Managing Partner, TINNUTS Executive Trustee, India Music Exchange
Biography & Career Highlights
Rafael Pereira is an intellectual property strategist and web3 oracle working at the intersection of law, business, and culture. As the Managing Partner of TINNUTS, a new-age intellectual property law firm, he advises leading creators, entrepreneurs, and the world’s biggest artists, labels, publishers, distributors, and promoters on their legal and business affairs across Asia. A graduate of Berkeley Law, Rafael has built multiple ventures spanning Asia and Europe, combining legal expertise with a deep understanding of the creative economy. He also serves as the Executive Trustee of the India Music Exchange, an ambitious export and mobility initiative aimed at positioning Indian music globally through its flagship project, India International Music Week. Known for his multidisciplinary background, Rafael’s body of work spans technology, entertainment, arts, culture, academia, and even theatre, earning him recognition as a versatile creative leader with a sharp legal mind.
Early Career & Music
Rafael’s journey into the creative industries began long before law and entrepreneurship—rooted in a strong foundation in theatre, film, and cultural expression. He was part of multiple award-winning drama productions, including wins at prestigious Marathi and Hindi one-act play competitions which earned him a spot as an Ambassador for the National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai. He has also scripted and produced films such as “Mumbai Paisa Vasool”, screened at the Mumbai Film Festival 2010, and “Mimosa,” nominated for the Ladakh International Film Festival 2013. His early academic pursuits were equally diverse—authoring research papers on legal systems, environmental governance, and gender representation in media, and participating in national consultations. This formative mix of performing arts, creative storytelling, and policy-level academic exposure shaped his ability to work seamlessly with artists, institutions, and cultural frameworks.
Transition to Entrepreneurship
Rafael’s entrepreneurial journey began while he was still completing his law degree. Turning down admission to Government Law College, he opted for Pravin Gandhi College of Law, where lectures were mandatory—forcing him to master the art of balancing 75% attendance with 40% profit. Between classes, bathroom-break calls, library emails disguised as “research,” and several medical certificates, he built a thriving career in events, legal services, and creative production. His inclination towards starting up was shaped by real-world experience, early client trust, and unwavering self-belief. He began routing early projects through his personal account, reinvesting earnings strategically, and learning the nuances of business development on the go. His clerkships across courts—from Magistrate’s Court to the Bombay High Court—and roles within film productions and public sector tech initiatives added multidimensional insight to his evolution from law student to cultural entrepreneur.
About the Companies
Rafael co-founded Cadre with his sister Rhea in 2015 as a one-stop workforce and personnel solution for the events and entertainment industry. What began with just ₹50,000 as seed capital and client faith from companies like Fountainhead, Wizcraft, and Percept quickly grew into a structured entity providing trained manpower and replacing the outdated, coordinator-driven ecosystem. Cadre now operates across 37 cities with a full-time team, empowering students and young professionals while filling a critical operational gap in the live events sector.
As Managing Partner at TINNUTS, Rafael leads one of India’s most future-focused full-service law firms, representing creators across disciplines and companies across sectors. The firm integrates creativity, legal services, technology, and business strategy, with Rafael using his international legal training and cultural expertise to navigate an increasingly complex and digitally engaged creative economy. While TINNUTS is widely recognized for bridging global IP systems with India’s fast-evolving creative industries, what goes unseen is the firm’s vast clientele in the areas of immigration, matrimonial, and criminal law.
Rafael has been a part of 17 startups and counting going from not being able to receive payment being below the working age limit to making his first acquisition at the age of 21 he swears by one learning- there are no small businesses, just small business thinking.
Impact & Vision
Across both law and culture, Rafael’s vision has remained consistent—to empower creators, organise fragmented ecosystems, and build global pathways for Indian talent. Through Cadre, he strengthened the backbone of India’s events industry by professionalising manpower systems and creating equitable, transparent work structures for young workers. Through TINNUTS, he champions creator rights, digital ownership, and sustainable IP practices in an era defined by AI. His most defining mission today is the India Music Exchange, designed to create an export pipeline for Indian music and foster international mobility, collaboration, and recognition. With India International Music Week as its flagship initiative, Rafael aims to build long-term infrastructure that solidifies India’s position as a cultural net export powerhouse on the global stage. His career continues to reflect a blend of legal excellence, entrepreneurial grit, and a deep belief in the power of culture to move industries forward.
