Thais Corral

Co-founder, Women’s Environment and Development Organization and founder of Sinal do Vale As part of the Women’s Global Movement

Thais Corral was one of the leaders who actively participated in the Earth Summit in 1992. Together with American Congress representative, Bella Abzug, and Nobel Award winner, Wangari Mathaai, she founded WEDO (Women’s Environment and Development Organization). Ms Corral is the founder and current director of two established and nationally recognized non-profit organizations in Brasil, REDEH (Network of Human Development) and CEMINA (Communication, Education, Information and Adaptation). Her current most important initiative is SINAL do Vale, a 400 acres agro-forestry farm, near Rio de Janeiro. SINAL is a platform which encompasses several initiatives geared to educate young entrepreneurs to embrace resilience at the local level. SINAL Retreat is also a space where leaders from around the world come to cultivate their wellbeing and refine their strategies. As a social entrepreneur, Ms Corral conceived and implemented a women’s radio network which links 400 female radio programs to their communities throughout Brazil during two decades. She coordinates the project Adapta Sertao which mission is to improve food security and resilience to climate change in the semi-arid region of Brazil. In a decade the Adapta Sertao model was adopted in a whole region influencing technical assistance, the way cooperatives work, credit and the production system. In 2015 the project received the MDGs award given by the President of Brazil, by its contribution to the improvement of poverty. Ms Corral was recognized as “Woman of the year 2001” by the Brazilian National Council of Women. In 2004 she received as part of WEDO the Award Earth Campion by UNEP. She holds master degree from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and a post degree by the United Nations University and University of Chicago. She serves on the advisory board of Ethical Market Place. Is the focal point of Mercado Etico in Brasil. Also is part of the Advisory Council of Akatu Institute for Conscious Consumption. She was also the former president of the LEAD Brasil until 2015.

She is a Councillor of the World Future Council.