IMPA Tech students and faculty members attend the Web Summit Rio
Talks on technology, innovation, and AI were part of the program
The IMPA Tech community attended Web Summit Rio, South America’s largest technology event. From June 8 to 11, students, faculty, and staff participated in lectures, masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking activities at Riocentro in Barra da Tijuca. This year’s edition brought together more than 30,000 participants from about 100 countries.
The Career and Internship Center (NCE) provided 30 tickets to the academic community. The program featured national and international speakers who discussed topics such as innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), entrepreneurship, and digital marketing.
Highlights of the program included Mati Staniszewski, co-founder of ElevenLabs, a company specializing in AI for voice generation; Angela Strange, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), one of the world’s leading technology investment funds; Priscyla Laham, president of Microsoft Brazil; and Christian Rôças, head of institutional relations for OpenAI in the country.
For student Pedro Carvalho, the experience combined learning with the exchange of ideas. “I really made the most of the opportunity. I attended talks on various topics and got to see in person people I follow online, such as gymnast Rebeca Andrade, host Igor Coelho from the Flow Podcast, and a director at Genial Investimentos, which is my personal bank. “It was also a chance to meet new people in a different setting, exchanging professional and academic experiences,” he said.
Student Tomaz de Lucena highlighted the diversity of the program and the discussions on AI and data science. “The event is very interesting and features a very diverse program. The students were engaged and participated in everything. What I liked most were the masterclasses, since there’s more time for discussion,” he said. One of the activities he attended was the masterclass led by Sergio Messias, a specialist in generative AI at AWS Brazil (Amazon Web Services).”
Student Bianca Zavadisk took advantage of the visit to explore company booths and follow discussions on the use of artificial intelligence in different contexts. “I visited booths run by innovative companies focused on AI and participated in conversations about code-assistance tools, AI agents, and the impact of practices like vibe coding on projects and outcomes. Web Summit is a captivating event that brings together a variety of perspectives in interdisciplinary debates,” she said.
For student Bruno Pereira, the main highlight was the presence of innovation across different market sectors. “It was interesting to see professionals from completely different fields seeking to stay up to date. I attended panels on AI, public safety, finance, economics, and professional networking. The event was incredible and gave us an overview of the tools being used in the corporate world. IMPA Tech’s initiative to provide us with tickets demonstrates the institution’s commitment to keeping us connected to the innovation ecosystem,” he noted.
Professor Nara Bobko, academic manager at IMPA Tech, also participated in the program and emphasized the importance of the experience for the students’ education. “The opportunity to experience Web Summit Rio, such a significant event in the fields of technology and innovation, is extremely enriching. It is an immersion in ideas and experiences that promotes the exchange of knowledge, inspires new perspectives, and broadens students’ vision of their professional possibilities,” she said.
