengthening the non-profit sector in Brazil during her Community Solutions Program Fellowship.

Upon returning to Brazil, she hopes to implement her follow-on project which will diagnose the obstacles to sustainable growth for NGOs. She will then design platforms to overcome these obstacles through community and government engagement in order to build trust between stakeholders and institutions.