Olá, São Paulo: Opening the doors to the first AWS Builder Loft in Latin America
Take a sneak peek inside the space, meet the builders who brought opening night to life and find out how you can be part of what comes next.
What a few weeks it's been! Not long after celebrating the opening of our AWS Builder Loft in Berlin , I found myself on the other side of the world in São Paulo, getting ready to welcome another incredible developer community into its new home.
On 29 October, we opened the doors to the AWS Builder Loft São Paulo for a first look event, specifically designed for our AWS community and friends, giving them a chance to share early feedback and ideas. This is the first permanent Builder Loft in Latin America and the third globally, following San Francisco and Berlin.
São Paulo gave us a welcome to remember. It was my first time in the country and I loved getting to know more about the local culture, immersing myself in the Brazilian ways while also picking up some Portuguese. I was amazed by the dynamic energy everyone brings in, the positive attitude and passion for building anything from technology through communities to friendships that last beyond one’s time in a single company. The conversations and the genuine excitement about what comes next were a wonderful reminder of why we're investing in physical spaces for developers in the first place.
Technology brings us together virtually every day but nothing can replace being with people in the same room. I felt that first hand after working months over Zoom and Slack with the teams involved in making the space happen. While we certainly got a lot done, spending time together brainstorming how to improve the experience of everyone who walks through the door and how to collaborate better was precious. Hanging out for lunch after meetings created connections that make work more enjoyable and therefore more productive and efficient. That's exactly what Builder Lofts are about.
AWS Builder Loft São Paulo Entrance and Reception
A space built for builders shaped by the community
Located at WeWork, Rua Girassol 555 , in the vibrant Vila Madalena neighbourhood, the AWS Builder Loft São Paulo is a free community and event space for developers at every stage of their journey.
Whether you're a student writing your first lines of code, an experienced developer exploring new technologies, a startup founder or a community leader bringing people together, there's a place for you here.
The Loft offers space for learning, networking, coworking, and community events. Picture a morning working alongside fellow developers, an afternoon in a hands-on AI workshop, and an evening catching up with your local AWS User Group, all in the same place.
The space is designed to support:
● Hands-on workshops and technical sessions: cloud, generative AI, architecture, security and more
● Community meetups and networking events: bringing together developers, students, startups and tech enthusiasts
● Hackathons and building sessions: where ideas turn into working solutions
● Co-working and informal collaboration - a place to work, learn and connect with other builders. Currently, co-working is available for registered participants for pre-scheduled public events (i.e. no walk-ins for now).
The most important part is that the community gets to shape what happens here. We're inviting local developers, meetup organisers, universities, startups and tech communities to bring their ideas, host events and make the Loft their own. Over 11 years in the industry have thought me that the best developer communities aren't built for people, they're built with people.
The Capybara, a permanent resident of the Builder Loft in São Paulo, already quite famous.
Sneak peak of the Lounge area.
AWS Builder Loft São Paulo event space with 150 people capacity.
An opening night to remember
Our first look event brought together developers, community leaders, students and AWS colleagues to celebrate this new chapter.
Rick Suttles, Global Director of AWS Builder Center, kicked things off by sharing our vision for Builder Lofts and how they fit into our broader investment in developers around the world. With Brazil home to Latin America's largest developer community, São Paulo felt like a natural next step.
One of my favourite moments of the evening was hearing directly from the people who make this community so special. Nelly Andrade, Head of AWS Developer Relations LATAM, hosted a fireside chat with three community voices:
● Vanessa Santos - AWS Hero, AWS User Group Leader and Senior Manager at Equinix
● Flávio Pimenta - AWS Community Builder and Staff Engineer at Select Soluções
● Renan Henrique Monteiro - Student Builder Group Leader and Information Security Analyst at CromiWAF
Together, they explored what makes São Paulo's tech ecosystem unique, the role communities play in helping developers grow, and what the future of building could look like. I loved seeing different perspectives and different generations of builders in the same conversation. The fireside chat was in Portuguese, so I didn't understand every word but the smiles and the passion for community needed no translation.
Finally, I got on stage to wrap up the day, thank everyone who made this possible and invite everyone to the dance floor. The rest of the evening was exactly what we'd hoped for: people meeting, sharing experiences, exploring the space and already imagining what they could do with it.
Rick Suttles, Director, AWS Builder Center opening the night.
Nelly Andrade, Head of AWS Developer Relations LATAM, with Vanessa, Flávio and Renan.
Come build with us!
Whether you joined us on opening night or are just hearing about the Builder Loft for the first time, we'd love for you to get involved:
● Join the online community: connect with other local builders in AWS Builder Loft Brasil - Comunidade e Eventos on AWS Builder Center.
● Host your own event: have an idea for a meetup, workshop, hackathon or community gathering? We'd love to hear it! Submit your enquiry through the AWS Builder Loft São Paulo page or email awsbuilderloft-saopaulo@amazon.com .
To everyone who joined us in São Paulo, and to the incredible teams and community members who helped make this opening possible: muito obrigada!
We asked everyone who joined us for the First Look event to leave their mark and share 1) a piece of advice for the next generation of Builders who would walk through the doors of the Loft and 2) ideas for what kind of content they'd like to host or attend.
Feeling inspired too? Drop your ideas in the comments!
Enjoyed reading this content? Let the author know!
Your likes, comments, shares, and saves help creators reach more builders.
Loading recommendations
Loading article