Joana Mendes
- President
- Brazil
- Member since 2022
I am a Brazilian-based Creative Director with a solid digital copywriting background, but I am much more than that.
I've become the first black president of the Brazilian Creative Club and the first LGBTQIA+. The committee is also the first 100% black committee in the history of the Clube, Chapa Preta. During the first semester as a president, I gave health insurance to Club employees, raised salaries, and granted six international scholarships for students, things that had never happened before. We had the most diverse jury in the history of the Club and also broke a record of cases submitted in the last two years. Plus, the Creative Club it's financially healthy and thriving.
Apart from the Club, I've worked as a Creative Director at R/GA and Fbiz, leading teams to excellent results but being aware that a team can only be great if we treat everyone with respect and understand everyone's importance to get to the best place possible. My accounts were Google, YouTube, Ágora, and next in R/GA and Jeep, Samsung, Gallo, and James at Fbiz. I've also made 25 sprints at MESA for clients such as Kellogs, Nike, Nestle, Google, and more. There, where I gained the ability to problem-solving and have quick ideation. Other agencies where I've worked as a Copywriter include Africa, WT, Loducca, and FCB.
In 2019, I was considered one of 30 young talents changing the creative industry by Papel&Caneta and a Youpix Builder by Youpix. In 2021, I was considered one of the ten most relevant communication professionals by Meio e Mensagem and 100 Creative by Ad Week in 2022.
In 2022, I was a juror and speaker at the Cannes Festival - one of the first black Brazilians to speak at the Cannes Festival - and I also spoke for the students of Young Lions Creative Academy, of which I was part in 2012.
I just launched a children's book, Manual de Penteados para Crianças Negras published by Cia das Letrinhas, the foremost publisher in Brazil. I wrote and researched for two years. I wrote the book to teach children and their caregivers how to style curly and coiled hair.
I was born and raised in Porto Velho, a city in the Amazon Forest. I have lived in Rio and now in São Paulo. I have traveled the entire country plus some Latin American countries throughout my childhood, which makes me have a different background from most creatives around. I speak Portuguese, English, and Spanish fluently. I can write and communicate confidently and efficiently in these three idioms. I am also an intermediate-level French speaker.
Besides that, I love to sing, cook, play the guitar, and play basketball. My friends would say that I am a reliable person with a fun and sarcastic personality.
Contact Joana.
