Human work that transforms Brazil

When President Lula entrusted me with the mission of presiding over Sebrae, he was direct and precise. He told me: “Décio, you will be in charge of the most important project. It's not a concrete project. It's a human project, transforming people's lives.” This definition accurately reflects the mission of entrepreneurship in the country today.

President Lula is fully aware of the strategic role of entrepreneurship in national development. He was the one who created a framework of regulations and protective mechanisms that built pillars for the establishment of these businesses on solid foundations. It was President Lula who created the Simples Nacional (Simplified National Tax System), sanctioned the General Law for Micro and Small Businesses, and established the legal figure of the Individual Microentrepreneur (MEI).

Data and diagnoses from international research confirm: Brazil is today the country on the planet with the strongest entrepreneurial culture. It is through entrepreneurship that income is generated, the economy is diversified, opportunities are distributed, and millions of people are permanently lifted out of unemployment, informality, and social vulnerability—many of them from the Unified Registry.

When I took over Sebrae, the institution was among the 20 most credible brands in the country. Today, it occupies the seventh position among the most trusted brands in Brazil. This leap is not rhetoric: it is the concrete result of work, presence, and dedication.

If Sebrae were listed on a hypothetical stock exchange of institutions, we would have gone, in those three years, from an estimated value of R$ 7,6 billion to R$ 33,9 billion. This data reveals the extraordinary dimension of Sebrae as an institution that generates economic, social, and symbolic value.

Sebrae is, above all, a gateway to dreams. People arrive with the desire to become entrepreneurs and leave with the concrete possibility of realizing that dream. That's why it's so credible. Sebrae enables projects, supports career paths, and transforms people's real lives.

During these three years, I dedicated myself fully to this mission. I was present in all 27 Brazilian states, something unprecedented in the institution's history. We expanded international partnerships, such as our joint work with ApexBrasil.

The numbers demonstrate this transformation. When I arrived, Sebrae served around 20 million Brazilians per year. Today, we have a physical presence in more than 3 municipalities, with a regionalized operation that reaches the entire national territory. We ended last year with 65 million services provided.

In the macroeconomic field, the results are also clear. In 2022, Brazil inherited a country with almost 15% unemployment. Last year, we reached an annual rate of 5,6%, a level recognized as full employment. Small businesses were responsible for almost 80% of the net job creation in the country since 2023.

Even more impressive: in the last year alone, 5,1 million companies emerged, of which 4,9 million are new micro and small businesses. This number is more than double the number of formal jobs created. This reveals the real Brazil — the Brazilian men and women who wake up early, build their income with what they have learned in life, in their neighborhood, in the daily practice of commerce, service, and production.

Entrepreneurs are those who never give up, who wake up in the morning and know how to pursue their own livelihood. They are people who believe in what they do and seek their purpose in life. This is the kind of entrepreneurship we believe in: one that transforms, includes, and creates opportunities.