In addition to her writing, Moderno ran a variety of businesses. In 1907, she purchased a bookstore and sold international volumes. Two years later, she purchased a pineapple farm in Fajã de Baixo, where she grew produce to export to the United States. She also served as an insurance agent for several national and international commercial enterprises. In 1908, Moderno and Sousa created the first animal welfare organization in the Azores, establishing the Micaelense Society for the Protection of Animals (). She favored the establishment of the Portuguese Republic and supported the coup d'état which replaced the monarchy. In the constitutional discussions that followed, she contributed numerous articles in favor of divorce to protect women, advocated for women's education and pressed for women's rights. She joined the Republican League of Portuguese Women and participated in many activities of the association. In August 1912, while on a visit in Lisbon, de Sousa and Moderno were honored by the Republican League for their efforts in being the primary agitators for women's rights and education in the Azores