This past weekend, on the 28th and 29th of November, we held another edition of Do Zero ao Topo Experience, an immersion held together with InfoMoney, XP Empresas, Galapos and XP Educação, which has established itself as one of the most strategic meetings for entrepreneurs who want to prepare their businesses for a new cycle. There were 28 entrepreneurs from different sectors, together, representing businesses that impact more than 2,500 families across the country. A number that, in itself, reinforces the responsibility and transformative power that each business decision carries.
The immersion proposal was clear from the beginning: to create an exclusive, safe and real environment, where businesspeople could discuss their biggest challenges in depth, without filters, without ready-made speeches and without the romanticization common to entrepreneurship. Here, each conversation started from practice: from mistakes, from routes that needed to be redesigned, from uncertainties that test courage and from the ability to adapt that determines who advances and who stays along the way.
One of the most memorable moments was the presence of Guilherme Benchimol, founding partner of XP Inc. and president of the Board. Benchimol reinforced that the true business mindset is not that of a sprint, but that of an ultramarathon. He highlighted that the journey of those who undertake requires preparation for long distances: moments of doubt, uncertainty, pain, misalignment and starting over. And it is precisely this long-term vision, combined with resilience, consistency and a big dream in the process, that separates those who survive from those who achieve the extraordinary.
Continues after advertising
Also on the agenda was Tiago Maffra, CEO of XP Inc., responsible for leading the digital transformation that repositioned the company to a new level. Maffra brought an essential point for any company that wants to grow: adaptability. According to him, leaders and managers need to evolve at the same speed as the company, because what brought an organization here is not what will take it to the next level. He reinforced the importance of taking on new roles, adjusting routes, reinventing oneself and ensuring that people are in the right chairs, contributing to what the company needs at that moment.
In addition to them, we had the special presence of Carlos Alberto Sicupira, a national reference in management, scale and business culture. Sicupira shared lessons learned from decades of building large businesses and was emphatic on one point: no one does anything alone. Even with so many companies under his leadership, he stated that nothing would have been possible without committed, aligned and prepared people. It is the right team, in the right place, that supports any company that wants to go through crises, grow safely and remain relevant over the years.
In this context, we reinforce the importance of small and medium-sized companies, which represent more than 90% of active CNPJs in Brazil and support the real economy. In a scenario of historically high interest rates, pressured margins and an election year in sight, these entrepreneurs need, more than ever, spaces for exchange, mentoring and diagnosis to make informed decisions.
Continues after advertising
During the event, I also had the opportunity to lead a panel alongside the XP Inc. economist, Rodolfo Margato, where we discussed the main economic trends for 2026, the financial impacts on business management and the strategies that help protect companies in risk scenarios. We explore solutions that increase efficiency, from cash management to protection mechanisms against market volatility. This dialogue reinforces one of the main purposes of the XP Empresas brand: to democratize access to information and financial instruments that allow businesspeople to make safer, more strategic and sustainable decisions for the growth of their businesses.
The From Zero to Top Experience immersion reinforces something that all businesspeople feel, but few express: leading is lonely. And decisions that impact dozens, hundreds or thousands of people cannot be made on instinct or improvisation. They require clarity, exchange and strategic vision.
At the end of the two days, what remained was not just knowledge, but the certainty that companies that are open to talking, learning and adjusting routes are able to anticipate changes and become stronger even in the most uncertain scenarios.
Continues after advertising
And that is the purpose: to create safe paths for Brazilian entrepreneurs to build solid businesses, prepared and capable of impacting even more lives.
