Entrepreneur, traveler, author & speaker and professor at ISCTE-IUL, André Leonardo, was elected in 2016 as one of the “seven young people who are transforming the World” by PANGEA (Madrid, Spain).
Born in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, he was always very restless and has shown very early on its attitude and capacity for initiative, having created his first business at 6 years old selling flowers door-to-door.
At the age of 24, he sold what he had, collected sponsorships and left alone for an expedition around the world that would pass through 23 countries.
His goal was simple: to know and to let people know entrepreneurs who make it happen both in business and in life, who seek to win different adversities, facing the present and the future with optimism and with the ability to believe in their dreams.
Career hightlights:
The feedback that I got from my 200 employees was just phenomenal. They say it was the best talk ever!
When I think of Andre, I think of passion, commitment, and doing. Andre will bring a lot of energy and value to any engagement.
His delivery showcased the learner in him along with the grit, passion and perseverance he has endured to travel around the world and understand how does different countries and its entrepreneurs succeed or meet the challenges.
André takes it to a mesmerizing round-the-world experience! It´s so inspiring! André can “make happen” what many people just talk about. The world needs more ‘Andrés Leonardos’!
André’s presentation is credible, impressive and particularly funny. The attendees have all received his best seller, ‘make it happen’. A book that reads very pleasantly and quickly. The survey we always carry out after our events showed a particularly high appreciation for the reading of Andre.
At the tender age of 24, André Leonardo – the Azorean from Terceira Island – set off on a year-long journey around the world that would take him to 23 different countries. His aim was simple: to seek energy as well as a spirit beyond the ‘ crisis ‘ and ‘ debt ‘, to establish contact with positive people, Both in business and in life, learning from people who overcome all sorts of adversities and that more than creating companies or promoting projects, Made it happen by staring at the present and the future with optimism and the ability to dream. It was urgent to collect these cases scattered all over the world by radically different societies, cultures and political-economic contexts – And yet all connected by the same will to make it happen.
André is the host and author of “Faz Acontecer” (Make it happen) TV Series.
“Faz Acontecer” is a Portuguese travel and entrepreneurship show that airs on the portuguese channel CanalQ. In it, André Leonardo visits cities where he meets and reports stories of inspiring local entrepreneurs and at the same time gets to know the local culture, people, habits and cuisine.
André Leonardo travelled alone to the 4 corners of the world taking only a backpack and a camera. He gathered inspiring entrepreneurship stories throughout his 126-thousand-kilometer journey and which he presents us in his book. Here the word entrepreneurship takes on a new meaning and definitely reveals itself as a lifestyle. An attitude towards life regardless of the environment and time we live in.
During 1 year André visited 23 countries – Portugal, Czech Republic, Israel, Palestine, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, India, Nepal, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, USA, Canada and England.
The story behind the entrepreneur. What is his story? What’s his favorite quote? How many hours did he need to make his dream come true? Where, how and why? In this book, you will find the most inspirational entrepreneurship stories that André gathered all over the world.
In this book you can find the most valuable lessons André’ve learnt filled with travelling and inspiration. One of this amazing experiences, “Put things into perspective” (Kibera story) was nominated “One of the best 80 stories from around the world” by the Navigator Company.
André sold everything he owned and looked for sponsors (only 7 said ‘yes’ out of 97). With a very short budget and with no money for accomodation or food he decided to go anyway. During this mission he lost almost 10kg, slept on the streets and was robbed. But he made it happen.
