Inês Andrade holds the position of President at No Bully Portugal. "No Bully" is an organization that focuses on preventing and addressing bullying in schoolsand communities. It provides schools with training, resources, and support tocreate a culture of empathy and inclusion, aiming to eradicate bullying andharassment.

Inês completedher master's degree in Management at Nova SBE in 2017. Prior to herundergraduate studies, Inês demonstrated a keen interest in the social field,aspiring to contribute meaningfully to this field in the future. The issue ofbullying has been a longstanding concern for her, having personally experiencedit during her earlier years. Additionally, she observed instances ofinappropriate behavior among her peers, motivating her to take action. Beyondher dedication to combating bullying, Inês has diverse interests, includingsinging, drawing, engaging in martial arts and self-defense, and loves dogs.

What led to launching No Bully in Portugal, and whatis your relationship with this project?

Throughout myacademic experience, I faced several bullying situations. At the time, I feltthere wasn't much to do. I hadn't beenpresented with anything I could do to improve the situation. After finishing mydegree, while working at my mother's company, the idea of creating a socialproject within the company emerged. We discovered NoBully, an Americanorganization that had a stable and studied project to combat bullying. Webrought it to Portugal as a social franchise, and created a non-profitassociation in 2016. So, for the past seven years, we've been working inschools and various anti bullying activities.

Looking more into the theme of your organization,could you tell us more about what bullying really is and how it manifests?

Bullying is anaggressive behavior that generally occurs among peers, people of the same agegroup and context. It can happen at any age and involves a power imbalance.There needs to be a repeated pattern of behavior, not isolated incidents. Itcan take various forms, including physical, verbal, relational, such as socialexclusion, and online bullying, which has increased with technologicaldevelopments.

In Portugal,there are few recent national statistics about the topic, but according to a2018 UNICEF study, about a third of adolescents aged 13 to 15 had recentlyexperienced bullying. No Bully Portugal creates surveys in the schools that wework with, and the results are very similar. The most common type is verbalbullying, with teasing and insults being prevalent.

Shifting the focus to the schools you work with. Whoare the main participants in this project?

We mainly workwith second and third-cycle schools, reaching out to students, parents,teachers, and non-teaching staff. It's essential to involve the entirecommunity to change the school culture positively and constructively.

Since the beginning of this project, what impact doesthe organization feel from its work?

That's alwaysthe hardest to quantify. We've invested in surveys over the past year, but wedon't yet have post-intervention data to show the difference. However, we knowmany situations have been resolved using our methodology. It's challenging tomonitor because schools often work independently, but we see the positivechange in attitudes and the shift towards a more positive and constructiveculture.

Can you share a success story or a case study thatstands out for your organization?

There was a boyin the ninth grade in a Lisbon school who was constantly teased about his body,and it made school very difficult for him. One day, he was found crying by apsychologist trained in anti bullying methodologies by us, expressing he didn'twant to go back to school anymore. Following our intervention process,involving both the bullies and supportive peers, the situation was resolved.One of the boys who used to bully him even started defending him againstothers, and they became friends. It's a success story, and these are liveschanged.

Congratulations on that. Moving on to partnerships,who are the main partners, and what is their relevance to your operation?

We collaboratewith various schools every year. The project mainly focuses on public schools,which often have more openness, and, nowadays, they reach out to us, ratherthan the other way around.

We also havepartnerships with Head and Shoulders shampoo, which supports anti-bullyingcampaigns. Last year, they initiated a campaign related to bullying anddandruff, supporting our work with donations. We've also received support fromLidl and BPI La Caixa Bank through awards. Additionally, we partner with MenTalks, an association working on masculinity issues, in a project supported bythe Lisbon City Council.

Considering the Nova SBE community, including alumni,partners, staff, and students, how can they contribute and get involved in thisproject?

They can help byspreading awareness through social media about this topic. If anyone isexperiencing bullying, they can recommend our support, which is free forchildren and families. Donations are also welcome, whether from companies forcollaborations or individuals. We also sell merchandising to raise funds.

As an alumni who has founded this organization andbeing this your main job, how is the process of funding for activities?

In the initialyears, I did not receive any financial compensation. During that period, Iresided with my parents while concurrently working at other jobs and developingNo Bully. Securing funding, if you are fortunate, is not a linear progression.In the case of No Bully, my remuneration was initially earned on an hourlybasis for each training we did. It is pertinent to note that this trajectory isnot universally suitable: whether one is venturing into social entrepreneurshipor another field, the initial phase is typically associated with a lack ofmonetary returns. The journey demands resilience, a tolerance for risk, andsignificant (familial) support.

For a Nova SBE student who might be interested inpursuing a career in a social impact area similar to yours, what advice wouldyou give them?

Networking iscrucial; get to know people working in the field, understand their lives andthe different roles within a project. Each person has a unique style, and someare better suited for specific project phases. Recognize what role makes themost sense for you. It's a process: experiment, talk to people, understandtheir lifestyles, and find what resonates with you. Also, be aware that noteveryone is suited for entrepreneurship immediately; some may prefer working inestablished projects. Networking within the ecosystem, attending events, andgetting to know people will help you understand your options.

One thing Ilearned from Miguel Alves Martins at Nova that everyone has a style suited fordifferent project phases. Some excel at initiation, others at growth andfinancing, and others at maintaining existing projects. Recognizing where youfit is crucial. It's a journey, not an overnight discovery. Thank you for yourtime.