Born in Carmo de Minas, Luiz Paulo is the first of four brothers from a traditional family in the region's coffee culture. He is part of the family's fourth generation coffee producer and, together with his brothers and cousins, helps to carry much of the local coffee culture history over the years.

Luiz graduated in Business Administration from Faculdade Santa Marta, in São Lourenço, and pursued a banking career, before returning to Carmo de Minas, where he took over part of the family business.

Working in the farms, in 2004, he joined one of his cousins, Jacques Pereira Carneiro, to start a pioneering project: the valorization of the special coffees of Carmo de Minas and the region. 

What Luiz Paulo realized, however, was that the region had a unique identity, a set of specific attributes that gave local coffee distinct flavors, which placed it among the best in the world. He also noted that the lack of appreciation of coffee in the region affected the entire production chain and the lives of thousands of families that depend on cultivation in Mantiqueira. Knowing how this identity could impact the entire region, they began to focus on specialty coffee.

The project grew and little by little, Luiz was able to transform the world aspect on the specialty coffees produced in the region (and in Brazil). Then, in 2007, he and his cousin Jacques founded CarmoCoffees. The company emerged to explore the possibilities of sustainable coffee business. Not only exporting coffee through direct trade channels, but also boosting research on specialty coffees in the Mantiqueira de Minas region. With a greater appreciation of coffee, many coffee growers and families that depend on the cultivation of the plant were able to improve their lives.