Elaine Silva was taking her first walk through Paris with one destination in mind: the Eiffel Tower. As she made her way along Avenue Georges Pompidou, walking briskly, she caught sight of the French capital’s most famous landmark, and her eyes filled with tears. It was a mixture of wonder and a profound sense of achievement. She, a Black woman raised on the outskirts of São Paulo, was standing before one of the wonders of the modern world.
Looking back, she could have thought that life had already given her so much. But no. Elaine wanted more.
The year was 2023. In less than 12 months, Paris would become the sporting capital of the world as it hosted the Olympic Games. And that was when the dream of this entrepreneur, a partner at Alma Preta Jornalismo, one of Brazil’s most prominent independent news outlets, spoke louder:
“I want to be here next year, covering the Olympic Games.”
And that was when our paths crossed.
I met Elaine through Pedro Borges, co-founder of Alma Preta and a member of DiversaCom’s advisory board. DiversaCom had recently been established in partnership with the Textual Comunicação group.
I already knew Pedro and admired the strength of his journalism.
“You need to meet Elaine. You two will get along really well.”
A few conversations later, the dream began to take shape. DiversaCom and Alma Preta would join forces to achieve something unprecedented: for the first time in history, a Black-led news outlet born in an underserved community would have a team covering the Olympic Games on the ground.
The journey was long, but carefully planned.
We worked together to develop a project that would prepare young journalists who had never experienced anything like this, ensuring they arrived ready to deliver high-quality professional coverage.
Before the Games, we organized mentoring sessions with experienced journalists who had covered major Olympic events. Marcos Uchôa, Paulo César Vasconcelos, and Claudio Nogueira shared their knowledge and experiences.
Presentations and visits to the Brazilian Olympic Committee left Team Brazil’s leadership impressed.
With the support of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and other partners, the team secured its media accreditation.
Flights booked, accommodations arranged, and off they went: Elaine, Solon, Vinicius, William, and Iacy arrived in the French capital.
And it was Black female athletes who achieved some of Brazil’s greatest successes at the Games. Rebeca Andrade, Beatriz Souza, Rafaela Silva, and Rayssa Leal made history in Paris, and Alma Preta was there to tell their stories to the world.
DiversaCom also played an editorial role.
Every day, I led two editorial planning meetings that helped shape the coverage. Claudio Nogueira, our guest columnist, contributed daily articles.
Drawing on my experience covering four FIFA World Cups, one Olympic Games, and one Paralympic Games, I provided guidance, direction, and editorial insights as we brought each Olympic day to a close.
All this groundbreaking work was recognized at the 2025 Aberje Awards, winning at both the national and regional levels.
The partnership between DiversaCom, Textual, and Alma Preta took first place in the Diversity and Inclusion category.
Founded less than three years ago, DiversaCom is a different kind of communications agency.
Cause-driven and purpose-led communications are at the heart of everything we do.
Our goal is to bring audiences not only information, but also the legacy and deeper meaning behind it, through creative and innovative ideas.
To truly stand out, we need to challenge conventions.
That was exactly what we did with our very first project.
The visit of the King of Angola to Brazil represented an ancestral reunion between a representative of an African kingdom and his people in Brazil.
Descendants of a people who had been enslaved in their homeland and forcibly brought to Brazil by slave traders were reunited with their king.
To tell this story, we partnered with UNIperiferias and developed an itinerary for King Ekuikui VI Tchongolola Tchongonga’s visit to Rio de Janeiro.
The program included a discussion at the Museum of African History, a visit to Little Africa, a meeting with a samba school, and a visit to a quilombo, a community rooted in the resistance and heritage of formerly enslaved Africans and their descendants.
The king’s visit made headlines in Brazil and around the world. It was even featured in The Washington Post.
And months later, DiversaCom, still a very young agency, received the Jatobá Award for Excellence and Innovation in PR for the project.
We won in the Cause and Purpose category.
The very foundation of our work.
Three years. Three awards recognizing genuine, purpose-driven work.
Achievements made possible by the dedication and professionalism of the talented teams at DiversaCom and Textual, led by sisters Carina Almeida and Adryana Almeida, daughters of Evandro Teixeira, one of the great masters of Brazilian photojournalism.
A legacy of integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to delivering high-quality communications for every client we serve.
And so we continue along this journey, always looking ahead with the eyes of dreamers.
And turning dreams into reality.
Congratulations to Alma Preta, UNIperiferias, and the many others who believe in our dreams.
We are just getting started.
Marcelo Moreira, Managing Partner at DiversaCom
