Brazil has had its ups and downs, including dictatorships and hyperinflation. Now, though, it seems to be in a solid upward cycle.

I'm just back from a trip to Brazil, with stops in Sao Paulo and Curitiba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curitiba), a city that has become a popular case study (http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/fellows/brazil1203/) of urban reinvention (my photos and videos are on Flickr here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sociate/sets/72157626601048009/) and here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sociate/sets/72157626697301021/)). It was an eye-opening trip.

With Ricardo Doria (http://www.seedwiki.com/?wiki=yi-tan&page=ricardo_doria), co-founder of Aldeia Coworking (http://aldeiaco.com.br/) in Curitiba, let's discuss:

* What did Curitiba do that got so much attention?

* How has Brazil faced change and fostered innovation?

* How are the tech and entrepreneurial communities doing in Brazil?

* Where is Brazil headed, relative to the other BRICS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRICS) members?