Raphael was born in Goias, Brazil and is the oldest of two.  At the age of five, Raphael relocated to Greenwich, Connecticut where he resided until graduating from high school in 2004.  After high school, Raphael subsequently attended Sacred Heart University where he earned a bachelor of arts with double majors in Finance and Business Administration.  In addition, Raphael obtained a minor in Spanish.

Soccer is by far Raphael’s biggest passion and has always been an important part of his life.  At the age of 10, Raphael joined his first soccer team and began competing at the travel level.  Soon after, he joined a premier team that competed regionally, nationally, and in international tournaments.  Additionally, Raphael played at the highest level of high school soccer for four years and captained the team his senior year.  Raphael went on to play Division I Collegiate Soccer at Sacred Heart University where he was a member of the first team in the schools history to qualify for the Northeast Championship playoffs.  Furthermore, as a certified coach, Raphael coached soccer teams in lower Fairfield County Connecticut during his spare time in college.

Raphael currently lives and works in Stamford, CT.  He is an Emerging Markets Product Controller at UBS Investment Bank.