Marilia Bezerra
Co-Executive Director, Synergos;
former Director of Commitments, Clinton Global Initiative
Marilia serves as Managing Partner of CARE Enterprises Inc., a for-benefit subsidiary of CARE focused on the creation of transformative, dignified economic opportunities for people experiencing poverty around the world by investing in proven and scalable for-benefit enterprises. Prior to CEI she founded and lead Aldeia Works, a boutique consulting firm focused on supporting philanthropists, corporations and nonprofits in the creation of meaningful social impact. Before Aldeia, Marilia helped develop partnerships and managed the rapid growth of Purpose.com, a company using new media to deploy the collective power of millions of citizens and consumers to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Previously, she was a member of the executive leadership at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), serving as the Director of Commitments. During her five years working with President Clinton, she took a central role in building the organization from its start-up phase to the successful catalyst for action and global convening body it is today. In New York, Bezerra also served as the business and financial manager for AEA Consulting, a management consulting company with a client base of leading nonprofit cultural organizations throughout Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Bezerra received a master's of science degree (with distinction) in global affairs from New York University in 2007. Bezerra received her law degree from the Federal University of Ceará in 1996. Before graduating she founded the Andanças Art School, an institution dedicated to providing art education and bridging the gap between children from the most privileged areas and children in the slums of her native Fortaleza. During her early career, she also deeply engaged in political activism as a student union leader and manager of political and advocacy campaigns.