Soho Futures Grant: women in São Paulo

Women in Brazil have historically been overlooked in the creative industries, facing barriers to access and progress in creative careers due to gender bias, cultural expectations and limited access to opportunities. 
 
At Soho House São Paulo, we want to support efforts to improve gender balance, opening doors to more women – of every background – so that they can succeed.
 
The Soho Futures Grant aims to increase access to the arts and creative industries for women who face economic challenges or other barriers to inclusion. Soho House is offering grants of up to £2,000 to be awarded to five individuals, to help them in their journey of bringing a creative project to life.

This grant can fund a wide range of projects and ideas, with a focus on supporting concepts that have a positive social or environmental benefit. Grants are awarded by a Soho House panel – from our team and members – working across varied creative disciplines:
 
Ana Kuroki has over 20 years of experience in brand strategy and innovation. She has honed her skills in a variety of creative environments, from local and global advertising agencies to leading a creative team at Google, driving market and consumer insights at a planning boutique, and developing solutions at Mesa Company, where she helped solve many “unsolvable” problems for major corporations under extremely tight deadlines. Her passion lies in understanding people, contexts, and cultures.  
 
Asaph Luccas is a director, screenwriter, and artist. Her work focuses on Black and trans narratives, exploring the poetic and political power of these bodies in film and visual arts. She has directed short films screened at major international festivals, including Bonde (2019), which won Best Queer Short at the Leeds International Film Festival and Best Short at Festival Mix Brasil. In the advertising field, she has worked at agencies such as Wieden+Kennedy and Africa, and today leads campaigns for brands including P&G, Meta, Avon, and Netflix. She is currently developing the screenplay for her first feature film. 
 
Emily Ewell is the CEO and co-founder of Pantys, the pioneering sustainable femtech brand transforming the market with health and sustainability innovations for menstruation, maternity, and incontinence. Emily is a global spokesperson with multiple patents and over 20 years of experience in digital health marketing for private, public, and international nonprofit sectors. Her background is in chemical engineering, and she holds a dual master’s degree in MBA and Public Health from UC Berkeley. She has been recognized as one of Latin America’s 500 Most Influential People by Bloomberg and as an ImPact Leader, representing SDG #12 in Brazil. 

Frequently asked questions

A one-off grant from Soho House to support a creative project. Grant recipients will have access to advice and support from select Soho House São Paulo members. They will also have the opportunity to participate in a showcase event at the House in 2025.

Please take into consideration that your project will be part of a showcase at Soho House São Paulo, and therefore should work to be displayed in this format.

Art: covering a vast range of fields, from paint and pottery to performance.

Design: including graphic design, illustration, product, and more.

Fashion: to support the creation of a collection, individual garments or finalising your portfolio.

Media and film: to support projects that involve storytelling and communication through digital media and images.

Music: help to finalise, promote or launch your EP or album (all genres of music are welcome).

• Women non-members from underrepresented or lower-socioeconomic backgrounds
• 18 years of age or older
• São Paulo-based creatives only
 
We want to give women the opportunity to start something new, or take an early-stage concept to the next level. We will prioritise ideas that have a positive social or environmental impact

To apply, please complete this short application form here.

Applications are open from 1 September 2025 and will close on 30 September 2025 (one month to enter; submission deadline is 11.59pm BRT on Tuesday, September 30).

Grant awards will be decided by a panel of experts from creative industries, including the Soho House team and Soho House São Paulo members.

You will be contacted by our team following the application deadline if your idea has been shortlisted. Winners will be awarded and announced in October 2025.

If you have any further questions, please email house.foundations@sohohouse.com
Women-owned businesses are welcome to apply, but these creative grants are best suited to help someone who is in the early stages of their career or creative idea.
Yes, we will be showcasing each winning idea on our platforms.