Xpat Files - Tim Viera

Our primary motivation is to create a new model of education, with sustainability at its core - for schools to be places of fun, meaningful life-long learning, and positive impact.

Would you describe yourselves as Educational Pioneers?

We are pioneers in the sense that we want to evolve what the purpose of a school is. We have not re-considered the purpose for school since the traditional school system was set up more than a century ago during the industrial revolution. It has not adapted fast enough to our fast-changing world. Today, we are facing increasingly complex

challenges - both social and environmental. At Green School Bali environmental action is the foundational purpose of our school - educating FOR sustainability - and our learning programmes are designed with environmental action embedded across the experience. Simply put - we are pioneering education and school to make the world a better place.

“WHAT WE CREATE HERE WILL INSPIRE A NEW KIND OF FUTURE, ONE THAT IS BALANCED AND ABLE TO SUPPORT ALL LIFE.”

Can you pinpoint key turning points in your life?

I moved away from home to go to a private school when I was 13 years old - I had to grow up quickly. I learned how to take responsibility for my own life and learning. After my first university degree, I took a gap year, which ended up lasting a decade. That was a turning point.

When I started my career as an educator – slightly disillusioned with a system that hadn’t changed since I was a student - I made a conscious decision to be a part of the solution. I wanted education to be different, so I decided to do something about it. And that’s why I’m here at Green School Bali.

Any words of wisdom? Or lessons learned?

Find a mantra, something that helps define your purpose. For a long time, mine was ‘learn more’. All I wanted to do was LEARN… languages, cultures, skills, music, art, science. I bring that mantra to what I do now, where I help support our faculty to nurture our students to be lifelong learners.

How is life in Bali now?

It has changed a lot in the last few years.

We had some quieter years here during the pandemic, but things are getting back to normal once again. Like other highly trafficked tourist destinations, there is a lot of development happening, especially in the main expat hubs of Ubud and Canggu. I think places like Green School, Desa Potato Head and other eco-minded organisations here are helping to keep that development in check, because you do have a lot of expats who come here seeking peace and sanctuary in nature.

How has the expat community changed?

Our Green School Bali expat community has always been very mission-aligned. We are community-minded and we all believe we have a role to play in making our world sustainable.

What are the plans for 2023? Any more new ventures?

In 2021 Green School became part of Education in Motion’s global family of school brands. We’re looking ahead to bring our education model and mission to other parts of the world!

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BEING BRAVE

Born in South Africa, Tim Vieira dropped out of a business course to start his first company in 1993. Having established one of the first independent micro-breweries in South Africa, he founded the Brave Generation Academy (BGA) in 2020, providing an online curriculum that is recognised by the world’s top universities.

im Vieira moved to Angola with his wife in 2001, and initially focused on Media opportunities. In conjunction with his partners Nuno Traguedo and Odair Peres, Tim Vieira founded Special Edition Holding, one of the largest Media groups in Angola. He also has interests in companies that operate in Mozambique and Ghana. Tim became known to the Portuguese public in 2015, after the first season of Shark Tank Portugal. Today he invests in other areas such as agriculture, services, IT, human resources, cinema film production, real estate development, energy distribution, tourism, education solutions and, currently, the establishment of an investment fund for opportunities in Portugal. He is also the president of the Portuguese-South African Industry and Commerce Chamber and the founder and president of Be Brave, an Entrepreneurship booster association, and Founder of Escolhe Portugal.

What first brought you to Lisbon?

From an early age I had always come to Portugal every year on a family holiday. We had wonderful summers split between Lisbon and the Algarve at family homes. Once we had our own family, we started to look for a place to live that offered safety coupled with an amazing lifestyle. Portugal was our first choice as it met these criteria and much more.

Was it a childhood dream to become a successful entrepreneur with multiple businesses ‘under your hat’?

Yes, I knew early on that becoming an entrepreneur would allow me to write my own path and give me independence which really means freedom to do things I enjoy with people I like.

I am definitely a man with some failures but at the same time these have never stopped

me from trying repeatedly while on the way to obtaining success.

How did the BGA concept come along?

I had been trying to rethink the traditional educational system for a while. After an amazing around the world adventure with my family I became more determined than ever to make it happen. I started to think about a new system using common sense mixed with the best of online. This became the basis which would allow young adults to obtain more opportunities and be better prepared for today’s world. At BGA they work at their own pace, allowing them to still follow their passions.

Is launching an educational programme different from your other business?

Yes, I feel a lot more responsibility which drives me day and night to create a positive impact with BGA. I feel that what we are doing is critical for a better world and therefore it’s our mission not to fail. I’m committed to making

Tell us more about each of your businesses?

BGA is now my full-time mission. It’s what makes me wake up early and go to sleep late. I have stepped back in my property development, hotels and start-up investment ventures and allowed others to take the lead and shout for help when I am needed.

I believe that all the experiences I’ve gained, all the failures and all of my successes to date are contributing to the Brave Generation Academy. I feel that I was born to do this as I am impacting young people, families and communities first hand and that was always my purpose.

Any words of wisdom?

Do what you love with people you enjoy as it will make you achieve so much more.

How is life in Lisbon now?

There is more talent, more interesting people and all this brings with it more opportunities for us to do amazing things.

It’s exciting to live in a place that most people want to visit or come to live. Let’s enjoy it.

“BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR ISN’T ALWAYS EASY AND I HAVE HAD MY SHARE OF HARD KNOCKS. THE TRUTH IS THAT I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN AS IT PUT ME IN A POSITION TO FULFIL MY DREAMS.”

sure we don’t drop our learners and their brave parents who have entrusted their most valuable assets to BGA. It’s our responsibility to always keep putting our learners first in order to provide them with opportunities so that they can change the world using their own determination, courage and talents.

How does being a hands-on dad work alongside running the various businesses?

I don’t distinguish between work and family time as I only have one life.

I am a dad 100% of the time wherever I may be or whatever I may be doing. I am blessed that my two sons and my daughter are themselves enthusiastic about BGA. More importantly all three of them have their own passions outside BGA which they share and want me to be part of as well.

It’s a full-time privilege being a dad and I make sure to include them in my own life which makes them include me in theirs. I am also blessed to have the’ glue’ in my wife Lidia who seems to hold this madness all together so naturally.

Are you expat or local?

I would say that I am a mix, I am different from either and that’s definitely ok with me.

Follow Tim @timvieira75 For more about BGA’s hybrid hubs around the world bravegenerationacademy.com