They left behind high-profile careers—one as an international model and another at a large multinational—to pursue their dream of becoming entrepreneurs. In 2021, Paula Kodama and Aline Kalinoski decided to found a marketing agency, Nowa, with a clear purpose: to boost the results of freelancers and small businesses.
In practice, they help their clients stand out and achieve a competitive image in the market, especially through social media marketing. With focus and meticulous preparation, they not only launched a business but also embarked on a personal mission of empowerment, transforming ambitious goals into tangible reality.
The agency is based in Curitiba, but serves clients throughout Brazil and has already completed projects abroad. "We've also worked on a project in New York," the partners say. Their client portfolio includes independent professionals such as doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, and small businesses in the service, product, and even industrial sectors. As a result of this work, Nowa's revenue grew by 230% from 2022 to 2023.
Now, they want to go further. They also want to expand the agency's range of services. Currently, Nowa Marketing provides social media (digital social media management), branding and visual identity (brand creation and strengthening), photo and video production, internet traffic management, landing page (webpage development and design), and consulting. The goal is to begin offering training services to female entrepreneurs to manage their businesses. "We realize that this training is often lacking; it's one of the main challenges," Paula points out. "We want to expand Nowa Marketing into this management education aspect," reinforces Aline. The partners have a strong personal mission to encourage female entrepreneurship in the country.
The business partners realize that many entrepreneurs, generally speaking, are experts in their fields. However, they don't learn how to be entrepreneurs in college and struggle with managing their businesses. "For example, they don't know how to price [their product or service]," explains Aline.
Trajectory
Before founding Nowa Marketing, Aline and Paula had different backgrounds and trajectories. With a degree in Business Administration and specializations in Finance and Marketing, Aline worked for years at a multinational company, ExxonMobil. She started there as an intern and rose through the ranks within the company, but at a certain point, she felt a desire for further professional development.
Paula, who studied Interior Design, modeled for over ten years, between 2009 and 2020, working in various jobs in Asia. She became an entrepreneur, developing her own bikini line. She studied Branding at a university in London. She returned to Brazil in 2021, where she was introduced to Aline.
Aline was starting her career as a financial consultant. She met Paula specifically to help with marketing strategies. They both realized that this demand was, in fact, the same demand from many people who wanted to start their own businesses. "We identified a business opportunity," recalls Aline. Nowa Marketing was born.
In addition to the agency's growth, the two women are also establishing themselves as leaders. They were even hired by Sebrae as influencers to speak at events focused on micro and small businesses. Last June, they had their first experience in this role. "We really want to foster female entrepreneurship," they emphasize.
