Rita has a BSc from Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics (with an Erasmus exchange in Audencia - Nantes), an MSc and PhD studies in Management at IESE Business School - Barcelona, Internet studies at Oxford University, post graduations in Green & Sustainable Cities and in Business Law from the University of Lisbon and studied Mandarin at Tianjin University. She started her career as an intern at Etibank (Ankara) and then did an advertising internship at McCann Erickson (Paris). She worked as a marketing manager at Unicre (Lisbon) and as a management consultant at PwC (Lisbon), taught Management Information Systems, E-Business, Operations and Finance to undergrads, MBAs and Executives (ESSEC Paris, AESE/IESE, Católica Lisbon) and co-authored a book on Strategy & E-Business. As Marketing Communication & HR Director at Católica University, she developed its 1st Marketing & Communications Plan and implemented a multi-campus ERP Information System, while raising funds, Uni-rankings, and reducing costs. She founded a bakery business and developed partnerships with 90 institutions for Uniplaces (an international hospitality startup) and served on the Boards of the Portuguese Federation of Cycle Tourism and Bike Users (FPCUB) and the European Union of Cycle Tourism (EUCT). In addition, she was a member of the Parents Council and of the Eco-Schools Council of the Lisbon German School, where she founded a Mobility Team and also served on the Board of a Portuguese music school. Besides teaching at NOVA IMS, she now manages her real estate portfolio, invests in the cycling industry and education (as a founder of the KidicalMass.pt movement in Portugal), and mentors tourism start-ups. She cycled in around 30 countries and helps developing cycle tourism in Portugal (as a Eurovelo inspector). Married and mother of a teenager, she deeply believes that a good education and sustainable mobility play a strong role in improving the world.