In 1990, Max Feffer and his father, Leon, created the Arymax Foundation, with the objective of organizing the philanthropic activities of the family, which already supported several projects as well as social and cultural organizations within and outside the Jewish community.
The name was created from the combination of Ary, from the Hebrew “aryeh”, which means “lion”, a reference to the patriarch Leon, and the name of his son, Max Feffer (1926-2001), indicating solidarity as a family value to be passed on from generation to generation.
Leon Feffer’s entrepreneurial spirit, combined with his bond with the Jewish community and always accompanied by the strength and sensitivity of his companion, Antonietta, have also impacted the identity of the Arymax Foundation throughout its history.
With a path based on strong values that span generations and persist to the present day, Arymax Foundation has, over the years, expanded its scope of activities to encompass all Brazilian society and, from 2010, began to dedicate its expertise and capital to support social innovation and training young leaders.
In 2015, a long and rigorous process of reflection and study began, in search of a new stance based on the use of evidence, meeting a demand from the Board, composed of members of the third and fourth generations of the family. The study involved Brazilian and international experts and culminated, in 2019, in the choice of a new cause: Productive Inclusion.
Keeping the legacy of its founders Leon and Max Feffer alive, Arymax Foundation continues to support projects and institutions in the Jewish community.
We believe that no problem can be solved alone. For this reason, we strengthen and value partnerships with other organizations, sharing our path with all those who share the dream of building a firer world.
To celebrate a new moment, we have developed a brand that represents everything that always has and still keeps us working to transform the lives of as many people as possible. Starting with an element that epitomizes nature, the tree, symbolizing our 30 plus years of maturity and solidity that continue to bear fruit for the whole of society. Its lines represent both the four generations of the family and our strategic and structured vision.
Our commitment to serving the country
goes beyond the here and now.
Are values
That span generations.
That honor our history.
That make work and collaboration
the path to transformation.
They are alliances
That mobilize people and dreams.
That bring together talents and ideas.
That add words and actions and multiply results.
It is excellence
That always takes us further.
That makes us look for the new.
That catalyzes actions of impact
for the whole of society.
It’s the vision
That comes with knowledge and intelligence.
That transforms the world with strategy and depth.
With truth and for truth.
Rewriting the future every day is part of our history.
And our story is made to make it happen.
We work with excellence, energy and dedication to always do more and better. We believe that perfection lies in the commitment to ensure that each decision is made in the most strategic and intelligent way possible.
We cultivate integrity, transparency as well as close and lasting relationships between ourselves and other individuals and organizations. We respect and value their perspectives and stories and we always seek to learn from them.
We know that by working together we go further. For this reason, we work as a united team to build alliances and bring together a strong and harmonious network, rich in cooperation and trust.
We believe that only through knowledge and science it is possible to promote an effective and profound transformation in society. Our commitment is to always work based on evidence.
Always paying attention to developments around the world, we are enthusiastic about innovation, restless and curious. Every day, we seek opportunities to discover and learn new lessons, without fear of what is unknown to us.
Our commitment is to serve the country and focus on what is truly relevant to society, seeking solutions that generate real and significant transformation and impact the largest possible number of people.
Max Feffer and his father, Leon, founder of the Suzano Group, created the Arymax Foundation to organize the family's philanthropic activities.
The Foundation enters the 21st century led by the third generation of the family and expands its support to the community in general, prioritizing projects in the area of education.
A strategic plan is developed with the aim of improving the investment focus of the Arymax Foundation in the Jewish Community.
The start of the Arymax Scholarship Program, in partnership with Unibes, focusing on the Jewish community. The period from 2006 to 2009 is also marked by support for the purchase of land and the subsequent construction of a new headquarters for the Shalom Community.
After consulting with a focus on structure, the first superintendent is hired with exclusive dedication to the Foundation, initiating a new era of Arymax.
Through consulting proposed by Synergos, new areas are chosen for philanthropic investment: Education and Youth Leadership. The Arymax Youth Talent Program is also created which, between 2010 and 2018, encouraged 95 young people with an entrepreneurial spirit to transform Brazilian society.
The Arymax Community Activism Challenge, inspired by the global challenge “Design for Change”, invites high school youth from public and private schools in São Paulo to create projects that solve social problems. From 2012 to 2017, more than 300 young people were impacted, and the authors of the selected projects received mentoring, practical tools and a cash prize for the development of their solutions.
The Beth-El Congregation, with a focus on more plural Judaism, has its new headquarters inaugurated, with the support of Arymax. Colégio Bialik is transferred to Clube Hebraica, changing its name to Escola Alef, with support from Arymax in the construction of its new headquarters. From 2012 to 2016, the Foundation also participated in the creation and launch of the Scholarship Fund Program, which unites several scholarship donation programs in schools in the Jewish Community.
Participation of the fourth generation of the family starts in Arymax.
The Project Competition is launched, which has had 4 annual events. More than 30 projects were selected that focused on direct social impact in a community, in areas such as education, professional training and sustainability. Young people between 20 and 35 years old received support to make their ideas viable, in addition to seed investment and mentoring for a year.
The Center for Leadership and Innovation (CLI) is launched, co-founded by the Arymax and Insper Foundation, with the goal of creating new political, business and intellectual leaders in Brazil and the world.
Support in the merger of Escola Alef with Colégio I. L. Peretz, giving rise to Escola Alef Peretz.
Using the Effective Altruism approach, the consultancies Founders Pledge and PAF (Philanthropy Advisory Fellowship) work with Arymax to identify 2 to 3 areas / causes relevant to the development of Brazil. After an analysis of 19 areas, the cause of Productive Inclusion was chosen as the focus for investment.
Evidence gathering for the definition of new strategies of the Arymax Foundation for the next decade, which culminated in the definition of 3 investment areas: Jewish Community, Productive Inclusion and Strengthening of the Institutional Field. In partnership with the Pranay Fund, the publication “Productive Inclusion in Brazil - Evidence to boost job and income opportunities” was launched.
In the same year, the Jewish Museum of São Paulo was inaugurated, with support from Arymax.
Start of investments in Productive Inclusion and Strengthening of the Institutional Field. Launch of the Yala Program, for institutional strengthening for organizations in the Jewish Community of São Paulo, carried out in partnership with the Samuel Klein Institute.
Launch of the new study "The Future of Productive Inclusion in Brazil: from social emergency to post-pandemic paths".
Leon's philanthropic role merges with his story alongside his wife, Antonietta (1906 - 1995). Education and productive exchange between Jews and Brazil have has always been among the main interests of the family.
Leon was involved in the creation of the Brazil-Israel Cultural Center in São Paulo - today UNIBES Cultural - of the Brazil-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the USP Jewish Studies Center and the Israelite Confederation of Brazil (Conib), in addition to participating in the foundation of Hebraica and the Albert Einstein Hospital.
At the side of his father in the company and in social causes, Max contributed to these activities with his passion for culture, especially for music - of which he was a scholar -, becoming a composer and Secretary of State for Culture, Science and Technology in São Paulo.
We have defined some premises for selecting the initiatives we support, always based on evidence and on what society really needs. Whatever the initiative, we maintain constant monitoring and evaluation of our actions to learn, improve and increase potential.
Arymax supports:
Initiatives in which we recognize an effective potential for positive impact.
Meaningful solutions that allow us to generate knowledge and subsidize the social field with good evidence.
Initiatives that can thrive, scale and reach large populations.
Networks, alliances and coalitions in which we can insert ourselves, fostering relationships based on cooperation and synergy in the ecosystem.
Initiatives led by civil society actors that have accumulated experience and knowledge that already work in the social field.
Organizations whose practices prioritize responsibility and commitment to the truth, which express their principles clearly and act accordingly.
Innovative and inspiring solutions for current and future challenges in the programs in which we operate.
Organizations that are structured and have planning in order to guarantee their longevity and relevance.
Initiatives that can act as an example for others.
Organizations that, due to their recognized excellence, are able to influence, mobilize and bring together other relevant and influential partners and referrals.
Vivianne served for many years in leadership positions in global organizations such as Potencia Ventures and Ashoka as well as authoring and co-authoring 4 publications on social entrepreneurship and impact business. She is a graduate in Dentistry from USP, a Yale World Fellow of Yale University, a member of the Lemann Foundation Leaders Network and advisor to several civil society organizations.
Natália has worked in the social impact sector for 10 years, having worked for companies, institutes and foundations such as TV Globo, the Synergos Institute (USA) and the Humanize Institute. She holds a degree in Public Relations from UNESP and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration and Sustainability from FIA, in addition to a master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University (NYU).
Leonardo has more than 7 years experience in civil society organizations responsible for programs and projects. He holds a degree in Psychology from Mackenzie and a postgraduate degree in Business and Project Management from FIA.
An administration technician with experience in direct public administration and municipalities, Matheus was the leader of a junior company and worked as an intern for NGOs in the environmental field. He is majoring in Public Administration at the Faculty of Applied Sciences at UNICAMP.
Amanda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Universidade Federal do ABC. Her experience includes work in social impact consultancy, research, and impact assessment, with a focus on production and dissemination of studies related to social and environmental issues, particularly in the field of innovation. Amanda has worked in both the public and private sectors and has been active in the third sector since 2020.
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