Pedro De Abreu

Last updated

Pedro De Abreu
Pedro De Abreu in Dubai.jpg
De Abreu at a book signing in Dubai
Born (1989-07-14) 14 July 1989 (age 34)
Brasília, DF, Brazil
OccupationEntrepreuner • educator • author
Nationality Brazilian
American
Alma mater Harvard University
University of South Carolina
Notable awards
  • Harvard University Leadership in Education Award
  • Coca-Cola New Century Scholar
  • All-SC Academic Team
  • Darla Moore Emerging Leader
  • Fulbright Fellowship Finalist
  • Walker Institute Scholar
  • Magellan Scholar
Website
pedrodeabreu.com

Pedro de Abreu (born July 14, 1989) is a Brazilian American entrepreneur, educator, and author. He was the co-founder of a multi-media company in Hollywood, California, and the founder and director of the nonprofit organization Check Mate Foundation. [1] [2] De Abreu directs the Brain and Cognitive Science thematic at the AI Initiative. [3]

Contents

De Abreu was published in a book by Marshall Cavendish, a subsidiary company to the Times Publishing Group, among 25 young entrepreneurs from around the world. [4]

Early life and education

De Abreu was born in Brasília, Distrito Federal, and grew up on the coastal city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, where he experienced poverty and struggled to get by as a teenager. [5] He moved to America in 2005 without knowing how to speak English. He became fluent in one year and was placed into Advanced Placement classes, including English, European history and psychology. [6] He graduated from Chapin High School and Midlands Technical College before attending the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, focusing his work on economics. De Abreu subsequently attended Harvard University, where he attained a master's degree in an emerging scientific field that brings together cognitive neuroscience, developmental cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, education theory and other related disciplines to explore the interactions between biological processes and practice. [7] [8] At Harvard, De Abreu received the Leadership in Education Award, a merit-based fellowship given to top master's degree candidates with strong leadership potential. [9] [10] [11] De Abreu is South Carolina's New Century Scholar, an award given by Phi Theta Kappa, USA Today and the Coca-Cola Foundation to the state's top student. [12] [13] [14] De Abreu is a Walker Institute and Magellan Scholar, City of Columbia Fellow, and the recipient of the C. Russell Hill Memorial Scholarship for Economics. [15] The latter for his research titled "The Development of Empathy, Leadership and Pro-Social Dispositions in Middle-School and High School Age Children: A Case Study of Peer Education and the Anne Frank Story in Brazil." [16] [17]

Government

In April 2014, De Abreu was appointed to serve on the board of directors of the Central Midlands Council of Governments(CMCOG), one of the most influential councils in South Carolina, assisting local governments develop local and regional plans within four midlands counties (Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland), as well as providing local governments with planning and technical support to improve the quality of life within the regions. CMCOG currently consists of 14 member governments in its board of directors, and serves in excess of 725,000 people. [18]

Nonprofit

In South Carolina, De Abreu started the non-profit Check Mate Foundation, [1] which focuses on teaching chess and leadership to children with disabilities and also to underprivileged children. In an interview in 2011, he said: "Chess is just really a medium through which we try to implement leadership and character... Chess will never be on the SAT. But the patience, analytical skills, the thinking skills, the ability to do those things will be skills that will be forever in demand." [19] In another interview, he stated: "Studies have shown that chess develops logical thinking, improves concentration and promotes imagination, creativity and independence." [15] [20] As a speaker, De Abreu was represented internationally by Sabirul Islam's Teen Speakers International Bureau. [21]

De Abreu at TEDx De Abreu at TEDxColumbiaSC.jpg
De Abreu at TEDx

De Abreu has spoken in countries like Dubai, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Brazil, and at TEDx. [22] [23] [24] [25]

Author

In 2011, De Abreu published his first book, detailing the hardships [26] he had to overcome in Brazil due to the lack of opportunity, and in America for not being able to speak English on his arrival, as well as practical steps one can take to achieve meaningful change. Author Scott Simson said that his book is "a must read for anyone wanting to advance their life." [27] De Abreu writes a monthly column for Richard Branson's Virgin on the topics of science, innovation, entrepreneurship, and public speaking. [28] In 2012, De Abreu was featured on Young Entrepreneur World: How 25 Teen-Trepreneurs Succeeded and Left World Leaders Scratching Their Heads, published by British publisher Marshall Cavendish, a subsidiary company of Times Publishing Group, the printing and publishing subsidiary of Singapore-based conglomerate Fraser and Neave. [4] De Abreu is a Teaching Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. [29] He facilitates the Management Development Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Mind, Brain, Behavior Interfaculty Thesis Workshops for graduating seniors at Harvard College. De Abreu is the Director of the Artificial Intelligence, Brain, and Cognitive Sciences thematic at the AI Initiative. [30]

Television

De Abreu hosted a biweekly segment on WLTX, a CBS-affiliated television station, called The Motivational Minute, on motivation and leadership. [31] [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia, South Carolina</span> Capital city of South Carolina, United States

Columbia is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-most populous city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. It is the center of the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 829,470 in 2020 and is the 7th largest urban center in the Deep South and the 72nd-largest metropolitan statistical area in the nation. The name Columbia is a poetic term used for the United States, derived from the name of Christopher Columbus, who explored for the Spanish Crown. Columbia is often abbreviated as Cola, leading to its nickname as "Soda City."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexington County, South Carolina</span> County in South Carolina, United States

Lexington County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 293,991. Its county seat and largest town is Lexington. The county was chartered in 1785 and was named in commemoration of Lexington, Massachusetts, the site of the Battle of Lexington in the American Revolutionary War. Lexington County is the sixth-largest county in South Carolina by population and is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the Midlands region of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexington, South Carolina</span> Town in South Carolina, USA

Lexington is the most populous town in and the county seat of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of the state capital, Columbia. The population was 23,568 at the 2020 Census, and it is the second-most populous municipality in the greater Columbia area. The 2022 estimated population is 24,626. According to the Central Midlands Council of Governments, the greater Lexington area had an estimated population of 111,549 in 2020 and is considered the fastest-growing area in the Midlands. Lexington's town limits are bordered to the east by the city of West Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of South Carolina Upstate</span>

The University of South Carolina Upstate is a public university in Valley Falls, South Carolina, near Spartanburg and with a Spartanburg postal address. Founded in 1967 and formerly known as University of South Carolina Spartanburg, the institution changed its name in the summer of 2004. It offers bachelor's and master's degrees for students in the Upstate and surrounding areas. It is part of the University of South Carolina System and home to approximately 5,400 students and 340 full-time faculty. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of South Carolina</span> Public university in Columbia, South Carolina

The University of South Carolina is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina. It is the flagship of the University of South Carolina System and the largest university in the state by enrollment. Its main campus is on over 359 acres (145 ha) in downtown Columbia, close to the South Carolina State House. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities with Highest Research Activity". It houses the largest collection of Robert Burns and Scottish literature materials outside Scotland and the world's largest Ernest Hemingway collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midlands of South Carolina</span>

The Midlands region of South Carolina is the middle area of the state. The region's main center is Columbia, the state's capital. The Midlands is so named because it is halfway point between the Upstate and the Lowcountry. The main area code is 803.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarge Frye Field</span> Former baseball park at University of South Carolina

Sarge Frye Field was a baseball stadium in Columbia, South Carolina and served as home field of the University of South Carolina Gamecock baseball team until the 2008 season. The stadium held 6,000 people and was named after a longtime grounds keeper of the school's athletic fields. On February 21, 2009, USC began playing at the new Carolina Stadium. The last game at Sarge Frye was played on May 17, 2008. The field was named after Weldon B. "Sarge" Frye on May 11, 1980. It was demolished in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adele Diamond</span> Neuroscientist

Adele Dorothy Diamond is a professor of neuroscience at the University of British Columbia, where she is currently a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. One of the pioneers in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience, Diamond researches how executive functions are affected by biological and environmental factors, especially in children. Her discoveries have improved treatment for disorders such as phenylketonuria and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and they have impacted early education.

Corey Jenkins is a former American football player. He played quarterback at the University of South Carolina and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. He saw limited playing time in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL).

Thomas Jonathan Jackson Ravenel is an American politician and reality television star. He is the son of former Representative Arthur Ravenel Jr. from South Carolina.

Darrell Jackson is a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 21st District since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 26 in South Carolina</span> Section of Interstate Highway in South Carolina, United States

Interstate 26 (I-26) is a South Carolina Interstate highway running generally east–west from near Landrum, in Spartanburg County, to U.S. Route 17 (US 17), in Charleston, South Carolina. It is also the longest Interstate Highway in South Carolina.

Innovista is the economic development arm of the University of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert L. Caslen</span> University administrator

Robert Louis Caslen Jr. is a retired United States Army officer who served as the 59th superintendent of West Point from 2013 until 2018 and as the 29th president of the University of South Carolina from July 2019 until May 2021. Between January and May 2019, Caslen was senior counsel to the president and interim chief financial officer at the University of Central Florida. On July 19, 2019, the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina elected him as the school's 29th president, a position he assumed on August 1, 2019. Caslen also served as HigherEchelon's Special Advisor on Executive Leadership and Character Development. He resigned as President at South Carolina on May 12, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen K. Benjamin</span> American politician (born 1969)

Stephen Keith Benjamin is an American politician and businessman currently serving as the Director of the Office of Public Engagement for the Biden administration, and also as the one of the senior advisors to president Biden since February 27, 2023. He previously served as the 70th mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, from July 2010 to January 2022. He was the first African American mayor in the city's history. Before serving as mayor, he worked in the Columbia metropolitan area as an attorney and served on various charitable organizations. On November 8, 2017, Benjamin won re-election for a third term as mayor with no votes as no other candidate filed. Benjamin was declared re-elected. Benjamin served as the 76th president of the United States Conference of Mayors from 2018 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krisztina Holly</span> American engineer

Krisztina Holly, known by her colleagues as 'Z', is a Hungarian American innovator, entrepreneur, and adventurer.

Kambrell Houston Garvin is an American injury attorney and politician from South Carolina. He serves as a Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing House District 77, Richland County, Columbia, SC. He was first elected in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Eckstrom</span> American politician

Richard A. Eckstrom is an American politician from the state of South Carolina. A Republican, he served as the comptroller general of South Carolina from 2003 until his resignation in 2023. From 1995 to 1999, he served one term as the South Carolina Treasurer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Rickenmann</span> American businessman and politician

Daniel Rickenmann is an American businessman and politician, serving as the Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, he is the son of immigrants from Switzerland. He attended the University of South Carolina in 1987.

References

  1. 1 2 "Math, Science, English, and Chess?". wltx.com. May 26, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "News - Darla Moore School of Business - University of South Carolina". Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Future Society".
  4. 1 2 Young Entrepreneur World: How 25 Teen-trepreneurs Succeeded and Left World Leaders Scratching Their Heads [Paperback]. ASIN   9814361097.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ↑ "Pedro De Abreu, Recent Midlands Tech Graduate, Spoke to St. Andrews Rotary Club". midlandsbiz.com. June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ Ansari, D; Coch, D (2006). "Bridges over troubled waters: Education and cognitive neuroscience". Trends in Cognitive Sciences. Elsevier Science. 10 (4): 146–151. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2006.02.007. PMID   16530462. S2CID   8328331.
  8. ↑ Coch, D; Ansari, D (2008). "Thinking about mechanisms is crucial to connecting neuroscience and education". Cortex. Elsevier Science. 45 (4): 546–547. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2008.06.001. PMID   18649878. S2CID   15392805.
  9. ↑ "Search Results".
  10. ↑ "Columbia, Sc".
  11. ↑ "Pedro de Abreu, 14x Innovation Group CEO, Finalist in the 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 List".
  12. ↑ "Phi Theta Kappa - New Century Scholars 2011". Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Community College Journal - April/May 2011". Ccjournal-digital.com. March 29, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  14. ↑ "2011 New Century Scholars". Communitycollegetimes.com. May 4, 2011. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Columbia, Sc".
  16. ↑ "Leadership - Office of the Provost". Sc.edu. January 25, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  17. ↑ "News | The Moore School of Business | University of South Carolina". Mooreschool.sc.edu. October 21, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  18. ↑ "CMCOG Board of Directors | Central Midlands Council of Governments". centralmidlands.org. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  19. ↑ "wltx.com". www.wltx.com. Retrieved December 11, 2022.[ dead link ]
  20. ↑ "USC News & Events". University of South Carolina. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Pedro De Abreu". Teen-speakers.com. October 11, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  22. ↑ "A Visit to TEDxColumbiaSC - Lean Blitz Consulting -". January 24, 2013.
  23. ↑ "USC NEWS & EVENTS - USC News & Events | University of South Carolina". sc.edu. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  24. ↑ "TEDxColumbiaSC | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  25. ↑ "TEDxYouth@Columbia on Facebook". Facebook . Archived from the original on April 30, 2022.[ user-generated source ]
  26. ↑ "From Hardship to Stages Around the World: Pedro de Abreu | the Indie Chicks". Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  27. ↑ Amazon [ dead link ]
  28. ↑ "Whoops. | Virgin".
  29. ↑ "HarvardKey - Harvard University Authentication Service". www.pin1.harvard.edu. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Q&A; | A Conversation with USC and Harvard Alumnus Pedro de Abreu, Finalist of the 2016 FORBES Magazine 30 under 30 | South Carolina ETV". Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  31. ↑ News 19 [ dead link ]
  32. ↑ Articles [ dead link ]

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.