Who is Giovana?

A few people have asked to post my bio, and although bios are boring, I will do my best to make it as entertaining as possible.

My name is Giovana — No, I'm not Italian. Yes, it's an Italian name, but I was born and raised in Brazil.

Growing Up
Growing up I have always wanted to live in the United States. When I look back at it, I would assume it's because of all the American songs I used to listen to — I always thought they sounded way cooler than the Brazilian ones. And let's not forget the movies, where everything looked so not chaotic, so not dirty, so not violent: everything on the screen was the total opposite of where I lived.

Anyhow— growing up I was always good in sports, math, science, and English (or at least I thought so when I hung out with people who did not know a word in English). And my dream was to be an architect. I was very fortunate that my parents have always put me into sports, and that enabled me to come to the United States at 17 years old to pursue my education.

Going to College
At 17, I was offered a scholarship to play volleyball and study in one of the top schools in the south, Florida Institute of Technology. Unfortunately, FIT did not offer architecture. The problem was that right off the bat I had to choose a major, and at 17, if not architecture, then what? I had no idea. So I had this brilliant idea to do whatever my older sister was doing. She was in the Business Administration program.

Two years into the program and I realized I was completely crazy; nowhere near my passion and even further away from any of my dreams. So I thought I would double major in Information Systems. I was always good with computers and numbers, and thought I'd take on the challenge. On my third year — one year double majoring — I realized all of that was nonsense; nothing in both programs excited me. Except when it came down to coding websites and making them look appealing. The visuals really drew me into the endless creative possibilities on how to present information. I then realized I was in the wrong field. I knew I belonged to the creative world. Unfortunately the closest major to creativity offered at FIT was Marketing. So I added it as my third major.

Finally I found something that kind of excited me. There was some creativity in all the marketing plans I had to write; all the strategies I had to think of when growing or expanding a company; and all the creative ways I had to reach a target audience.

After College
After graduating and applying this marketing stuff to real life, I still thought something was missing, and given my passion for creativity and design (hence me wanting to be an architect growing up) I set myself to finally go after something I really loved. That's when I came across the MPS in Design Management at UB. This program merges all the business aspects that I knew but adds the twist of the creative touch from designers that I was eager to learn.

"Design Thinking has changed my perception of everything around me. It makes me want to explore possibilities, to find inspiration, to add value and purpose to everything, and it makes me want to challenge the status quo."

Grad School
After joining this program I have been a completely different person. Seven years after first setting my feet in college, I have found my true passion, and this passion is to apply creativity to business. This creative business eye I have developed through this program constantly makes me look at problems around me and see possibilities and opportunities. And by applying the process I have learned through Design Thinking, I can add true value to anything: whether it's a work environment with low morale; a boring visit to a dull hospital; or an uninteresting task such as waking up early… By applying the creative mindset of designers to any sort of problem, I am able to transform what once was a problem into an exciting solution that adds value to the end user.

Right Now
I have already been applying this mentality/skill set and this passion to my job and now to my own business. Although I haven't legally launched it, I have understood the process to bring a company to life and I am eager to do so in the near future.

My Purpose
My purpose on earth is to solve problems creatively. But more than that, I want to launch companies and create jobs that people love. I want to foster an environment of creativity that is free of judgement. I want to encourage everyone around me to think differently and creatively. I will be the best boss in the world. And I will change the world.

Moral of the Story
In the end, the business degree I thought I hated really came in handy and helped me develop the passion I have today. I don't take anything for granted and don't regret any choice I have made in my life. After many years, I now understand what my mom used to tell me: there is no such thing as a bad experience. You either win, or you learn; there is no losing in this game of life.