RenovaBR alumni Geordane Silva led important advances in the city of Congonhas (MG), between 2022 and 2024, while he was in charge of the city's Superintendence of Economic Development. The leadership headed the “Avança Congonhas” program, which promoted public policies aimed at sustainable economic growth and the generation of opportunities for the local population.
His career began early, at the age of 15, when he was already involved in entrepreneurial activities. Through his studies, he graduated in Tourism and specialized in Business Management from UFSJ and Economic Development and Public Finance from PUCMinas. But, among these achievements, the program developed during his time at the Superintendence of Economic Development of the city of Congonhas (MG) was one of the greatest.
The “Congonhas Advance” program
“Avança Congonhas” has established itself as a program to support local micro and small entrepreneurs by offering microcredit. Its main objective is to strengthen trade, job creation and sustainable economic development in the city. “I have been an entrepreneur for over 16 years and I recognize the difficulties of doing business in Brazil. When we start to pursue our dream, we invest our own money, but there comes a time when we need financial support and this always ends up being a bottleneck. Therefore, access to credit in the financial system is essential”, he says in an interview.
The program, which has been running since 2021, has already made R$1.4T27 million available to more than 840 local businesspeople and entrepreneurs, who have already requested loans of up to R$1.4T50 thousand from the City Hall with interest of just R$0.51T3T per month. Following a logic of facilitating access while being managed carefully and rigorously, the initiative also ensured very low levels of default (0.171T3T) and is projected to return R$1.4T31.8 million to the city's coffers by 2029.
“Job creation is also happening in micro and small businesses. When the city makes this move, providing productive credit, we are able to boost the economy,” Geordane explains in an interview. “The money invested returns, unlike other public investments. It is also important to point out that, for this to happen, it is necessary to develop actions so that this remains financially sustainable for the city government,” he concludes.
As a form of recognition for its work, the Avança Congonhas program won the 1st place in the Productive Inclusion category of the Entrepreneurial City Hall Award from SEBRAE-MG in 2024. For Geordane, the award endorses a policy that is becoming an example and that can be scaled so that other people can see these results as well.
