39-year-old executive overcomes burnout, turns partner's frustration into business, creates bank for black people

After a sabbatical year, to recover from physical exhaustion, Fernanda Ribeiro39, found in her skin, her complexion and the experiences of those close to her are a reason to undertake. It started with AfroBusiness, a network of black liberal entrepreneurs founded in 2017, and today, its work has expanded to the financial market, which has traditionally been occupied by white people.

She is the CEO Black accountA business he describes as “a hub for financial products and services”. Founded in 2018, the company is a financial institution that treats black and marginalized audiences without discrimination.

“One of our partners, who has always been an entrepreneur, was denied a loan when he needed a loan. Then you can imagine that he was negative or had some problems, but no”, says Fernanda, recalling a story that happened 15 years ago and served as a seed for the creation of Kanda Black.

Years later, already working in AfroBusiness, similar stories emerged. “When we started interacting with other black entrepreneurs, we found that they were going through the same situation. They were denied credit, they could not open accounts, and since then we had the intention of opening a black account along with other partners,” he says.

Today, the financial center has more than 60,000 clients nationwide, 70% of whom are women and 80% are black. According to her, the company's customer base “reflects Brazil”.

What makes a black account different?

Like other financial institutions, to register with Kanda Block you have to follow certain conditions like providing documents. Also, a credit application is not made one day and approved the next, there are factors that need to be analyzed like any other bank. The difference, however, is the company's “intentionality,” Fernanda says.

“We want to go in and understand our customer's specifics so we can offer products that meet their needs,” he says.

He says the company has set up some lines of credit aimed at its core audience: peripheral entrepreneurs. Also, for now, loan programs targeted at individuals are still expanding.

In the company's DNA, leadership positions are predominantly occupied by black people. Fernanda says that non-black people work at Conta Black, but they are the protagonists.

“I've always advocated for corporate diversity, and when I set up my company, not bringing these values ​​here would be a complete disconnect,” he feels.

The company takes the commitments it makes and its social work seriously. For example, last semester, the financial institution offered a curriculum for black investment advisors 100% free. The move was carried out in collaboration with Banco Genial and TopInvest.

Goals for the future

Fernanda had already worked as an executive in the internal communications department of a company for several years. It was then that exhaustion set in and she ended up in the hospital, diagnosed with burns. “I worked an average of 14, 18 hours a day,” he recalls.

At the time, Fernanda considered her career stagnant. Even if he gives everything he has, there is nowhere else to grow. “Being a black woman, I always gave birth three, six times more, which led to my burning out.”

1 year passed from the day she had a crisis and was hospitalized until she resigned from her job. During this period, the executive attempted to develop a financial plan so that he could spend a year without work as part of a career transition. She sought courses, sought to better understand her work and devoted herself to “understanding who she was in the world.”

Then, at the end of that sabbatical year, Afro Business appeared, and the following year, Kanta Black. Now, on a personal level, Fernanda is already planning another change for the next few years. Do you want to go back to school, get a master's degree, or invest in research? This will be an opportunity to take your professional experience into the academic world.

“I think I want to do new things. “I think I have a strong instinct to change, to try to make subtle changes within my surroundings,” he says.