Samuel Rizzon grew up in Brazil and dreamed of a tech career, but at 16 he was diagnosed with cancer. A decade of treatment cost 40,000 reais monthly, tying him to one employer. Now in a fellowship program, he's building new professional opportunities and networking with founders.
What's your story?
My story?
Yeah.
Yeah, I grew up in a very simple family in Brazil, just me and my mom.
Where was your dad?
I know my dad, but they are not— my dad and my mom, they are not ending up getting married or something like that, you know. But I was— I grew up without him for years. It was just me and my mom and sometimes my family, people from my family. And I grew up in a very strange place. It was not in a favela in Brazil, but the place that I grew up was around by favelas. So my friends were using drugs, drinking alcohol, and all of those things, but I've never do anything like that. I've never drink, I've never got a cigarette or something like that. I've always been trying to be a good guy, you know. My mom always teach me all of this stuff.
What would she tell you? What would she tell you?
Yeah, but she just tell me to just not doing that stuff and that I, I don't know, maybe don't, don't do that. And I'll just listen to her because I trust her, really trust her. And she's a, she's a very simple woman, you know, very simple woman, but he has values and his— she has a lot of values and a lot of things that I really trust and care about that. So I don't know, I just trust her and trying to do my own things and not following my friends, you know. So I grew up with that, always liking technology and those things. So I remember when I was a child, I, I I used to say that I will work in an office with an air conditioner and my computer. I always say that. And for my friends, it's strange because all of them are doing other stuff, and they— I don't know, they are just inside of that mentality of being there for the rest of their lives, you know. But I don't know, I always think about going out of that place and doing other things. And I remember that in 2000, uh, and then in 2012, I discovered cancer with 16 years old. It was hard. I remember that I was sit down the chair and the doctor just said that my mom just put hands on the her face and running crying. And I was just there, okay, what should I do now? It's— I don't know. I've never thought that I would die, but I always treat that like a code that I will face that and I would just go through that, you know. So I—
and you did?
Yeah, I did. After 10 years fighting against that.
10 years?
Yeah, almost 10 years. Because when I discovered in 2012, 2012, at 16, so I did chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and in 2014 I did a transplant It was really bad, the transplant. It's really— they almost kill me and then go. But my— I don't know, it's medulla, how they say that. They put my spine. Yeah, they put that again in me. But anyway, so I did a transplant in 2014, and yeah, I was good from 2014 to 2017, and then 2017, the cancer came again. So I continued doing the process again until 2023, 3 years ago.
That's a long time, my friend.
Yeah, going to the hospital twice a month, working a lot, learning by yourself. Yeah, working, going out and just living my life. Yeah.
It was very meaningful because in our interview for the program you said this is my one chance. Why did it feel that way?
I feel like because of the cancer, I lose a lot of opportunities in my life. I remember when I started working at the TOTUS, for example, I spent there 5 years and I was always trying to go to another company, but I can't because of the health care. The health care?
Yeah, the health care.
Because I was stuck in that because the treatment was 40,000 reais per month.
Wow.
And I can't pay for that, you know. So I need a company to the healthcare, and I also can't pay the healthcare outside of the company. So I had to use the company healthcare, you know. So it's been a while, then I feel stuck, you know, when I— and I lose some opportunities because of that, but I really try to make my own opportunities during that time, you know. That's why I always trying to make other things besides my current job. So creating things and creating other things. So that's why I think that's— I have one chance right now and I can lose that.
Fuck, it's tough, man.
I'm sorry. I really feel like the Eminem song "Lose Yourself." One shot, one opportunity.
How many times did you listen to that song? He always mentions it. Yeah, it's a great song. It's a great movie too.
I really listen to Yesterday and today.
Just wake up, just wake up. What's been the program so far?
It's been amazing, bro. I'm really impressed about what you are doing with the fellows here, to be honest. How you are helping us and being direct that we need to create our own opportunities here. You also already give us the opportunity, so we need to create our opportunities here. You did your job. Now it depends 100% of us doing our job now. And I feel that, that it's really hard to teach that guys to do that. It's really hard because I feel more some of them, they didn't understand that.
Well, what, what do you understand?
What I understand about what?
What do you want out of this week?
So I'm really trying to create opportunities here and talk with a lot of companies to, to get a job, a job offer. Or work on some good company. So what, what I'm doing on this weekend is, okay, I have— there are a lot of companies here and there are a lot of people interested in me, and I will talk to all of them because I need to understand how does that work because I've never been here, you know. So every talk, every walk that I went to a founder or a guy for a company, I was just— I just want to know how does that work and how they work. And, you know, all of the process here, not only for to get a job offer, but to understand their minds and what they want. Because if they doesn't want something like me or it doesn't fit, so It's okay for me, but I need to understand their minds and the way of they are hiring. So it's very important for me.
Yeah. Do you have anything else you want to say?
Don't stop.
Me?
Yeah. Okay. Just continue doing this amazing work. So I'm really, really liking the the program, the people. That's so fucking cool to be here. It means a lot for me because, you know, not only because of the cancer, but what happened last year was really tough, really hard. Yesterday I was talking with the guys and then I was talking about my son and it's You told them? Yeah, yeah.
To everyone?
No, it was 5 or 6 people.
Wow, man.
Yeah.
How was it?
Man, it's good because I love talk about that. It was the best part of my life, but the hardest one also.
I'm so sorry.
Yeah. But it's good. I showed them my wedding video.
No way!
Yeah, some photos, and you're just good. But thank you, it means a lot for me to, to be here, and because I'm the oldest one, so I, I was really— when I was looking at the pointers, the previous fellows, I noticed that everyone was They are starting, you know, and I feel like, okay, I have a lot of things and maybe he not select me because of that. But thank you.
Yes, of course. Thank you. It's really not about that.
