Instituto Das Pretas · since 2015
An Afrocentric laboratory for innovation and social technology, turning knowledge, ancestral wisdom, data and place-based intelligence into solutions for fairer, more prosperous and plural futures.
Who we are
Founded in 2015 in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Das Pretas is an Afrocentric, intersectional laboratory for innovation and social technology, led by Black women.
We were founded to confront inequalities that limit the lives, well-being, prosperity and futures of Black people and underserved urban communities. We do this by recognising what these communities have always produced: knowledge, creativity, technologies, strategies for living and solutions to collective challenges.
We bring together Black specialists, researchers, educators, organisers, creators and leaders across fields to develop responses that are technically sound, grounded in communities and capable of driving systemic change.
What we do
From listening to communities to measuring results, we connect fields of knowledge to build comprehensive solutions.
Evidence and community knowledge guiding new social technologies.
We produce applied research, assessments and social technologies informed by evidence, community knowledge and Afrocentric perspectives.
We develop research, development and innovation processes, prototype solutions, build place-based intelligence and share social and ancestral technologies.
From design to evaluation, solutions connecting purpose with measurable impact.
We design, structure, implement and evaluate social and environmental projects for businesses, governments, civil society organisations, institutes and foundations.
We create our own solutions and respond to challenges brought by partners, connecting purpose, strategy, delivery and measurable impact.
Learning journeys for people, leaders and organisations.
We create learning journeys, educational experiences and development methodologies for Black people, leaders, entrepreneurs, public managers, corporate teams and community practitioners.
We work on racial equity, leadership, the future of work, new technologies, entrepreneurship, sustainability, culture, human rights and climate justice.
Social and environmental strategies committed to people and places.
We support organisations in building ESG strategies committed to people and the places they call home.
We carry out social and environmental assessments, design inclusive governance, develop indicators and diversity metrics, and implement just transition strategies and regenerative practices.
Black culture as knowledge, memory, economy and future.
We create projects, training and large-scale cultural experiences that recognise Black culture as knowledge, economy, memory, technology and a source of possible futures.
We strengthen cultural practitioners, creative enterprises and Black-led infrastructure that can nurture belonging, economic exchange and local development.
Community solutions connected to networks, markets and investment.
We incubate social technologies, accelerate Black-owned businesses and businesses from underserved urban communities, and connect local solutions to networks, markets and investment.
We promote open innovation between communities, businesses, universities, governments and impact investors.
Data turned into evidence for better decisions and investments.
We build theories of change, indicators, monitoring systems and evaluation methodologies.
We turn data and community experiences into evidence that supports decisions, improves investment and demonstrates the changes each initiative brings.
Networks and advocacy to amplify voices and address structural inequalities.
We advocate for public policies, defend human rights and strengthen the political and communication autonomy of Black and underserved urban communities.
We bring together local, national and international networks to amplify voices, influence decisions and address structural inequalities.
Why we do it
Race, gender, class and geography still determine who can access rights, opportunities, technologies, investment, quality of life and decision-making power.
But communities made vulnerable throughout history are not places defined by absence. They are places of intelligence, creativity, social and biological diversity, memory and innovation.
Making the future accessible means confronting inequality today.
How we work
Our work begins with listening. We combine ancestral and contemporary technologies, scientific knowledge, data, creativity, strategic design and network-building.
We start with the experiences, needs, capabilities and visions of the future held by people and communities.
We bring together science, culture, technology, ancestral knowledge and lived experience.
We build alongside those living with the challenges and those who can help address them.
We turn ideas into testable experiences, pilot projects and adaptable methodologies.
We organise people, resources, responsibilities and processes to bring about tangible change.
We track results and learning to improve decisions, investments and transformations.
Each project leaves knowledge, networks, tools and the conditions to open new paths.
We do not bring ready-made solutions to communities. We create the conditions to build relevant solutions together.
Where we work from
We were born in Vitória, Espírito Santo, outside the centres where resources, opportunities, narratives and decision-making power have historically been concentrated. Our origins do not limit our work. They shape our perspective.
From this deeply rooted, Black, peripheral, coastal and diverse Brazil, we produce knowledge, develop technologies and build solutions with national reach and global connections.
Current initiatives
Programmes connecting learning, communities, innovation and networks through tangible experiences.
A learning journey to expand knowledge, strategy, networks and opportunities for Black professionals.
An anti-racist education journey to transform teaching practice.
A laboratory for sustainable innovation connecting underserved urban communities, sustainability and social and environmental justice.
Impact starts within
SROI (Social Return on Investment) shows the value generated by an investment. In Co-creating Futures with Instituto Das Pretas, each R$ 1 invested generates, on average, R$ 3,52 in social, environmental and economic value.
Who we work with
Invested in by
Open knowledge
Artigo original · Destarte, v. 14, n. 1
Hipótese da reciprocidade · Instituto Das Pretas
Série Tecnologias Sociais e Inovação para a Sustentabilidade · 01
