Who We Are

The Instituto Terra Luminous (ITL) is a Nonprofit Civil Society Organization that occupies an expanse of 339 hectares of continuous land within the largest preserved stretch of existing Atlantic Forest, just 70 km from the city of São Paulo (see map).

As a Regenerative Culture Hub, we live in integration with nature while practicing new ways of relating, with ongoing research into socio-environmental technologies centered around community principles.

All of this nourishes and is nurtured by an Experiential Center that reaffirms our belief that true regeneration is born within more conscious human beings.

ITL is structured around three pillars:

SOCIOENVIRONMENTAL
INSTITUTE

ITL advocates for and promotes relevant socioenvironmental agendas, such as the study, conservation, and expansion of Atlantic Forest biodiversity, acting as a coordinator and mobilizer of the community around these issues.

ECOVILLAGE

A community of individuals who share values and learning in connection with nature, being pioneers in Brazil in adopting the sociocratic self-management system and using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to nurture relationships.

ECOLOGICAL RETREAT AND EXPERIENCE CENTER

A nature-immersed hospitality facility for conducting retreats, courses, and therapeutic experiences in a space with mindful nutrition and ecologically conscious treatment of water and waste.

-Our Mission

“To regenerate the relationship between human beings, themselves, others, and nature, while protecting the Atlantic Forest.”

Biodiversidade na Mata Atlântica

Values and Principles

Sustainability
Sustainability
Purpose
Purpose
Trust

Win-win

Self-awareness
Self-awareness

Shared Power

Shared Power

Truth and
Transparency

Truth and
transparency

Generosity and
Cooperation

Generosity and
Cooperation

Historical Milestones:

2010

Acquisition of a 12-hectare property in the Senhorinha neighborhood, in the rural area of Juquitiba.

2013

Opening of the Education and Retreat Center

2015

Foundation of the intentional community (Ecovillage)

2016

Formalization of the nonprofit organization, Instituto Terra Luminous

2018

Purchase of 23 hectares of land. Initiation of the Green Belt Program - Phase 1

2019

Commencement of the Forest Clean Program. Establishment of the Atlantic Forest Research and Environmental Monitoring Center (CPMAMA)

2019

Launch of the intentional community incubator, Terra2.
Green Belt Program - Phase 2
Joining the Greater Atlantic Forest Reserve Network.
Adherence to the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact.

2021

Acquisition of 96 hectares of land in partnership with IUCN, Netherlands.
CPMAMA forms partnerships with ESALQ and EESC (USP) and IPA-SP

2022

European fundraising roadshow

2023

Launch of the EcoLab Program

We are part of the Greater Atlantic Forest Reserve

The largest and most preserved corridor of this biome in the world

Visit grandereservamataatlantica.com.br to learn more.

OUR TEAM

Foto Fabiana Maia

Fabiana Maia 

Fabiana Maia 

Fabiana Maia is the Institutional Coordinator and co-founder of Terra Luminous. She is a Regenerative Culture designer, futurist, and psychologist committed to co-creating new social codes. In 2010, she transitioned from being an organizational and human resources consultant to the role of environmentalist, permaculture researcher, and ecopsychologist. She coordinates the Communication and Resource Mobilization Circle at ITL, as well as the Human Resources Circle. Since 2007, she has been researching Nonviolent Communication (CNV) and has become a reference in Brazil, facilitating workshops in many countries, inspiring with her unique perspective on human and social development. As a researcher of Social Technologies, she is dedicated to the practice of Dragon Dreaming, Sociocracy, Forum, Theory U, Circular Processes, and Deep Ecology. Living in community is essential to her, and she is one of the ambassadors of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) in Brazil

Foto Fabiana Maia
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Rafael Oliveira 

Rafael Oliveira 

Rafael Oliveira is a Regenerative Culture and Permaculture Designer and one of the founders of ITL. He facilitates collaborative and circular processes within organizations, collectives, and communities. He is a trainer in Sociocracy (Dynamic Governance) and a researcher of community living. With a degree in Performing Arts and a master’s in Administration, he worked for the Ministry of Culture in Brasília for eight years, coordinating the implementation of the National Culture Plan and leading public consultations with broad popular participation, such as the Copyright Law and Goals of the National Culture Plan. Since 2015, he has been living and working at ITL, where he coordinates the EcoLab Program. He ensures transparency and accuracy in administrative and financial project management as an account analyst and manages Banco Vagalumens, a social currency created by ITL.

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Foto Tatiana Damatto

Tatiana Damatto

Tatiana Damatto

Tatiana Damatto serves as the Financial Director, manages the Socioenvironmental Programs Circle, and coordinates partnerships for CPMAMA at ITL. She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from UNICAMP and an MBA in Management from Fundação Dom Cabral. With over 15 years of experience, she held executive positions at Unilever, eventually becoming COO of Manufacturing. In 2015, she made a career transition to work with the purpose of changing the world, participating in six missions for Doctors Without Borders in critical areas of Africa, the Middle East, and South America. Tatiana has been working and living at ITL since 2020, playing fundamental roles. She is an expert in managing and engaging teams, leading with her heart and achieving incredible results.

Foto Tatiana Damatto
Foto Glenn Suba 

Glenn Suba 

Glenn Suba 

Glenn Suba is a co-founder and responsible for Advocacy at ITL, where he also manages the Cinturão Verde Itariru Program. Born in South Africa, raised in Australia, and living in Brazil since 1994, he helped found the Surfrider Foundation Brasil to protect our coastal ecosystems. He was involved in the formation of the Instituto E and the design of sustainable production chains for the Osklen brand. As a sustainable event planning consultant, he worked on eight editions of the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, the World Youth Day, the Rio Olympics, and more. Since 2015, he has been residing at ITL, conducting research and projects focused on sustainable management and governance of the natural territories of the Mata Atlântica. Glenn participates in all political and socio-environmental instances of the region, promoting regenerative development through strengthening nature tourism, payments for environmental services, and other economic mechanisms to maintain the forest standing. He is a visionary who drives the future forward!

Foto Glenn Suba 
Foto Mariana Mattar 

Mariana Mattar 

Mariana Mattar 

Mariana Mattar serves as the Coordinator of the Hospitality and Events Circle and a financial consultant for projects at ITL. She holds a degree in Business Administration from FGV-SP and worked for 10 years in the management of commercial areas in technology companies for HR, such as VAGAS.com and LinkedIn. Since 2017, she has been an entrepreneur with MyPantoo, a family business specializing in artisanal slippers. In 2016, she chose to live more connected to her purpose: in nature and in community. She has been to Piracanga in Bahia and Osheanic in Ceará, where she worked as a commercial manager for the hotel and retreat center. In 2022, she moved to ITL. Mariana brings her business expertise, utilizing her skills in planning and financial analysis to enhance process efficiency. But what she values most is being surrounded by people who help her expand her environmental consciousness and her impact on the planet every day.

Foto Mariana Mattar 
Foto Sandro

Sandro Paulino de Faria 

Sandro Paulino de Faria 

Sandro Paulino de Faria is a biologist, ornithologist, master in animal biology (UFMS), and doctor in evolution and systematics (UFPR). With 20 years of experience in environmental monitoring, he has worked on technical, operational, and management aspects of preserved forests. He has been the technical lead for more than 70 studies and, as a researcher, focuses primarily on biogeography and evolution. Sandro has been a member of ITL’s CPMAMA since 2021, responsible for quarterly campaigns of fauna monitoring and for designing reforestation and forest enrichment in the Cinturão Verde Itariru program.

Foto Sandro
Foto Nabor Kisser 

Nabor Kisser 

Nabor Kisser 

Nabor Kisser holds a degree in Biology from USP and is Austrian, with seven years of work experience for Agrarmarkt Austria, the Austrian national agency for agriculture and rural development. He has been involved in monitoring rural areas through remote sensing. Since 2022, he has been at ITL as a resident researcher for CPMAMA. He is responsible for organizing fauna monitoring records and guiding scientists and researchers during campaigns. Nabor is also part of the Infrastructure and Maintenance Circle.

Foto Nabor Kisser 
Foto Ana Alice Martins Espíndola de Oliveira

Ana Alice (Bibi)Martins Espíndola de Oliveira

Ana Alice (Bibi)Martins Espíndola de Oliveira

Martins Espíndola de Oliveira Ana Alice (Bibi) Martins Espíndola de Oliveira holds a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from ESPM and is an entrepreneur. In 2011, she created the first exclusively female soccer school in Brazil, and in 2016, she participated in the creation of the largest sand sports school in the country. Since 2022, she has been living in a community, exploring social tools like sociocracy and CNV (Nonviolent Communication). At Luminous, she values depth in relationships, self-care, connection with nature, and teamwork.

Foto Ana Alice Martins Espíndola de Oliveira
Foto Ana Alcantara

Ana Alcantara

Ana Alcantara

Ana Alcantara is a Communication Designer at ITL. She is a multimedia communicator, facilitator of spiritual dynamics and creative economy. She has been active in the nonprofit sector since 2010 and researches technologies for building the New World through texts, photographs, videos, design, conversation circles, and social media. She worked for six years at Escola Projeto ncora, an international reference in educational innovation. She is a social articulator for the MulherAção Movement and has been part of ITL’s Communication Circle since 2021.

Foto Ana Alcantara
Foto Marcelo de Paiva Rothen

Marcelo de Paiva Rothen

Marcelo de Paiva Rothen

Marcelo de Paiva Rothen is a Communication Designer at ITL. He holds a degree in Journalism from the Federal University of Paraná – UFPR, specializing in Sustainability and Corporate Governance (FAE-PR) and Organizational Communication Management (FAE-PR). He has worked for 15 years in corporate communication at Copel and coordinated communication for mental health projects in partnership with UNICEF Brazil and the UN Global Compact Brazil. At ITL, he finds purpose for action and a way of life that aligns with his vision of things.

Foto Marcelo de Paiva Rothen
Foto Ivan Mangini dos Reis

Ivan Mangini dos Reis

Ivan Mangini dos Reis

Ivan Mangini dos Reis holds a degree in Hotel and Gastronomy from Senac. He has worked as a cook in various restaurants and buffets, including Rojo, Charlô, Viko, Surya Brasil, and the cruise ship Club Med 2. He has also provided consultancy services for restaurants and private residences across Brazil, focusing on human-centered leadership and strengthening self-responsibility in culinary service teams. At ITL, he feels more connected to the purpose of strengthening projects that have a positive impact on the planet.

Foto Ivan Mangini dos Reis
Foto Eugênia Barbosa Varella Costa

Eugênia Barbosa Varella Costa

Eugênia Barbosa Varella Costa

Eugênia Barbosa Varella Costa graduated in Biological Sciences from Unesp Jaboticabal, specializing in Fauna Conservation with experience in the research of Brazilian deer ecology, mammal surveys using camera traps, and ecological interactions. Certified in Permaculture Design (PDC), she worked as a developer, farmer, and permaculturist in the Mandala Verde project, a small Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) during the pandemic. In 2022, she joined ITL to work as a manager of gardens and Agroforestry Systems (SAF). She feels fulfilled to be part of the regenerative culture movement alongside professionals who love and respect the planet and all beings that inhabit it.

Foto Eugênia Barbosa Varella Costa
Foto Thais da Silva Soares

Thais da Silva Soares

Thais da Silva Soares

Thais da Silva Soares is an associate lawyer at ITL and a facilitator of its Legal Circle. She graduated from the Fundação Escola Superior do Ministério Público (FMP). A nomad who travels through communities and ecovillages, she works with permaculture and socio-environmental projects. Thais collaborates as a partner for the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) since 2022. At Luminous, she is dedicated to deepening social tools, community life, and connecting with her internal and external nature.

Foto Thais da Silva Soares
Foto Lucas

Lucas Suba

Lucas Suba

Lucas Suba is responsible for artistic direction and co-facilitating retreats at ITL. He is a Professor of Sound Ritual, sound massage, and sound healing (Soundfulness). Lucas has been a musician since the age of 14, working as a guitarist, singer, composer, and percussionist. He is a researcher of art, ancestry, and indigenous, African, and traditional mythologies from the northern and northeastern regions of Brazil. He also studies divinatory arts. Lucas brings enchantment through his research, reminding us that time is art.

Foto Lucas
Associate Researchers
Foto Alex Geraldes Uzueli

Alex Geraldes Uzueli

Alex Geraldes Uzueli

Alex Geraldes Uzueli graduated in architecture from FAU-USP and has an incomplete course in mechanical engineering from POLI-USP. Since 2013, he has been working with woodworking and design education. In 2015, he co-founded Oficinalab: a creative community, design school, woodworking space, and coworking hub. He has been involved in the creation of various educational projects that combine design and woodworking, such as the “Woodworking for Youth” course at the Tomie Ohtake Institute and the “Young Woodworkers” project by the NGO Raízes do Fazer.

Foto Alex Geraldes Uzueli
Foto Luciana Schwandner Ferreira 

Luciana Schwandner Ferreira 

Luciana Schwandner Ferreira 

Luciana Schwandner Ferreira is an architect with a Ph.D. from FAU-USP and a post-doctorate from the BIOTA Synthesis FAPESP/USP Project. She researches the role of vegetation in microclimate regulation. She coordinated the planning and implementation of parks and green areas in the city of São Paulo through the Municipal Department of the Environment. A member of the International Urban Climate Association since 2019, Luciana at ITL has been involved in fostering partnerships between CPMAMA and universities, as well as public research centers. She also contributes to the planning and mapping of the Cinturão Verde Itariru (Green Belt Itariru) Program.

Foto Luciana Schwandner Ferreira 
Foto Marcos Xavier

Marcos Xavier

Marcos Xavier

Marcos Xavier holds a Ph.D. in Territorial Analysis and a master’s degree in human geography. He is an associate professor at the Institute of Cities at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). Since his time at the Territorial Planning and Environmental Laboratory of the Department of Geography at USP in the 1990s, he has worked on topics related to the critical analysis of the unequal and predatory use of Brazilian territory. Currently, his research focuses on territory use, connecting the body, place, politics, citizenship, and nature. At ITL, he finds a sense of belonging, responsibility, and trust in a better future.

Foto Marcos Xavier
Foto Dariana González Aguilar 

Dariana González Aguilar 

Dariana González Aguilar 

Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, Dariana is a student of Evolutionary Biology and Portuguese at Harvard University. Her passion for herpetology and conservation inspired her to contribute to research efforts focused on preserving vulnerable amphibian populations. Dariana is also a co-founder of COATL, a group of university students dedicated to decolonization, indigenous knowledge and languages, ancestral healing, and solidarity in Abya Yala. At ITL, she is part of the research team at CPMAMA, assisting in the collection and analysis of data from camera traps and the development of conservation projects.

Foto Dariana González Aguilar 
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