Whoever has been to Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the south of Brazil’s Minas Gerais, knows that the city breathes technology and innovation.
That’s where HackTown happens — one of the most creative and inspiring festivals in Brazil, turning the entire city into a living ecosystem of ideas, technology, and collaboration.
🌐 A tech ecosystem that inspires
Santa Rita is home to Inatel, a national reference in research and development for telecommunications — where Brazil’s first 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G network tests took place.
The city also has a state technical school that nurtures new talents and drives the local innovation scene.
During HackTown, every space — from schools to cafés — becomes a stage for creativity, filled with talks, workshops, and hands-on sessions.
It was in this environment that I experienced one of the highlights of my year.
🎮 A new lab for future developers
At the Technical School, we celebrated the opening of a new game lab, fully renovated with support from AWS and the AWS User Communities.
Equipped with modern computers, gamer chairs, and top-tier infrastructure, the lab now serves not only event participants but also students year-round.
It’s the kind of project that goes beyond technology — it’s about impacting lives and building the next generation of creators.
🧑💻 Vibe Coding Dojo: collaboration through creativity and code
On Sunday morning, I had the honor of leading a Vibe Coding Dojo session inside this new lab.
Nearly 50 participants filled the room with energy and curiosity.
Before coding, I explained what Vibe Coding and a Dojo are, then ran a short live demo using the Amazon Q Developer CLI — an incredible tool that helps developers generate, build, and deploy applications faster with AI assistance.
To start, I created a fun cat emoji memory game 🐱, demonstrating how easy it is to generate a full app directly from the terminal.
Simple, practical, and magical — that’s the power of AI-assisted coding.
🧩 From idea to code: when learning becomes inspiration
After the demo, the group voted to build a matching platform connecting professionals and companies — a “Tinder for jobs,” as we joked.
The collaboration was amazing: everyone contributed, from the shyest to the most experienced developers.
But the best moment came at the end:
Ana, one of the participants, approached me with a big smile to show what she had built on her own — a vaccination reminder platform prototype, created right there during the session using the Amazon Q Developer CLI.
Even though she was transitioning into tech, she managed to bring her idea to life, and later wrote an article about the experience. ✨
💬 Final thoughts
Seeing people get inspired, learn, and create together is what drives me the most.
HackTown is all about that: technology with purpose, collaboration with meaning, and innovation that starts with people.
I left Santa Rita with my heart full — and a renewed belief that the future of Brazilian tech is in great hands. 💪
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