Author: Jay

  • Felipe Leao

    Felipe Leao

    Financial Strategist with over 10 years of experience aligning corporate finance with strategic decision-making. Currently serving as an M&A Business Developer at HetBuy and Independent Consultant at Leão Strategic Finance, I support private companies in unlocking growth and liquidity through tailored solutions in financial modeling, valuation, fundraising, and structured M&A transactions.

    Throughout my career, I’ve advised startups, tech platforms, consulting firms, and investment funds, delivering end-to-end solutions in corporate restructuring, alternative investments, and capital structuring. I’ve contributed directly to executive boards and investment committees, providing analytical models that support critical business decisions.

    I am driven by the pursuit of sustainable value creation, combining financial expertise with strategic insight and a long-term mindset. Fluent in English and highly skilled in financial modeling, deal structuring, and market intelligence, I help business leaders build value through clarity, precision, and impact.

  • Welcome Felipe Leao

    Welcome Felipe Leao

    🚀 New Chapter for StudioHaus: Investor, Partner, and Vision Aligned

    We’re proud to announce that @Felipe de Castro Leão, founder of Unita: Estratégia & Finanças, has officially joined StudioHaus as an investor and strategic advisor.

    Felipe brings over a decade of experience in venture capital, fundraising, and strategic finance, and his insight has already been shaping how we structure and scale StudioHaus in Brazil and beyond.

    From the moment we sat down on the CEO’s Grind podcast, it was clear our visions aligned — to connect smart capital, creative energy, and purpose-driven growth across Brazil and the U.S.

    This partnership marks a milestone for our mission: to build an ecosystem where ideas become assets and local innovation drives global opportunity.

    Bem-vindo à família, Felipe. Let’s build! 💼🔥

    #StudioHaus #Unita #FelipeLeao #CEOsGrind #StayWithJay #CatalystWin #BrazilInvestment #BusinessGrowth #Partnership #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Strategy #Funding #BrazilBusiness #JayAndWes

  • From VC Chair to Capital Advisor: Felipe Leão on Raising Money the Right Way

    From VC Chair to Capital Advisor: Felipe Leão on Raising Money the Right Way

    Felipe de Castro Leão went from the buy-side (VC/alternative assets) to advising founders and SMBs on fundraising, credit, and M&A. We break down how to choose the right type of capital (debt, equity, SAFE, project finance), how to build a transparent, investor-ready story, and why most deals fail before the first meeting even starts.

    Chapters (drop in final times):

    00:00 Intro — tobacco club story, happy hour vibes (adjust timestamp)

    02:00 Felipe’s path: buy-side to advisor; why he switched (adjust)

    05:20 “PJ” autonomy → productized advisory; building UNITA (adjust)

    08:30 What founders get wrong: transparency, numbers, clarity (adjust)

    11:30 Products: 6–8 week Strategic Planning + Fundraising/M&A (adjust)

    14:30 Picking capital: debt vs equity vs SAFE vs project finance (adjust)

    18:00 The M&A Canvas: mapping buyers, positioning, and story (adjust)

    21:00 Jay on “money has many colors” — find fit, not just funds (adjust)

    24:00 Brazil’s “jabuticabas”: market asymmetries = opportunity (adjust)

    27:30 Live plug: on-location episode in Monte Alegre do Sul (adjust)

    29:00 How faith, conviction, and clarity shape leadership (adjust)

    31:00 Wrap + how to reach Felipe / UNITA (adjust)

    Key takeaways

    • Capital fit > capital availability: instrument, terms, and target matter.

    • Investor POV first: solve for their objections before you pitch.

    • Productize the process: planning → data room → targeted outreach.

    • Brazil thesis: inefficiencies + instruments (FIDCs, credit, club deals) create asymmetric upside for prepared operators.

    🙏 If this helped, subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss our on-location Brazil episode this Sunday. Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@CEOSGRIND?sub_confirmation=1.