"We are relevant and important. Our contribution makes a difference"
Luiz Thomaz DaCosta
Business owner, Marlborough, Massachusetts
Modular Concepts LLC.
Interviewed by Aditi Goel. Written by Aditi Goel and Lisa Gilman.
June 2026
Luiz Thomaz DaCosta is a winner of the Immigrant Learning Center’s 2025 Barry M. Portnoy Immigrant Entrepreneur Award. He was born in the state of Paraná in Brazil in 1971. He grew up in a modest family as the youngest of four children. His father was a pastor, and his mother a teacher. Their strong work ethic and Christian values shaped his upbringing. As a teenager, Mr. DaCosta moved to Curitiba, Paraná’s state capital, where he began working early in life. He held multiple jobs, including running errands for an accounting firm in the mornings and for a bank in the afternoons. At night, he attended high school. Due to the demanding schedule, heeventually dropped out, but later completed an intensive course equivalent to a high school diploma, similar to a GED in the United States.
While in Brazil, Mr. DaCosta first pursued higher education in healthcare administration for about one and a half years. Because he was working at the same time, he had to quit, as his work commitments prevented him from meeting the course requirements. He eventually earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Universidade Paulista (UNIP) in São Paulo,
while he was working for the American company Ecolab. He held a high-level executive position managing distribution across Brazil for Ecolab, a role that required frequent travel to different regions within the country.
Despite his professional success, Mr. DaCosta was concerned about the culture of violence and corruption in his country. He explained that things “that shouldn't be natural or acceptable had become just part of daily routine because that's life in Brazil.” A pivotal moment, “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” came when his daughter, who was nine years old, didn’t want him to buy a nice car because she said that “if I got that car, they would kill me to take the car”. Mr. DaCosta did not want his children to grow up in that environment. “If a 9-year-old is already reasoning, you know, about things that she shouldn't even be thinking about, it's almost too late. I realized that I need to bring them to a place where they can just be kids, or where they can have things without the fear of people killing them or hurting them to get the things they have.”
In 2007, Mr. DaCosta pursued an opportunity to represent a Brazilian company in the U.S. market. He and his wife decided to come to the United States while their paperwork was being finalized so their children couldstart school at the beginning of the academic year. They knew that starting in a new school system in a foreign language would be difficult, and they didn’t want to make things even harder by making the transition mid-school year. With two children and six suitcases, Mr. DaCosta and his wife came to Marlborough, Massachusetts because his wife’s siblings had already settled there.
Soon after they arrived, the couple’s plans were disrupted. The 2008 financial crisis made exports from Brazil unviable in the United States, and the business opportunity collapsed. It was a difficult time! As Mr. DaCosta put it, “Now we are here, we have already moved, and now what?” With no work visa and limited work options, his professional life took a 180-degree turn.
Mr. DaCosta described seeing an ad that said, “Be your own boss.” With his limited understanding of English at the time, he “certainly misunderstood the ad! “I ended up buying, with sweat, not money, a commercial cleaning franchise.” On hindsight, he reflected, had he realized the nature of the business; he likely wouldn’t have gone that route. On January 2, 2008, he secured his first customer through the franchise, a client who remainswith Mr. DaCosta’s current company to this day.
As the franchise owner, with no revenue to hire employees, Mr. DaCosta and his wife found themselves doing the cleaning. He thus went from being a “high executive with a tie” to “a janitor.” Although it was not what he had hoped for, he is grateful for the opportunity with the franchise. He said, “I didn’t need to put down any money because I didn’t have any.” From the beginning, he strived to “be excellent” as they cleaned restrooms, offices, and anything else they were hired to do. His family still cleans that client regularly as a reminder of their humble beginnings and the journey that brought them to where they are today.
In 2014, Mr. DaCosta transitioned the company from a franchise to Modular Concepts, an independent commercial cleaning business. He already knew the “fundamentals” of business from his professional background in Brazil, “how to create a business, do marketing, and how to do the financial responsible thing.” His family and friends supported him, mostly through prayers and encouragement, and eventually, new clients and companies placed their trust in the company. Over time, the company’s reputation grew through word of mouth, leading to new opportunities and connections.
For Mr. DaCosta, cleaning is not just a service; it is an opportunity to help people. “As an entrepreneur,” he explained, “we need to create value that makes a difference.” The values instilled in him by his family continue to form the foundation of his approach: “do good, help people, pray for people, show genuine interest in that person.” A good life comes from integrity, honesty, and helping others, he says. This philosophy has resulted in exceptional customer retention, with some clients remaining with the company for more than 18 years.
Mr. DaCosta focuses less on aggressive expansion and more on strengthening relationships by continuing to add new quality services to existing clients. He explained that “every new service or new opportunity that we get really improves our bottom line.” The company continues to grow steadily at approximately 12% annually. By listening carefully to clients, understanding their needs, and building compassionate relationships, Modular Concepts delivers dependable and efficient service.
Mr. DaCosta recognizes the important contributions that immigrants make in the United States: “We are relevant and important. Our contributions make a difference. Immigrants are essential to the American economy, American society, the community overall, and the business community. Immigrants do some of the most basic, much-needed work. Someone needs to do it, and we do it well. We take pride in that. Immigrants also contribute vital skills and high-level expertise. Immigrants are great teachers, have PhDs, and are CEOs of companies. From entry-level positions to leadership roles, immigrants bring creativity, resilience, dedication, and valuable perspectives that strengthen communities and industries across the country”.
Being an immigrant has been a significant advantage in shaping his own work ethic and approach to business. He highlighted the cultural basis of his and other immigrants’ attitudes toward work, particularly theirwillingness to take initiative and go beyond defined expectations. Immigrants often approach their work with a strong sense of responsibility and pride, which contributes to high-quality results. For example, he shared that in Brazil, workers naturally address problems they notice, such as fixing things that need attention, even if they fall outside the official scope of work, without expecting additional compensation.
The United States offers greater opportunities for social mobility than does Brazil. In the United States, Mr. DaCosta explained, you can have a degree from a prestigious university and own a multi-million-dollarcompany, yet still “we are janitors”. You can be a millionaire in America, being a janitor. That's not true in Brazil and most other countries in the world. In Brazil, if you’re a janitor, it's because there's nothing else that you can do. And you're going to live a very poor, very limited life with very limited social mobility. You will be poor throughout your life. In the United States, by contrast, “even with the most basic or hard or dirty work, you still can have a dignified life, a way to provide for your family and social mobility. You can really progress financially.” That is why, he says, immigrants work so hard no matter what they are doing.
Mr. DaCosta has “deep gratitude to America, to this community, for the way we were received, embraced, taken care of, and given opportunities. We want to give back.” He does so by supporting nonprofit organizations and serving his community. Through speaking engagements and other mentoring opportunities, he encourages emerging entrepreneurs to 1) seek out community and networks, 2) join professional associations and local chambers of commerce, 3) pursue education and training opportunities, and 4) volunteer and give back.
Reflecting on his journey, Mr. DaCosta acknowledged that starting over in a new country came with significant challenges, but giving up was never an option. He rebuilt his life through hard work, persistence, and determination. Guided by his personal motto— “you can give up because of hardships, or you can succeed despite them. I chose to succeed.”—he remains committed to pushing forward rather than being discouraged by obstacles. He credits his family, his church, clients, and the business community for providing the encouragement and opportunities that have supported his journey. Faith shapes both his personal life and leadership philosophy. Everything he has comes from God, he says. Anchoring his life in something greater than himself, he strives to live his values through action, showing kindness and helping others. He says, “I don't want to be successful or famous, but be relevant.” Mr. DaCosta hopes his journey serves as a meaningful example, not for fame or recognition, but for creating a positive impact in the lives of others.