Athayde Motta holds a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin, USA, and since April 2017, he has been director general of Ibase (Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analysis). Since 2018, he has been on the executive board of Abong (Brazilian Association of NGOs). He also represents Ibase in the Latin American Network on Extractive Industries (RLIE), focusing on mining and its impacts on local communities. He is a fellow of the Synergos Foundation and a member of the Global Council and Board of Trustees of the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) coalition. Still in the international area, he is the representative of the Forus NGO network in Latin America. Born in the suburb of Encantado, north of Rio de Janeiro, during his youth he was active in the movement of neighborhood associations and in the movement for housing. He supports GRES Portela, from Madureira, and is a fan of Paulinho da Viola and American black music.