Brazil has long been derided as the country of a future that has yet to arrive. At various points throughout history, Brazil has seemingly been on the brink of realizing its vast potential, only to see progress stymied by political instability, corruption, economic mismanagement and poverty to the extreme.

That history is now a distant memory, as Brazil today has unequivocally hit its stride. In less than a decade, Brazil has managed to not only catch up with its future, it now looks set to surpass the futures of so many others in the region and beyond. Much of this can be attributed to the cunningly visionary leadership of President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva (Lula) a former leftist Labor leader who grew the economy, eliminated debt, earned the country its first investment grade, and won competitive international bids for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. With a population of over 200 million, an abundant supply of natural resources, and a progressive energy policy, Brazil has set its sights on being the next China, yet true to form remains ready to party as the host of not just one, but two of the world’s largest sporting events, nearly back to back. continue reading “The Brazil Stimulus: Tapping into the Giant to the South for Inspiration and Growth”