As a cultural anthropologist working in Brazil, my research interests revolve around social inequalities, structural violence, and Brazilian identity. I received the Taylor Center Changemaker Catalyst Award to work with Vale Encantado, a thriving example of favela community sustainability and social entrepreneurship/innovation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a PhD student in Latin American Studies, this project is part of my broader dissertation research about favela commodification, citizenship, and agency in Rio.