Utepsa launches its business CoWork

The Private Technological University of Santa Cruz opened the doors of its UTEPSA CoWork, an open innovation space aimed at facilitating interaction, collaboration and co-creation between the university community and the ecosystem made up of companies, institutions and society. Effect of open innovation, the company RIA Ventures is incorporated as a key ally in Cowork, promoting the development of impactful entrepreneurship and innovation.

The inauguration of the cowork took place this Friday, December 6. The event featured the participation of two prominent international panelists: Dennis Nakamura; Brazilian entrepreneur, investor, mentor and TEDxTALK speaker, who spoke at the opening about how he managed to grow IFood by 3714% in one year. For his part, Paulo Shibata, who was the winner of Masterchef Brazil and is also Director of Operations at Red and Red Company, a gastronomic holding company, shared a presentation on how he managed to create a $20 million company in one year.

Making important decisions can be difficult, but there are times when the heart dictates the right path. Shibata tells how, despite being headed towards a career in medicine, he decided to follow his true passion: cooking. “That was the truest decision of my life,” he says, remembering the moment when he told his parents that he would leave medicine to dedicate himself completely to the gastronomic world. This radical change not only brought a great personal transformation, but also led him to become a successful entrepreneur, founding together with Denis Nakamura a company that today has more than 110 restaurants in Brazil.

For Shibata, success is not only based on effort, but also on finding a purpose that makes sense in life. He reflected on how his passion for cooking motivated him more than any other activity, leading him to channel the best of himself into each dish. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with good friends who share similar ideals and aspirations. “You are the sum of the 10 people you live with the most,” he mentions, encouraging young people to evaluate their close circle and look for relationships that inspire and push them forward.

Finally, Shibata highlights courage as an essential pillar to achieve goals. He explains that the word courage comes from the Latin “cor agire,” which means “act with the heart.” Accepting risks, facing fears and being faithful to one’s own purpose are key to moving forward. Shibata encourages students to visualize the future they want and work every day to build it, always guided by their passion and determination. Her story is a reminder that brave decisions, along with purpose and support, can turn dreams into extraordinary realities.

For his part, Nakamura highlighted the importance of having mentors as one of the fundamental keys to entrepreneurial success. According to Nakamura, mentors not only offer lessons based on their own mistakes and successes, but they also help accelerate learning and avoid costly mistakes. “With mentors, we can learn faster and more economically than from our own mistakes,” he said.

This reflection highlights how good guidance can make a difference in building a solid and sustainable business.

Nakamura also shared the achievements of Nakamura Company, a corporation that leads in various sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, restaurants and vintage. With more than 700 employees and projections of reaching almost $1 billion in sales in 2024, the company is an example of diversification and strategic growth.

Nakamura highlighted how these experiences and tools are transferred to young entrepreneurs through programs that promote innovation and entrepreneurship from the university.