In the world of BNI OESP1, she is known, first and foremost, for the role she holds alongside Alfredo Tanimoto. She is the one who spearheads the creation of new groups, helps forge connections, and ensures the network continues to grow steadily. But to reduce Stella to this role is to miss the most interesting part of the story: before expanding groups, she had to rebuild herself several times—and it was from this process of rebuilding that the profession she practices today was born: that of personal image architect.
Her first project was herself
The daughter of a public school teacher, she grew up in a modest family where food shortages were not uncommon. Even as a child, she saw her mother go without food to ensure her children had something to eat—a scene that, though she didn’t realize it at the time, would instill in her the urgency to contribute to the household as soon as possible. That’s how, while still a teenager, she set out in search of her first job.
The opening was at the front desk of a high-end condominium in São Paulo. Without any women’s clothing—she mainly wore hand-me-downs from her older brother—Stella went to the interview wearing his jeans and a simple white T-shirt her mother had bought for the occasion. Upon arriving, she met the other candidate for the position, a young woman her own age, dressed in tight-fitting, eye-catching clothes. The building manager in charge of the hiring process asked only two questions—why she wanted to work there and when she could start—and hired her that very same day. It was her first encounter with a reality that would become central to her career: image speaks volumes even before the first word is spoken.
Building on Building
Stella grew up in the apartment complex. She overcame her shyness, learned to communicate, and made a name for herself. At seventeen, she found her faith—a choice that was not well received at home and that, at eighteen, led to her leaving. Months of instability followed: she lived with friends from church, then with an aunt, until she settled in with her father and grandmother in Jandira.
It was the head of the apartment complex himself—a sort of father figure at the time—who challenged her to think bigger. He asked if she dreamed of traveling; she replied that she did, but didn’t even have a passport. That conversation was the push she needed. She decided to study interior design, the only degree program she could fit into her work schedule: she’d wake up at 4 a.m. for the first bus, arrive at class at 8 a.m., head straight to work—which lasted until 10:30 p.m.—and return home around midnight. She graduated—the second person in her family to earn a college degree.
The Turning Point
After graduating, Stella began working on design and architecture projects, including one alongside socialite Camila Matarazzo. In the process, she realized she was more interested in understanding who people were—their tastes, their colors, their lifestyle—than in the architectural project itself.
It was during this time that she was introduced to BNI by Alfredo Tanimoto. She joined the network as an interior designer, the profession she had been practicing up to that point. When the pandemic brought residential projects to a halt, she had to change course: she started a business with a cell phone repair franchise and, along with the business, also changed her role within the group. It was in this new role that she traveled to an international convention of the network in Madrid, where she came into direct contact with the worlds of fashion and architecture—and something clicked.
In Paris, during the same trip, while observing people’s behavior on the metro, she had an insight. A luxury image consultant, whom she met by chance, reinforced what she already sensed: it was right there, at the intersection of aesthetics and behavior, that it made sense for her to work. Back in Brazil, she spent an entire year dedicating herself to in-depth study of the world of personal image through courses and immersive programs—a kind of training that isn’t offered at traditional colleges.
Personal Image Architecture
Today, Stella defines herself as a personal image architect—a title she chose for herself when she realized that, in building people’s images, she applied the same pillars that underpin an architectural project: identity, structure, colors, style, and positioning. Identity is the starting point—understanding who the person truly is, before making any assumptions about what they should wear. Only then do the other pillars come into play: body structure, the existing style and the desired look, and positioning—the way each person occupies space and is perceived in the world.
In practice, the consultation begins with listening: what image the person desires, what their current style is, and how well it fits their daily routine. Next comes personal color analysis—mapping the colors that best harmonize with their skin, eyes, and hair, capable of softening signs of fatigue and dark circles simply through the right choice of shade. After that, wardrobe curation: pieces that raise doubts are discarded—for Stella, anything that isn’t a sure fit doesn’t stay—and what remains becomes a list of looks tailored to each person’s body type, taking into account fabrics, cuts, and volumes.
Authority That Is Built
She has already proven she possesses this authority. In 2023, she was recognized with a BNI award for her performance in referrals, the result of a period during which she dedicated herself entirely to one-on-one interactions with other members. Today, the method she created for herself has also become a lecture series: Stella brings the art of personal image to entire audiences, teaching them to see their own image as a tool for positioning themselves—in their careers, in business, and in life.
We rarely realize, in the moment when it hurts, that that experience will become our craft. That’s what happened to Stella—and it is this transformation, from pain to profession, that today underpins her authority both within and outside of BNI.