Jonas was born and raised in São Carlos, Brazil, and is passionate about working through policy to effect meaningful, positive change in his communities.

He graduated in International Relations from the University of São Paulo and has a professional background in public policy, spanning roles in government, management consulting, and the NGO sector. Jonas led a government pandemic relief programme that directly reached 100,000+ citizens with emergency cash transfers, supported some of the largest companies in Brazil in deploying decarbonisation strategies, and implemented economic development policies in Salvador, one of Brazil's largest cities. Jonas' key interests are in development and climate policy.

Jonas is a Chevening scholar.