Joana Mendes, originally from the Amazon, is Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Jungle Kid, a boutique creative agency she co-founded. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with clients including Coca-Cola, Nike, Google and Dove and has held roles at R/GA, FCB and WPP.

She founded Jungle Kid to independently tell brand stories, leading a senior, women-led team that helps brands connect with Brazilian audiences through cultural expertise.

Her portfolio features award-winning campaigns for Novo Nordisk and Dove, as well as Google Brazil's top-ranked campaign for two consecutive years. AdWeek recognised her as one of the 100 greatest creative talents worldwide, and she was the first Black woman to lead Brazil's Clube de Criação.

Early in her career, she joined the inaugural Young Lions Creative Academy. More than a decade later, she became one of the first Black Brazilian women to speak at the Cannes Lions Festival.