Paulo De Miranda, a graduate of the Maxwell School, has built a career around humanitarian aid and peacekeeping assignments worldwide. His early work involved writing reports on fieldwork, but he often felt they lacked insight into the real impact over time. “This was very frustrating for me,” De Miranda said.
This frustration led him to focus on measuring the impact associated with capital deployment. Recognizing a need for more than standard financial analysis, he co-founded DEEP in Brazil five years ago with a friend. The startup measures carbon emissions, climate risks, water footprints, and other impacts for approximately 400 organizations and businesses. DEEP also offers training, sustainability dashboards, and data management tools.
De Miranda noted that demand for DEEP’s services has grown significantly due to increasing government regulations related to environmental reporting. The company has raised over $5 million from investors and formed strategic partnerships with major Brazilian technology and energy companies TOTVS and VIBRA. Since its inception, DEEP has expanded to over 100 employees.
In recognition of his achievements, De Miranda was named the 2024 alumni entrepreneur of the year at the ‘CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneurship Awards celebration. This event honors the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by Orange alumni.
Reflecting on his education at Maxwell School, De Miranda stated: “My time at Maxwell played a foundational role in shaping my outlook.” He appreciated how Maxwell encouraged him to view public policy, economic development, and international relations as interconnected fields.
De Miranda’s journey began when he left Brazil at age 19 to study English in the U.S., eventually working with the Organization of American States while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland. His experiences include narrowly avoiding being kidnapped alongside his team in Colombia in 1997 and meeting President Jimmy Carter during an inspection visit in Nicaragua in 1990.
At Maxwell School, De Miranda explored technology’s intersection with policy under influential instructors like Terrell A. Northrup and Sean O’Keefe. Melvyn Levitsky also provided valuable lessons from his experience as a U.S. ambassador to Brazil.
After various roles post-Maxwell—including serving as project director for the International Finance Corporation—De Miranda decided to pursue entrepreneurship full-time in 2018 with engineer Arthur Covatti. Together they founded DEEP, which is now a leader in impact measurement and ESG (environmental, social, governance) areas.
Though he stepped back from daily operations last fall to serve as an advisor and chair DEEP’s board of directors, De Miranda credits Maxwell School for helping refine his understanding of impact measurement’s importance: “My experiences at Maxwell helped me refine and deepen my understanding of why impact matters.”
