Umane is an exempt, non-profit civil society organization dedicated to driving systemic improvements in Brazil’s public health system, with a focus on advancing equity, efficiency and quality for all who live in Brazil.
Our History
Alessandra Santos
Alessandra holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Universidade Paulista (UNIP), with a postgraduate degree in Controller and Finance and a specialization in Sustainability, Social Responsibility, and Third Sector Management. She began her career in the Accounting department at Sociedade Hospital Samaritano, where she worked for seven years. Later, she joined the Social Responsibility team at Associação Samaritano—now Umane—moving on to the Administrative-Financial team. At Umane, she coordinates administrative-financial routines and controls and supports internal operations.
Aline de Oliveira Chaves
Aline holds a degree in Public Policy Management from the University of São Paulo (USP) and a postgraduate degree in Project Management. She has experience in social project management, strategic planning, and private social investment, having worked in third-sector organizations such as Instituto Votorantim, Artemisia, and Liga Solidária. At Umane, she is part of the Project Management Office, monitoring the execution of part of the portfolio, liaising with partners, and supporting the delivery of results.
Beatriz Leite
Beatriz is a journalist who graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) and holds a postgraduate degree in Political Science from the School of Sociology and Politics of São Paulo Foundation (FESPSP). She specialized in health communication and works on developing institutional communication strategies. She was selected for health journalism training programs, including Estadão's first health trainee cohort and the 2025 Health Journey by Galápagos Newsmaking. She brings together experience in the public sector and major media outlets. At Umane, she supports institutional and project communications, contributing to the positioning and dissemination of initiatives with an impact on public health.
Carolina Miotto
Carolina focuses her career on management for organizational development. She worked in the private sector in banking and strategic consulting before transitioning to the social impact sector. She served as executive manager of Planning and Management at Instituto Ayrton Senna, worked in People and Management at the Innovation Center for Brazilian Education (CIEB), and managed executive education programs in Public Policy at the Institute for Education and Research (Insper). She holds a postgraduate degree in Administration from Insper and a degree in Food Engineering from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). At Umane, she leads institutional development, focusing on governance, processes, and organizational sustainability.
Caroline Ortiz
Caroline holds a master's degree in Social Psychology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a degree in Psychology from Universidade São Judas Tadeu. Her career is dedicated to health, education, and public policy, with seven years of experience in project management focused on social impact. She has worked in third-sector organizations, consultancies, and educational institutions. At Umane, she tracks and monitors projects, integrating data analysis, management, and institutional relations to strengthen public health and promote equity.
Eduardo Silveira
Eduardo holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in Economics, with a career marked by the use of data to inform strategic decision-making. Over six years of experience in the public and third sectors, he has developed expertise in data monitoring, analysis, and visualization, from data collection to generating insights for project management. His experience includes performance monitoring of municipal state-owned enterprises and coordinating projects with various governments, focusing on simplifying complex topics and building evidence-based consensus. At Umane, he strengthens data processes and routines to support portfolio management and expand impact on public health.
Erika Lopes
Erika is a specialist in the monitoring, research, and evaluation of social projects and public policies, with a focus on health, education, volunteering, and youth. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of São Paulo (USP), a master's degree in Economic Development from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), and a degree in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), as well as a background in Fine Arts from the Panamerican School of Art and Design. She has worked in a Health Economics research group, social diagnosis consultancies, and third-sector organizations. At Umane, she coordinates the evaluation agenda and produces evidence to support decisions and improve results.
Evelyn Santos
velyn is a nutritionist and works on the strategy, implementation, and evaluation of social impact and innovation projects in public health, with experience in the public, private, and third sectors. She holds a master's degree in Food, Nutrition, and Health from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and completed a residency in Public Health at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She is a specialist certified by the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (ENSP/Fiocruz) and in Executive Leadership in Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. At Umane, she leads social investment and impact in primary care, chronic diseases, women's, children's, and adolescents' health, health promotion, and digital health.
Fabiana Mussato
Fabiana is a psychologist who graduated from Centro Universitário Paulistano and a specialist in social project management from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP). At Instituto Unibanco, she coordinated the development and execution of corporate volunteering programs and supported the implementation of projects for the Jovem de Futuro program in partnership with Departments of Education and public school networks in Pará and Piauí. At Umane, she has been working since 2019 as a Project Coordinator in the Project Management Office, monitoring portfolio initiatives and supporting partners in delivering results and strengthening project management.
Gabriela Mandu
Gabriela holds a degree in Public Policy Management from the University of São Paulo (USP) and a postgraduate degree in Business Management with a specialization in Data Analytics from the Institute for Education and Research (Insper). She dedicates her career to social impact projects, with experience in institutional relations, data intelligence, and productive inclusion. She has worked at organizations such as Insper, Generation Brasil, and the Brazilian Lymphoma and Leukemia Association (ABRALE). At Umane, she supports data-driven social investment analyses and decisions, focusing on expanding equal opportunities.
Heitor Oliveira
Heitor is a social scientist who graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP), with a career focused on applied research, monitoring, and evaluation of social projects. He worked at the Integrated Center for Studies and Programs for Sustainable Development (CIEDS) and Oppen Social, focusing on context diagnosis, strategy design, and results-oriented project management. Throughout his career, he developed quantitative and qualitative analyses, supported the creation of indicators, and facilitated the systematization of learning for teams and partners. At Umane, he supports the production and use of evidence to enhance portfolio monitoring and evaluation, strengthening decision-making and adjustments throughout execution.
Isabel Albuquerque
Isabel is a communicator with ten years of experience in civil society organizations, focusing on strategic communication planning, mobilization and advocacy campaigns, as well as project and people management. She has worked at organizations such as Nossas, Mapa do Acolhimento, and the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense (Idec), in addition to providing consulting services for WRI Brasil, IDH, Imaflora, and Purpose. She holds a degree in Social Communication from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and a master's degree in History, Culture, and Communication from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree "Global Markets, Local Creativities." At Umane, she coordinates institutional and project communications.
Ludmila Poletti
Ludmila holds a bachelor's degree in Trilingual Executive Secretarial Studies and MBAs in Strategic Business Management and Human Resources Management. She built her career in higher education, serving as executive assistant to the Rectorate at Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas (FMU) for six years. Later, she worked for four years as an Academic Quality Analyst, coordinating projects and social actions aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At Umane, she supports executive routines, schedule management, and process organization, contributing to institutional coordination.
Renato Nalini
Renato holds a degree in International Relations with an emphasis on Marketing and Business from Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM) and a Master's in Innovation Management (ESPM/ITA). He is currently a Master's student in Business Administration (ESPM). With over nine years of experience in People and Management, he has worked with organizational culture, recruitment and selection, employer branding, and agile methodologies across multinationals, consultancies, and startups, as well as spending time at the Department of Health of the State of Haryana (India) and Fundação Estudar. At Umane, he contributes to strengthening organizational culture and people management processes.
Samantha Cressey
Samantha's career lies at the intersection of global health, international development, and institutional strengthening. She worked at The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, monitoring grants aimed at strengthening health systems in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She also led a non-governmental organization in Uganda and provided consultancy services for UNDP, USAID, and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). She holds a master's degree in International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). At Umane, she coordinates social investment and impact initiatives.
Thais Junqueira
Thais has experience in management, new business development, and strengthening the public and social sectors. She was the executive director of Fundação Estudar and worked in the Public and Social Sector practice at Egon Zehnder. At Knewton, she was responsible for business development in Latin America, and at Fundação BRAVA, she coordinated education and public management projects. She holds a master's degree in Education from Stanford University and a degree in Public Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). She serves on the Advisory Board of institutions such as Instituto Devive and Instituto Ame Sua Mente. At Umane, she leads the institutional strategy, partnership development, and the team, driving projects aligned with the organization's mission.
Got questions? Here you’ll find quick answers to better understand how we work and support projects.
Does Umane have any relationship with, or receive funds from, Hospital Samaritano?
No. Umane’s operations and governance are entirely independent.
Since the full sale of Hospital Samaritano’s assets in 2016, Umane has had no relationship or direct partnership with the hospital, nor does it receive funds from third parties or any other institution.
How is Umane funded?
Umane and its philanthropic activities are funded exclusively by the annual returns generated by its endowment fund, which was established using the full proceeds from the sale of Hospital Samaritano’s assets.
The fund’s returns ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability, preserve its patrimony, and support its social mission. Umane does not receive external funding.
What are Umane’s social objectives?
Umane is an independent, nonprofit civil association certified by the Ministry of Health. Its social objectives focus on philanthropic initiatives that strengthen the public health system, improve the quality of life of people living in Brazil, and align with its three programmatic areas:
Comprehensive Care for Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases (NCDs) Program:
Initiatives addressing modifiable risk factors (such as smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and inadequate nutrition), screening, increased access to care and diagnosis, and the management and monitoring of NCDs within Primary Health Care.
Primary Health Care Strengthening (PHC) Program:
Initiatives aimed at operational improvements, work processes, team productivity, service integration, institutional capacity-building in public health, and the adoption of data, new solutions, and emerging technologies — with Primary Health Care as the coordinating axis of the health system.
Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health Program:
Initiatives that monitor pregnancy to assess risks and prevent adverse outcomes, and that support the prevention, management, and monitoring of children’s and adolescents’ health conditions related to NCDs and their modifiable risk factors.
Does Umane request anything in return from supported projects?
No. Umane does not require any form of compensation from supported institutions, except for the agreed-upon deliverables necessary for the execution of the project’s work plan and achievement of expected results.
Support is granted exclusively to projects that meet Umane’s criteria and indicators and that align with its programmatic focus on improving public health.
Does Umane establish partnerships with public administration?
Yes. Umane forms partnerships with public administration through instruments such as Technical Cooperation Agreements without financial transfers.
These partnerships exist solely to pursue the social objectives stated in its Bylaws. Umane does not receive or transfer public funds — 100% of its resources come from its private endowment fund.
How is Umane’s governance structured?
Umane’s governance consists of:
A body of Associates: The institution’s sovereign body, which meets annually in a General Assembly.
A Board of Directors: The organization’s senior deliberative body, composed of members recognized in their respective fields.
An Executive Board: Responsible for day-to-day management and legal representation of the organization.
Technical committees supporting the Board of Directors:
Finance and Investment Committee
Philanthropy Committee
Compliance, Governance, Audit, and Ethics Committee
Nominating Committee
Does Umane compensate associates, board members, directors, or committee members?
No. Umane does not provide remuneration, profit distribution, bonuses, or benefits of any kind — directly or indirectly — to associates, board members, directors, or committee members for the roles and responsibilities established in its Bylaws.
Is Umane affiliated with any political party or ideological orientation?
No. Umane is a nonpartisan institution and does not favor any political orientation.
The principles of independence and nonpartisanship guide its actions, and the organization is prohibited from engaging in political-party or electoral campaigns.