Tech.Emotion 2025

Callum Adamson is a serial founder with a track record of building and exiting high-impact technology ventures. He began his career by leaving an Aeronautics degree to join 4M, an early e-commerce platform, where he helped scale the company through to acquisition. He went on to develop and commercialise advanced ML systems as an independent technologist before founding distributed.com, a venture-backed AI infrastructure company acquired by ILX group in 2021. Since 2019, he has served as AI Expert-in-Residence at Imperial College London, advising on applied AI strategy and research translation. He co-founded Kashmir Intelligence following years of collaboration with researcher and engineer Dr. Sam, focused on deploying AI into civilisation-critical sectors like
energy and heavy industry.

Eileen Akbaraly is an Italian-Indian entrepreneur at the forefront of responsible fashion, transforming the global industry scenario through the Made For A Woman project.
Founded in 2019, Made For A Woman is Madagascar’s first social entrepreneurship project led by women, for women: at the intersection of savoir-faire, sustainable sourcing, and empowerment through conscious leadership, the brand blends contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship to deliver exquisite handcrafted products using eco-friendly materials.
The soul of the project lies in its powerful mission: to create lasting and impact through an innovative, human-centered business model, paving the way for a more equitable future.
Eileen’s dedication has earned widespread recognition, leading to high-profile collaborations with fashion houses like Fendi and Chloé, as well as awards for sustainability and innovation, including a Fast Company World Changing Ideas award, 2 top-three finishes at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards for Human Rights and Best Emerging Designer, a Prix de la
Francophonie Économique, and a Visionary CEO of the Year award.

He is the Executive Chairman of ITA Airways and Chairman of Recordati. He also sits on the boards of Enerpac Tool, MSX, Ares Invest, Oltre Consulting, Proma, and Ambienta SGR. Over the years, he has held board positions at major companies in both Italy and the United States, including TIM, Ferrari, Chrysler LLC, Magneti Marelli, and Maserati.
Previously, he served as COO of FCA for the EMEA region, and as President and CEO of Iveco, FPT, and Tofas. As Global Head of Business Development at Fiat Group, he played a key role in major transactions such as the Fiat–Chrysler merger, the Fiat–GM alliance, and the spin-off and IPO of Fiat Industrial.
He holds a degree in Economics from the Catholic University of Milan and brings with him extensive leadership and business development experience. He is also Managing Director of AMRE Srl, a family office investing in multiple club deals across Europe and the United States, and a member of the Investment Committee of Vasuki, a venture capital fund sponsored by Rothschild.
As of September, he has been appointed Special Advisor for the European market for BYD, reinforcing the company’s strategic commitment to expanding its presence in one of the world’s most critical markets.

Michela is the CEO and co-founder of Arke, a platform that acts as the brain of manufacturing companies by streamlining operational processes, connecting workflows, and optimizing efficiency through automation and data insights. With a background in industrial engineering, Michela began her career at Amazon, followed by roles at SAP and Kry in Berlin and Google in Dublin before founding Arke.

Under her leadership, Arke raised an international pre-seed round backed by experienced investors with a strong track record in scaling global companies. Michela's vision is to create a new category of business software that combines elements of ERP, knowledge management, collaborative workflows, and productivity — giving manufacturers the software they deserve to compete in a modern economy.
She is passionate about building an emotionally intelligent company culture and proving that it's possible to drive innovation in traditional industries while creating generational wealth for those often left out of the tech bubble. By starting in Italy, one of the world’s manufacturing hubs, Michela aims to prove that Italy has the potential to leverage its deep-rooted industrial expertise to spark a global revolution in manufacturing technology.

Born in Lecco in 1987, Maria Anghileri is the COO of the Eusider Group, a leading player in the Italian steel industry. A Law graduate from Bocconi University, she furthered her education at Harvard Business School.
Following an early career in the legal field, she joined Eusider in 2016, where she has played a pivotal role in the company’s strategic development and operational growth. Active in Confindustria since 2015, she has held prominent leadership positions, including serving as National Vice President of the Young Entrepreneurs group from 2020 to 2024.
In this role, she championed initiatives focused on generational transition in family-owned businesses. Since November 2024, she has been serving as President of the Young Entrepreneurs and Vice President of Confindustria.

Moran Atias is a globally recognized Israeli actress, creator, host, and humanitarian whose career bridges continents, cultures, and causes. She first rose to fame in Italy, co-hosting the hit prime-time show I Raccomandati alongside Carlo Conti, before transitioning into critically acclaimed Italian cinema, working with revered directors such as Mario Monicelli, Luca Lucini, and Dario Argento.
span>After becoming a prominent name in Israeli television and film, Moran launched her Hollywood career with commanding performances in Crash (Starz), Tyrant (FX), 24: Legacy (FOX), The Village (NBC), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), and Animal Kingdom (TNT). Her breakout film role in Paul Haggis’ Third Person, opposite Adrien Brody and Liam Neeson, earned her critical acclaim and a star on the Belgian Walk of Fame.
Moran is also a proud member of the Actors Studio, where she continues to deepen her craft alongside the industry’s most respected performers. She has also hosted major international events, bringing her natural presence and eloquence to global stages.
Parallel to her artistic path, Moran has built a distinguished legacy as a humanitarian. She led an emergency evacuation mission following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, helping spinal injury patients reach life-saving surgeries. She then raised millions of dollars to build the country’s first all-girls high school, which continues to offer free education from elementary through graduation—a classroom in the school bears her name. For this work, she has received multiple awards and international recognition.

In 2022, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moran volunteered over 150 hours in the ER at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, one of Israel’s largest medical centers—bringing compassion, presence, and hands-on care in a time of deep crisis.
Moran’s commitment to women’s rights, healing, and justice has made her an unshakable advocate for survivors of sexual violence—especially those affected by the October 7th attacks in Israel. She continues to challenge global silence from organizations such as UN Women and MeToo, and uses her voice, platform, and art to call for accountability, support, and lasting change.
As a mother by choice, Moran gave birth to her daughter in 2022—becoming an inspiration to countless women who are redefining motherhood on their own terms. Her personal journey—steeped in courage, contradiction, heritage, and radical love—is the heartbeat of her newest television work. Today, Moran is developing a powerful slate of scripted content for film and television as a writer and producer, telling stories rooted in emotional truth, cultural identity, and spiritual inquiry. She continues to create content that bridges divides, fosters inclusiveness, and amplifies compassion—with the belief that storytelling can be a force for peace.
Through every role she takes—on screen, behind the camera, and in the world—Moran remains committed to using her platform to advocate for women, uplift the unheard, and move the world closer to healing.

Azzalini brings extensive experience in the technology sector and currently serves as Group CIO at Fincantieri, where he leads the development and execution of the company’s IT and digital strategy.

He holds a degree in electronics engineering and began his career at IBM, where he gained strong technical and managerial expertise. He went on to hold senior positions in the banking and insurance industries, further broadening his leadership experience across both technology and business domains.

Since joining Fincantieri in 2018, Azzalini has played a key role in driving the company’s digital transformation. Under his leadership, Fincantieri has launched innovative initiatives that have significantly enhanced operational efficiency and competitiveness.

Widely recognized for his ability to blend deep technical knowledge with strategic vision, Azzalini is considered a leading figure in the technology sector.

Sandeep Bakshi is the Head of European Investments for Prosus Ventures, responsible for sourcing and executing transactions and building out the Prosus Ventures portfolio in the region. He has led investments in companies like Bilt, WayFlyer, Corti, Luzia, and more. Sandeep also sits on the Prosus Ventures investment committee. He is a Kauffman Fellow and began his career in M&A at Citigroup.

In CDP Venture Capital SGR SpA since 2020, Cristina serves as Chief Investment Officer overseeing investment activities and monitoring of the funds of funds (AUM: circa €2bn in total).
She has over 25 years of experience in the Venture Capital sector in Italy dealing either with investments in several startups/scaleups and as Limited Partner of VC funds.
She started her career in 1999 with Pino Venture Partners, advisor of the Kiwi I (€100 million) and Kiwi II (€500 million) closed-end VC funds, both focused on the ICT and new media sectors.
She then joined the team of Finlombarda Gestioni Sgr SpA., an asset manager focused on regional investments. where she handled Next, a public/private VC fund dedicated to direct and indirect investments as a fund of funds, in tech startups.
In 2014 she joined Fondo Italiano d'Investimento SGR SpA, where she became Partner in the fund of funds area with a focus on venture capital. As part her responsibilities, she oversaw two VC funds of funds.
Degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University.

Nick Brown is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Imaginary Ventures, a venture capital firm focusing on the consumer, product, and retail enablement sectors. Founded in partnership with Natalie Massenet, founder and former CEO of Net-A-Porter. Imaginary invests in best-in-class brands, platforms, and entrepreneurs that are changing how a new generation of consumers live, eat, and shop. Stage and geography agnostic, key consumer investments include SKIMS, FarFetch (IPO), Reformation (Permira), Glossier, Westman Atelier, Point of View, Kosas, Sundays Pet, The Feed, Mila, and others. Their enablement portfolio includes NuOrder (Lightspeed), Gloss Genius, Pepper, Builder, and others. He is a member of the Business of Fashion 500 and is a frequent contributor to various publications on the topics of retail and the consumer.
Imaginary was launched in 2018 in New York and currently has assets under management of nearly $2 Billion.
Prior to starting Imaginary Ventures, Nick was a Partner at 14W Venture Partners, where he led the firm’s investments in the initial financing rounds for some of today’s most exciting brands including Warby Parker and The Real Real. Previously, he was an Analyst at JPMorgan on their Consumer and Retail team.
Nick received his BA from Harvard University in 2008. He was born in, and still resides in, New York City with his twin children and Partner.

René Carayol is a leading keynote speaker on leadership and executive coach, working with some of the Fortune 500s top CEOs and their teams and has also been Chair and CEO of blue-chip businesses. René energises leaders to see the art of the possible and has built his reputation on getting to know the culture of businesses better than they do themselves and providing answers and solutions no matter how big or small the problems.
As a former executive René draws on his own experiences of working at blue-chip companies such as Marks & Spencer, PepsiCo and IPC Media.
René has had the privilege of working closely with some of the world’s best leaders; from former US President Bill Clinton to CEOs including Jim Yong Kim at The World Bank, Ralph Hamers at ING Bank and Maria Ramos at Barclays Africa. His messages are practical, real-life experiences delivered with effect.He inspires his audiences by showing them not only what lies within their grasp, but how true collaboration makes everyone stronger.

Born in Milan, Claudio Costamagna attended the Ecole Européenne in Brussels before returning to Italy and enrolling at Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi. In 1981 he was awarded a degree in business economics. He then began his career in the Financial Control Area of Citibank, before moving in 1985 to Montedison, where he was Head of Corporate Finance for the holding company. In 1988 Mr. Costamagna joined Goldman Sachs, initially as Head of Investment Banking Italy, then becoming Country Head for Italy and Chairman of Goldman Sachs SIM. In 1999, he was appointed Co-Head of the Investment Banking Division for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and he became a member of the European Management Committee and the Global Partnership Committee. Between 2004 and 2006, year in which he left the group, Mr. Costamagna was Chairman of the Investment Banking Division for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He was Chairman of AAA-Advanced Accelerator Applications, a European pharmaceuticals group, from 2012 to January 2018. He was also Chairman of Salini-Impregilo, Italy’s leading infrastructure construction group from 2012 to July 2015 and Chairman of Cassa depositi e prestiti from July 2015 to July 2018.
Mr. Costamagna is now Chairman of CC & Soci, a financial advisory boutique he founded, and he sits on the Board of FTI Consulting, a business advisory group listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Moreover, Mr. Costamagna is Chairman of Unopiù SpA and Board Member of Ferragamo Finanziaria SpA, Salini Costruttori SpA, Finarvedi SpA and Italiana Petroli SpA.
Over the years, he also served as a director of Luxottica, Bulgari, Il Sole 24 Ore Group, Autogrill and DeA Capital, all companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. Moreover, he served as a board member of Virgin Group Holdings and Reuters Breakingviews.

Alberto is CEO and co-founder of Satispay, together with Dario Brignone and Samuele Pinta.
Born in 1984, passionate about design and outdoor sports, Alberto Dalmasso graduated in economics from the University of Turin. In 2008 he began his career working in the retail and import-export sector, working between Italy, the United States and Australia. After three years of experience in the marketing and business development division of Ersel (Private Banking and Asset Management) he founded Satispay in 2013.
Author of the book “Vivi Smart” (Live Smart), edited by Il Saggiatore and Active Angel investor alongside his co-founders and some colleagues, Alberto is married and father of two little kids, (4 and 2 years old).

Gianluca D'Agostino is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Techshop SGR, a Milan-based asset management company and venture capital fund distinguished by its forward-looking vision and data-driven approach. His career spans over 25 years, marked by significant achievements as a manager, founder, and investor.
His passion for entrepreneurship is evident in his ability to scale companies across various growth dimensions, including strategic partnerships, talent scouting, corporate organisation, global expansion, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Prior to founding The Techshop, D'Agostino served as an angel investor, supporting numerous European start-ups and collaborating with prominent angel investor networks and venture capital firms. He has also contributed as a board member in public and private companies in the United Kingdom, India, the Netherlands, and Italy.
One of his major successes was co-founding Neomobile Spa in Rome in 2007. Under his leadership as CEO, Neomobile experienced exponential growth, transforming into a global mobile monetisation platform for digital content. D'Agostino guided the company through organic growth and several M&A operations, leading Neomobile to generate a turnover of one billion euros. This achievement positioned Neomobile as one of Italy's most successful digital companies.
Before Neomobile, D'Agostino amassed extensive experience in executive roles at leading companies such as TIM and KPMG. These experiences enriched his skill set, enabling him to develop a unique strategic vision.
D'Agostino's international experience is extensive: he has lived and managed companies in Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Latin America. After spending 10 years in London, he returned to Italy, where he continues to positively influence the innovation ecosystem with his leadership and commitment.
In 2020, together with Mattia Mor, Karin Fischer, Alec Ross, Claude Finckenberg, Massimo Redaelli, and Thomas Schneider, D'Agostino founded Emotion Network, the Italian edtech and media company with the vision of placing the human being and their emotions at the centre of development. Believing in the power of storytelling to enhance human potential, they produce "Great stories to inspire, educate, entertain." TechEmotion.com is a project of Emotion Network.