Investindo em Libras empowers deaf people through financial education

Leonardo Santos Oliveira founded Investindo em Libras, a financial education school in Brazil, to provide deaf people with the tools to manage money and increase their income.

The school uses a unique methodology where all content is produced entirely in Libras, the Brazilian Sign Language. Unlike other programs that adapt hearing-centric content, this school creates visual lessons, digital materials, and books specifically for the deaf community without using sound or subtitles.

This approach addresses the fact that many financial terms previously lacked specific signs in Libras. Students often join the school after facing financial hardships such as scams, gambling losses, or heavy debt. The curriculum helps these individuals organize their finances, reduce debt, and gain the autonomy to make their own decisions without relying on family members or friends. The school employs a team composed mostly of deaf professionals who participate directly in the institution's activities.

Leonardo Santos Oliveira, who grew up in the Jaçanã neighborhood of São Paulo, received recognition from Forbes Under 30 2025 in the Science and Education category for his work. By 2027, the school plans to launch the Central Investindo em Libras to provide faster service and closer monitoring of student progress as it celebrates five years of operation.