Whether in communication, marketing, or the financial market, there are companies that only came to life thanks to partnerships between friends who shared dreams, challenges, and achievements. On this International Friendship Day, celebrated on February 14th, discover stories of businesses born from friendship bonds and grown based on mutual trust and the desire to thrive together.
This is the case of NoAr, a communication agency specialized in accelerating brands; Wigoo, a digital marketing agency with a martech concept; ConCrédito, a leader in the consigned credit sector; and HUSTLERS.BR, a live marketing and digital strategy agency.
“One-on-one connection and innovation in deliveries”
In 2011, fresh arrivals to São Paulo, journalist Mariana Hinkel from Santa Catarina and PR professional Marina Mosol from São Paulo founded their own PR agency. The desire to start a business arose from the chemistry and friendship they shared at work. But since they hadn’t grown up in São Paulo, the challenge was to build a solid networking network.
“It seemed crazy to create a communication agency with few resources in a new city as challenging as São Paulo, but we knew it was the time to take risks,” says Mariana.
They invested in a virtual phone service while working from home. “If a client called, they’d be answered by our ‘receptionist,’ even in English,” Marina recalls. Meanwhile, the partners attended events and business meetings. “We built our network one business card at a time. It took a lot of time to create connections, but that’s what propelled us,” Mariana reveals.
In the early years, the agency promoted curious and unusual projects, such as the launch of Michael Jackson’s father’s book in Brazil and a company that ‘made dreams come true,’ like that of a doctor who spent a week in Europe living as James Bond. As their contact network expanded, the agency began serving e-commerce, digital businesses, and tech clients.
With 14 years in the market, NoAr is now a benchmark in the innovation ecosystem and has secured major clients across various sectors like Sony, Vtex, Boston Scientific, among others. For 2025, the company launched an exclusive report, AIres, which uses Artificial Intelligence to map over 50 metrics and provides a unique visualization of PR campaign reach.
“It was an instant match”
Built by partners and co-founders Dib Sekkar and Gustavo Santana, the story of Wigoo, a marketing agency for major brands, began with a childhood friendship that turned into a business partnership.
The entrepreneurial journey started in 2016 when Wigoo established itself as a technology and data company, offering a data and lead capture software for retailers.
Despite his experience in operations, Gustavo initially contributed by offering valuable tips—he had played a key role in Sem Parar’s digital consolidation. But after two years, Dib realized that just following Gustavo’s advice wasn’t enough and turned the friendship into a partnership.
“Aside from meeting in childhood, we had an instant alignment of ideas and shared goals as adults. The company grew gradually through hard work, without external investment, sustaining itself with its own revenue. Our professional paths also crossed, connecting through similar goals and dreams,” says Gustavo.
Today, Wigoo positions itself with the martech concept, combining marketing and technology through multichannel strategies, offering 360º services, analyzing each client’s needs, and focusing on being the ideal strategic business partner.
“Our purpose—and what drives our rapid growth—is being 100% client-focused. We continue doing this with the same enthusiasm as when we started, always seeking new ways to improve deliveries and achieve goals,” Dib comments.
“Growing together to prosper”
A friendship can be the starting point for great achievements. For William, founder of ConCrédito, entrepreneurship has always been tied to the people around him. Coming from a challenging background, he started his career as a car washer, newspaper delivery boy, and call center agent. With dedication and vision, he grew in the credit sector, becoming a business partner even before founding his own company.
In 2016, ConCrédito was born in his bedroom, with improvised furniture but a clear purpose: to offer fair and accessible financial solutions. From the start, William believed growth should be collective. He brought friends into the business, trained inexperienced people, and created an environment where everyone could thrive together. ‘I always believed true success is shared. Growing together means evolving faster and with more purpose,’ the entrepreneur emphasizes.
Today, ConCrédito is a leader in the consigned credit market, having processed over R$ 1.5 billion in contracts and serving 100,000 clients monthly. Beyond numbers, the company stands out for its commitment to people’s development, encouraging education, a growth mindset, and building a team that grows stronger every day.
“Transforming through diversity”
The relationship between executives Haynabian Amarante, known as Bibi, and Ramon Prado began in the live marketing industry. “I was head of production at a company and interviewed Ramon for a client-facing role. I never imagined we’d become partners,” Bibi recalls.
From recruitment to daily workplace conversations, Ramon and Bibi discovered a strong alignment between their personal values and the teachings from their families. This connection awakened in them a desire to build a business aligned with those principles, embedding them in both company culture and workplace dynamics.
“Since 2016, my project HUSTLERS.BR aimed to balance my skills with the event circuit. When I started working with Bibi in 2019, we realized it was the time to transform the market with an agency specialized in Live Marketing, Digital Strategy, and focused on diversity in teams and projects. In 2020, we officially founded HUSTLERS.BR with a restructured partnership and fully reorganized in its operations and purposes,” says Ramon.
Today, the entrepreneurs are expanding projects with major brands, having worked for four years on corporate events with companies like Google and Warner Bros. HUSTLERS.BR projects growth of over 30% for 2025.
