On the recently released episode of Quality Matters, I had the chance to speak with Diogo Costa, a free-market economist whose ideas about creative destruction both challenged and inspired me.
Diogo serves as the President and CEO of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), one of the country’s oldest classical liberal think tanks. What sets him apart, though, isn’t just his title—it’s his journey. From studying law in Brazil to political science in New York, conducting research at Cato and Atlas, completing graduate work in London, and leading Brazil’s National School of Public Administration, Diogo brings rare insight into how systems work—and how they often don’t.
That global perspective informs his belief in cooperation and market innovation. Far from the tired caricature of free markets as ruthless zero-sum games, Diogo emphasizes their cooperative nature, their role in discovery, and their power to increase value—not just shift it. His work at FEE reflects this: He and his team support student thought leaders, elevate education entrepreneurs, and provide fellowship experiences that challenge the status quo.
As education systems around the world—and especially in the U.S.—grapple with complexity, Diogo’s commitment to liberty, pluralism, and meaningful feedback loops offers a hopeful model. He reminds us that great education doesn’t come from rigid standardization but from dynamic and diverse ecosystems. And that freedom, paired with responsibility and vision, is still a powerful formula for human flourishing.
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