Ana Souza
PhD in Neurophysiology (2010) from UFRJ, specialized in Emotion and Emotion Regulation. Has 25 years of experience in Behavioral Neuroscience. Founding partner of Forebrain Neurotecnologia (2010) and Nemesis Neurociência Organizacional (2017), both pioneering companies in Brazil applying neuroscientific knowledge to the market. Over recent years has served major clients such as Engie, Naturgy, Sabesp, Globo, PwC, iFood, Allos and Abbott. Professor at FDC, ESPM, Conquer and Casa do Saber, also columnist for Você RH magazine (Editora Abril), Casa do Saber blog and LinkedIn TopVoice.
Free Will: Where Is a Decision Born?
This panel explores the concept of free will from two complementary perspectives: the spiritual, which sees in freedom of choice an essential component of human agency and ethics; and the neuroscientific, which questions the extent to which our decisions emerge from brain processes conditioned by biological, historical, and environmental factors. Advances in contemporary neuroscience show that will and action are shaped by probabilistic neural structures and by the interaction between genetics, experience, and context, challenging traditional conceptions of conscious autonomy and control. At the same time, spiritual traditions offer readings that highlight the meaning, intention, and moral significance of choices in entrepreneurial life. The debate invites entrepreneurs to reflect on how we understand responsibility, purpose, and agency in a world where science and spirituality offer distinct narratives about what it means to choose. To be an entrepreneur, in this case, is to understand where choices begin in order to make better decisions.