João Paulo Braga is a Master of Public Administration Candidate at Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania (UPENN). His focus is on economic development, innovation, technological development and entrepreneurship.

Prior to attending UPENN, Mr. Braga worked at the Government of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais as Superintendent for Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship. At this position, he led the Cluster Competitiveness Support Program for Minas Gerais, a successful program of the Inter-American Development Bank to increase the competitiveness of small and medium industries organized around clusters. Born in Belo Horizonte, Mr. Braga holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Fundacao Joao Pinheiro, and a certificate in management of economic development in territory by the Inter-American Development Bank.