Rafael Borba, a 2024 Aspire Leaders Program alumnus from Brazil, exemplifies how courageously taking risks amplifies personal and professional growth. He received an Aspire Social Impact Seed Fund (SISF) for his project applying medicine and leadership to an innovative initiative for the elderly. His project, “Strength Dementia Prevention in the Brazilian Healthcare System,” addresses the difficult issue of dementia among the elderly population in Brazil. Through this project and the Aspire Leaders Program, he feels prepared and confident in his abilities to face challenges and drive change as a leader with empathy.
A Career in Medicine and the Impact of the Aspire Leaders Program
As a first-generation college student, Borba has always worked hard in pursuit of his goals. When he was accepted into the Medical School at Faculdade de Medicina de Marília (FAMEMA) in São Paulo, he realized the potential impact he could make within medicine. During visits to care institutions, he noticed gaps in the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions aimed at preventing or stabilizing the progression of dementia.
This observation and seeing the impact dementia has on many lives in Brazil, especially among the elderly population served by Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), Brazil’s Unified Health System, led to the idea for his project.
He learned about the Aspire Leaders Program through a lecture at his university, and he didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity, knowing it could be a life-changing experience. The program was essential to shaping his project, where he learned to present ideas clearly and strategically. With international mentorship and connections made through the Aspire Leaders Program, he strengthened his approach to research and his leadership skills.
After finishing the program, Borba applied for funding for his project as part of Aspire’s Social Impact Seed Funds and secured a financial award to invest in the development of this initiative.
“Winning the SISF award was an incredible recognition of my project’s potential,” he said. “It was thrilling to see my idea validated by an international organization. This achievement was only possible thanks to Aspire, which empowered me to turn an idea into a concrete project with the potential for impact.”
His Social Impact Seed Fund Winning Initiative
The project’s development involved partnerships, such as with the Lar São Vicente de Paula, a nursing home, to conduct detailed clinical and cognitive assessments and create personalized intervention strategies. These interventions included memory games, attention exercises, and group therapy – always adapted to the participants’ needs.
Currently, the initiative is in the phase of applying non-pharmacological therapeutic interventions and collecting data to evaluate results. Activities include exercises to improve memory, attention, cognition, and coordination. They facilitate these activities in groups and individually, depending on the needs of each person. After analyzing the results, the team plans to train the nursing home staff so the initiative can continue in a sustainable way.
“The skills I gained from Aspire helped me overcome challenges, such as initial resistance from healthcare professionals, by showing positive results and building trust within the team,” Borba said.
The award also enabled the expansion of the project, with negotiations underway to introduce the interventions to other institutions in the city of Marília, São Paulo.
The skills I gained from Aspire helped me overcome challenges, such as initial resistance from healthcare professionals, by showing positive results and building trust within the team.
Expanding His Initiative With Lessons from the Aspire Leaders Program
Borba hopes to expand this project to other institutions and eventually to primary care units within SUS. The goal is to analyze the results of current interventions and adjust strategies to increase their effectiveness while seeking new partnerships and resources to ensure the continuation and expansion of its social impact.
He explains that the lessons learned through Aspire showed him that collaborative leadership based on active listening proves essential to his current work. These skills continue to guide him in his decisions, both in the evolution of his project and in his daily practice as a researcher and future physician. The ultimate goal of his project includes integrating interventions into the SUS and contributing to a reduction in the incidence of dementia in Brazil, promoting healthy and dignified aging.
Advice for Young Emerging Leaders
Borba values his Aspire Leaders Program experience and gaining the capital to explore his social impact project, impacting change in his community.
“My main advice is to believe in the power of small actions,” he advised others. “Identify a need in your community and start taking action, even if it’s simple.”
As he has explored his project funded by Aspire’s Social Impact Seed Fund further and continues driven to create change through his work in Brazil, he reflects positively on his Aspire experience and shares advice with other young leaders.
“Be open to learning and collaborating because partnerships strengthen any initiative.,” he encouraged. “Additionally, programs like Aspire can be transformative, offering tools and connections to structure ideas and create impact. After participating in the program, I felt more prepared and confident to face leadership challenges and drive change with strategic vision and empathy.”
