RAMIN ARANI
Investor and Former Chief Financial Officer Vice Media
Ramin Arani serves on the Boards of public Companies Brunello Cucinelli, LiveXLive, FAST Acquisition Corp I & II, and Velocity Acquisition Corp, as well as private Company Rumble Fitness. Most recently Ramin served as the Chief Financial Officer of Vice Media Group, a position he held from November 2019 until the end of December 2021. Prior to this, Ramin was a Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments where he had worked since graduating from Tufts University with a BA in International Relations in 1992. Most recently Ramin was Fund Manager of the Fidelity Puritan Fund from February 2008 through September 2018 where the Fund achieved top 5% performance relative to Lipper and Morningstar Balanced Fund Peers over all key performance time periods. The Fund was a 5-star rated & Silver-designated Fund according to Morningstar, under his management. Prior to the Puritan Fund, Ramin managed the Fidelity Trend Fund for 7 years, the Health Care Sector Fund in the late 90’s, and the Retail Select Fund in the mid-late ‘90’s. As a Fidelity research analyst from 1992-2000, Ramin covered the Aerospace & Defense, REIT, Retail, and Pharmaceutical industries. As an investor in Private Companies for the past 10 years, Ramin has served on several Company Boards such as Legendary Pictures, Vice, Moda Operandi, Rent the Runway, and Goop. Ramin has also personally been a founding partner and/or Board member of Rumble Boxing, ED by Ellen Degeneres, and Girlgaze. Among his philanthropic efforts, Ramin has served on the Boards of The College Foundation of the University of Virginia, The Nichols School, the Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University, Opportunity Network, Devereux Cleo Wallace, and national dog rescue Danny & Ron’s Rescue. Ramin has three daughters, one recently graduated from the University of Virginia, one attending Clemson University, and one attending University of Michigan. Ramin is an avid snowboarder, rock climber, runner, tennis player and live music fan.
MARCO BALDUCCI
CEO, Nhood
Marco Balducci is Chairman and CEO of Nhood Italy S.r.l. and Nhood Ukraine. Born in Sassari on 12 July 1968, after graduating in Law from the University of Milan, he was Director in Charge of Group Corporate Matters at La Rinascente. Between 2009 and 2015 he held various roles within the Auchan Group, including Legal Director, Deputy Director in Charge of Group Corporate Matters and Group Legal Director. In 2015 he joined Ceetrus Corporate where, until 2019, he was Head of the Finance, Legal and Information Technology divisions. In Ceetrus Corporate, Marco Balducci participated in the evolution of the company from a purely commercial vocation to one of the main players in the real estate industry in Italy, specializing in urban redevelopment interventions and with a business model based on four pillars: real estate innovation, proximity, culture and entertainment, and trade and services. Today, for all its projects, the company starts from a structured activity of listening and, by marrying the model of the city to within 15 minutes, it values the importance of creating spaces for the physical and spiritual well-being of the individual. In January 2021 Marco Balducci led the merger of Ceetrus with Nodi - an AFM company specialized in the real estate business - to create Nhood, a different kind of organization offering mixed real estate services to create and develop new living areas and neighborhoods on land earmarked for redevelopment, with a three-fold positive impact on the people, the planet, and on profits.
RUZWANA BASHIR
Co-founder and CEO, Peek
Ruzwana is CEO and Founder of Peek.com, an award-winning platform for booking experiences (such as ziplining, boat rentals and cooking classes). Peek.com combines a marketplace with powerful booking and payment software tools for businesses. Peek.com has had $2 billion in bookings and raised over $100 million in funding from investors such as WestCap & Goldman Sachs. Forbes named the company “America’s next travel unicorn” and a Best Startup Employer in 2021. Ruzwana is also an angel investor and Scout for Sequoia Capital, investing in companies such as Clubhouse and Living Carbon. Ruzwana has been named one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business and was a Finalist for E&Y’s Entrepreneur of the Year. She is a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum and previously worked at Goldman Sachs and the Blackstone Group. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and a BA from Oxford University, where she was President of the Oxford Union.
MARC BENIOFF
Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Salesforce
Marc Benioff is Chair, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Salesforce and a pioneer of cloud computing. Under Benioff's leadership, Salesforce is the #1 provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software globally. Benioff was named “Innovator of the Decade” by Forbes and is recognized as one of the World’s 25 Greatest Leaders by Fortune, one of the 10 Best-Performing CEOs by Harvard Business Review and as the CNN Business CEO of 2020. For his leadership on equality, Benioff has been honored by GLAAD, the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and Variety Magazine with its EmPOWerment Award. A member of the World Economic Forum ("WEF") Board of Trustees, Benioff co-founded 1t.org — the global movement to conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees — and the WEF Friends of Ocean Action. He also serves as the inaugural Chair of WEF's Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco. Benioff is the owner and co-chair of TIME, and the founder of TIME Ventures — a leading investment firm with over 200 investments. Benioff is author of the New York Times bestseller Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change. Benioff received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, where he is on its Board of Trustees.
LORENZO BERTELLI
Marketing Director & Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Prada Group
Lorenzo Bertelli has been Prada Group Marketing Director since 2019 and from 2020 has been appointed the Group’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility. He is responsible, on one side, for the Group’s Marketing and Communication strategy and for the development, innovation and sales analysis of the retail channel for all the Group’s brands and, on the other, for the Group’s overall approach to sustainability strategy and initiatives. He joined the Group in 2017 as Head of Digital Communication and was appointed Head of Marketing and Communication in 2018. Mr. Bertelli has also been Director of Prada Holding S.p.A. since 2015. In 2021, he joined the Prada S.p.A. Board of Directors as Executive Director. Lorenzo Bertelli obtained a degree in Philosophy at San Raffaele University in Milan in 2008; he is the son of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, the Chief Executive Officers of the Prada Group.
IRENE BONI
CEO, Talent Garden
With long-standing experience of the digital world and business organization, Irene Boni has been CEO of Talent Garden since November 2021. Graduated in Political Economics with a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University in New York, she began her career at Procter & Gamble and McKinsey & Co.. From 2010 to 2019, she worked in YOOX NET-A-PORTER Group, reaching the position of Co-General Manager of the group, after covering positions of increasing responsibility within the organisation in Corporate Development, Operations, Technology, Organization and Human Resources. She is an independent director on the Boards of Directors of Safilo Group S.p.A., Axerve, Hype, and Laminam, and a member of ANGELS4WOMEN.
MASSIMO BOTTURA
Chef *** Michelin, Osteria Francescana
Chef and owner of «Osteria Francescana», a three Michelin star restaurant in Modena, which reached the first place in the international ranking of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for the years 2016 and 2018.
MARTINA BRAGADIN
Founder, Spazio Meta
Martina Bragadin graduated in Theatre Design at NABA in Milan before moving to Paris in 2012, where she worked on advertising sets and events. In this period, she became more focused on the aspect of reuse, having seen firsthand the critical issues in this sector concerning the use of materials, which are often thrown away after a single use.
In 2018, she returned to Milan with a project in mind: to set up a business to combat waste in the artistic and cultural field, to recover materials and offer them to the local creative community, exploiting existing resources, and to reintegrate them into a sustainable circuit. Today, together with friends Margherita Crespi and Benedetta Pomini, who also have extensive experience in the production of exhibitions and installations, we have realized an idea: creating a system of selection, recovery and reintegration of materials of the highest quality.
AMANDA BURDEN
Principal of Planning, Bloomberg Associates
Amanda Burden, FAICP, serves as the Principal of Urban Planning at Bloomberg Associates, an international philanthropic consulting service founded by Michael Bloomberg that helps mayors around the world improve the quality of life of their citizens. From 2002-2013, Ms. Burden served as the New York City Planning Commissioner. As Commissioner, she spearheaded the largest planning effort in the city since 1961, initiating comprehensive rezoning plans for 124 neighborhoods – almost 40% of the city – and catalyzing significant new housing opportunities in diverse communities throughout New York City’s five boroughs. A champion of design excellence, Ms. Burden emphasized community consensus-building to improve the city’s streetscape, reclaim the waterfront, and create dynamic public spaces including the East River Esplanade and the High Line. Ms. Burden holds a Master of Science degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College and an Honorary Doctor of Law from Columbia University. She has been a member of the Council for Foreign Relations since 2014.
SILVIA CANDIANI
CEO, Microsoft Italy
Silvia Candiani is CEO of Microsoft Italy. She previously headed the Consumer and Devices Sales (CDS) division in Microsoft for Central and Eastern Europe for three years. Prior to that, she was Director of Marketing and Operations and Director of the Consumer & Online division of Microsoft Italy. Silvia started her career in McKinsey as a consultant in Media and Telco businesses and then moved to Vodafone where she headed Consumer Marketing in Italy. She holds a BA in Economics from Bocconi University and an MBA in Business Administration from INSEAD.
ERNESTO CIORRA
Chief Innovability® Officer, Enel Group
Born in 1971, he graduated in Business Economics from Bocconi University in Milan, magna cum laude, and after many years of consultancy, he joined Enel in October 2014 as Chief Innnovability® Officer. Founder of Ars et Inventio (2003), a consulting firm focused solely on innovation and creativity, he has helped many companies design and launch innovative products and services that have become popular worldwide. Nokia, Telecom Italia, Vodafone, Poste Italiane, Eni, GDF, Edison, the P&G Fater and Fameccanica joint-ventures, Unilever, RCS, Sole24Ore, BNP, Unicredit and American Express are just some of the firms he has collaborated with. Lecturer in Innovation Management at Italian and Spanish universities and business schools (director of the “Programa Avanzado de Gestión de la Innovación” at Istituto de Empresa de Madrid, professor and member of the Scientific Committee of the “Master in Innovazione Strategica” at Cà Foscari), he has also written four collections of verses and a theatrical play performed in several theatres in Italy (in Milan, Bologna, Taormina and Siracusa). Top tier Business Schools have written case studies on his activity as Chief Innnovability® Officer at Enel and on the Group’s transition towards a sustainable business model: Prof. Kramer – Harvard – ‘The future of Energy’; Prof. Chesbrough - Berkeley – ‘Enel: from Monopoly to Open Power’; Prof. Monteiro – INSEAD – ‘Enel’s Innovability’; Prof. Birkinshaw – LBS – ‘Enel S.p.A.: A traditional utility embraces the digital revolution’.
EMANUELE COCCIA
Philosopher
Emanuele Coccia is associate Professor of Philosophy at the EHESS in Paris. He was visiting professor at the University of Tokyo (Todai), Buenos Aires, Düsseldorf, Weimar, Munich, Venice, Columbia and Harvard. Among his books, translated in several languages, The Life of Plants (Polity Press, 2018) and Metamorphosis (Polity Books, 2021). He is the editor of the catalogue of the next 23th Design and Architecture Triennale in Milan. He is currently writing a four-handed work on the relationship between fashion and philosophy with Gucci's creative director, Alessandro Michele He has been collaborating with contemporary art and architecture foundations (notably the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, the Palais de Tokyo and the Triennale d'Architettura in Milan) and fashion houses (notably Dior and Gucci). He realized animation videos such as Heaven in Matter (2021, together with Faye Formisano) and Unknown Unknown (with Dotdotdot 2022).
VALENTINO CONFALONE
Novartis Country President Italy
Valentino Confalone has gained significant professional experience over the years in the pharmaceutical field, holding positions of increasing responsibility in various international groups in Italy and abroad. Following a degree in Economics at the Federico II University of Naples and an MBA at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, he began his career in Schering-Plough Spain where he remained for three years. Soon after, he joined Bristol Myers Squibb where he held various managerial roles for more than ten years, most of them in France and Portugal, becoming General Manager & President in the latter. In 2015, Confalone moved to Dompé Farmaceutici and became Head of Europe for Dompé Biotech, a start-up engaged in the development and launch of innovative biotechnological therapies, before going on to join Gilead Sciences as General Manager of the Italian branch, where he remained until his most recent appointment at Novartis. He is a member of the Presidential Committee of Farmindustria - where he is also Chairman of the Advanced Therapeutic & Medicinal Products Group - and of the Steering Committee of Assobiotec.
KERSTIN COOLEY
General Partner at Course Corrected
Kerstin Cooley is the founder and GP of three venture capital firms, most recently Course Corrected, a climate-tech fund backing the most visionary entrepreneurs solving our planet's most pressing challenges. Ms. Cooley is also Managing Partner of Brightly Ventures, a Stockholm-based VC and co-founder of MOOR, the first female-founded venture firm in Sweden. Prior to her VC career, Ms. Cooley was an investment banker with SEB. Her early career in the technology sector was with Silicon Valley based Echelon and global financial software company Trema, Ms. Cooley is also a co-founder of global communications agency Cognito.
DICK COSTOLO
Co-managing partner, 01 Advisors and former CEO, Twitter
Dick Costolo is a co-managing partner of 01 Advisors. Prior to co-founding 01 Advisors, he was CEO of Twitter from 2010 to 2015 and has been Founder and CEO of multiple startups, including FeedBurner, which was acquired by Google in 2007. The former improv comedian has been a consultant on HBO’s “Silicon Valley” and holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI
Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Brunello Cucinelli
Brunello Cucinelli was born into a farming family in Castel Rigone, a small fifteenth-century village in the province of Perugia, in 1953. Since he was a boy, he dreamed of having a job that respected the "moral and economic dignity of man". In 1978 he founded a small business and astounded the market with the idea of coloring cashmere. In 1982, after marrying Federica Benda with whom he has two daughters, he moved to Solomeo, near Perugia, which became the object of his dreams and the great laboratory of his successes as a humanist entrepreneur.
In fact, Brunello Cucinelli does not only see his company as a producer of wealth, but as a field of action to develop and elevate the dream of a capitalism that valorises man. And the benevolent welcome that the market reserves for his products allows him to implement his ideals. Thus was born the new construction of the Forum of the Arts with the Aurelian Neohumanistic Library, the Gymnasium, the Amphitheater, the Theater and in 2013 the "Solomeo School of Arts and Crafts", according to the nineteenth-century tradition of William Morris and John Ruskin. Looking to the future, Brunello actually wants to preserve and pass on the tradition of craftsmanship as an important humanistic factor, and school is the place where this aspiration is transformed into reality. Brunello sees his occupation as an entrepreneur as a chance to spread his ideals of a new capitalism, a "Humanistic Capitalism" and for this he has received an extraordinary number of national and international awards: including in 2018, the nomination of Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
MATTEO CUNIAL
Chief Revenues Officer xFarm
Matteo Cunial is coming from a family of farmers in North East Italy, with a MSc in Civil Engineering and a 3-years experience as Business Analyst in McKinsey, working on several digital strategy projects in Europe. Together with Alessandro, Francesco and Simone, in 2017 founded Farm Technologies, an AgTech startup focused on building Agricultural Decision Support Systems. In 2021, Farm Technologies merged with xFarm to create xFarm Technologies. Matteo is currently CRO of xFarm Technologies, responsible for Sales and Post-sales activities of the group.
GIANLUCA D'AGOSTINO
Co-Founder, Emotion Network
Gianluca D’Agostino is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Techshop SGR, a new Asset Management Firm and Venture Capital Fund, based in Milan. Throughout 25 years of a global career as a Manager, Founder and Investor, he has started, mentored and inspired talents and teams, ensuring that each venture had goals and objectives data-driven. His true passion and strength lie in scaling-up a business along the various growth axes: partnership, talent scouting, organization, global expansion, M&A. Previously to launch Techshop, he’s been committed as Angel investor in dozens of European start-ups, side by side with Angel networks and Venture Capital Firms and he's served as Board Member in public and private companies in UK, India, The Netherlands and Italy. His main entrepreneurial achievement to date has been Neomobile Spa, co-founded in 2007 in Rome. He drove Neomobile as CEO growing the business organically and via M&A between 2007 and 2015, to make it a global mobile monetization platform for content and one of most successful Italian digital companies (€1B revenue generated along years) . Previously he held a variety of executive roles in corporations such as TIM and KPMG. Gianluca is today an evangelist in Tech ventures (building and investing), and a lecturer in top events worldwide. He has also invested time and energy to initiatives able to catalyze a boost of the Italian Tech ecosystem: in this perspective he founded Emotion Network, with a group of prestigious friends. He has been lived and run businesses in Italy, France, UK, Turkey and Latin America. After 10 years in London he recently returned back to live in Italy, with his spouse and their 2 children.
DOMITILLA DARDI
Design historian
Design historian and curator, in 2010 she became design curator at MAXXI museum in Rome, where she was appointed Senior Curator in 2022. She is lecturer at IED Rome (European Institute of Design) for BA and MA classes. She has been a visiting professor at several universities and institutions, such as the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, the Accademia Abadir in Catania and for the MADE Program in Siracusa. She is co-founder and curator of the design fair EDIT Napoli. She writes for several design magazines and is the author of numerous books and articles.
STEFANO DOMENICALI
President & CEO, Formula 1
Stefano Domenicali began his role as President & Chief Executive Officer at Formula 1 in January 2021, following his departure as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini. Mr. Domenicali joins Formula 1 on the back of an illustrious career within the motoring industry, where he has had success within both motorsport and commercial roles. After studying business administration at the University of Bologna he began his professional career in 1991 with Ferrari. At Ferrari he held various positions, including heading up the Direzione Sportiva F1 from 2004, before becoming Team Principal for the Formula 1 team in 2008, where he won a total of 14 titles in the F1 Constructors and Drivers Championships. From 2009 to 2014, Domenicali represented Ferrari in the FIA World Motor Sport Council and recently stepped down as the president of the FIA Single Seater Commission before joining Formula 1. He was Vice President of New Business Initiatives at AUDI AG from November 2014 before taking over the role of Chief Executive Officer in March 2016 at Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese.
OSCAR FARINETTI
Entrepreneur
Oscar Farinetti (Natale Oscar Farinetti) was born in 1954, in Alba, the capital of the Langhe region. He lives at the top of a hill, among his vineyards. He is the man who founded two of Italy’s most famous retail organisations, Unieuro (electrical goods) and Eataly (food) At the end of 2020, he will be launching his third major project: Green Pea, a huge department store dedicated entirely to highquality and designer non-food products, manufactured with respect for the earth, air and water, with a view to complete sustainability. He owns numerous farms where he grows and processes organic products. He has received two Honorary degrees and has written several successful books, participating as Keynote Speakers at a variety of events and conferences all over the world. His skill lies in describing how to create a project in a way that is simple yet captivating, explaining the way he sees marketing and describing the actions necessary to successfully face the challenges ahead. Through an innovative vision based on rules and feelings, poetry and mathematics, strategies and human relationships. Oscar donates all proceeds from his conferences to the E. di Mirafiore Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the promotion of culture.
KARIN FISCHER
Co-Founder, Emotion Network
Over 15 years consulting C-level management in public, private and social companies on strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and organisation in international settings; working with partners on end-to-end projects but ultimately a solo professional. Forever driven and motivated by innovation Karin has engaged in a broad range of domains; pioneering the sustainable mobility by leading a global multi-stakeholder platform; founding an electric mobility start-up developing recharge infrastructure network; digitalising comms in entrepreneurial organisations and healthcare; engaging in political and civic communications; advising universities for growth; running sponsorships in equestrian sports... to name a few. In 2018 she decided to brand her activity “Connecting Stories” because it is ultimately what she happens to do... no matter the industry, the need, the project, the place. Always in search of new stories and connections to cross-fertilise and combine. Based on the hills of the Garda lake, smart working far ahead of time, Karin lives with her teenaged kids, pets and horses.
LUCA FUSO
CEO, Cassina
Luca Fuso has extensive managerial experience in international companies. His last role was Chief Brand Officer of Ferrari where he reported to Sergio Marchionne. Previously, after various experiences in marketing roles in multinational consumer goods companies, he spent 10 years in the Diesel group covering positions of increasing responsibility until he became Managing Director in 2004. From 2006, he was CEO and Managing Director of B&B Italia SpA and, following this, Head of the Licensed and Proprietary Brands Divisions of Safilo Group. Luca started working with Cassina at the end 2018 and today covers the position of CEO.
FEDERICO GARCEA
CEO, Treedom
As a social entrepreneur with over a decade of expertise in environmental issues and climate change, Garcea was initially inspired by the popular game, ‘Farmville’ where users are tasked with planting and taking care of their land – he, however, wanted to plant real trees. Twelve years on, Treedom has now grown into a global platform that is dedicated to offsetting global carbon emissions and allowing customers and businesses from around the world to plant tree projects in rural communities. The company is a best practice agroforestry organisation with the expertise of knowing where and when to plant different tree species to yield the best results. Treedom aims to create an alliance between farmers and supporters willing to make reforestation a sustainable source of long-term income for smallholders. It empowers local communities to start new agricultural enterprises by helping them fill the time gap between planting a seed and growing a tree. To date, Treedom has planted three million trees worldwide.
SOFIA GOGGIA
Olympic Champion in alpine skiing
Sofia Goggia was born in Bergamo on November 15, 1992. A member of the Fiamme Gialle Skiers Group, she made her debut in the World Cup competing in the women's giant slalom of Lienz on December 28, 2011, where she failed to qualify for the second heat. She claimed her first podium taking third place in the giant of Killington (USA) on November 26, 2016, while her first victory came in the Korean Super-G of Jeongseon in March 2017. Since then, she has achieved another sixteen victories (twelve downhills and five supergiants), winning the downhill Crystal Globe in three editions (2018, 2021 and 2022), with a total of 40 podiums in her career. Her best ranking position in the overall ranking came in 2016/17 with third place. Goggia has participated in three editions of the World Championships, where she twice stepped onto the podium, gaining a bronze medal in the giant of St. Moritz in 2017 and a silver in the supergiant of Are in 2019. Olympic downhill champion of PyeongChang 2018, she came second in the Beijing 2022 downhill a few months ago, returning to the slopes in record time just 23 days after a serious knee injury.
ALESSANDRA GRITTI
CEO, Tamburi Investment Partners
Co-founder, Deputy Chairman and CEO of TIP (Tamburi Investment Partners S.p.A.), an independent and diversified industrial group focused on the development and growth of medium-sized Italian companies of excellence, listed on the STAR market of the Italian Stock Exchange, with a market capitalization of about two billion euros. Over the years, TIP has made investments – directly and through club deals – for over 5 billion euros. Active in the field of corporate finance since 1984 with experience in Euromobiliare Montagu S.p.A. in the M&A sector where she was head of the division in the 90s.
She is currently also CEO of Asset Italia S.p.A. and Clubitaly S.p.A., Member of the Board of Directors of: Alpitour S.p.A., Beta Utensili S.p.A., Chiorino S.p.A., Itaca Equity S.r.l., Itaca Equity Holding S.p.A., Limonta S.p.A., Moncler S.p.A., OVS S.p.A. and Chairman of Eataly S.p.A.; Sole Director of: Asset Italia 1 S.r.l., Asset Italia 3 S.r.l., Clubdue S.r.l. and StarTIP S.r.l.; Member of the Sustainability Advisory Board of Altagamma, member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and of the Related Parties Committee of Moncler S.p.A.. Collaborator of institutions and specialized magazines in the financial field and author of numerous articles and publications on the subject.
PAOLO GUALDANI
Founder, CEO and General Partner, MIP Sgr
Paolo started his career at Bain & Co., joining afterwards ACM (Angel Capital Management), a holding company founded by Angelo Moratti, where he joined the Board in 2008 and held the role of Investment Director working on investments in Venture Capital and growth equity; he then assumed the role of CEO leading all the main investment operations of the holding in Italy and abroad. In 2017, together with Angelo Moratti, he founded Milano Investment Partners SGR SpA, a management company specializing in Alternative Investment Funds in the equity / consumer-digital field, of which he is Chief Executive Officer and General Partner. As part of the first fund (MIP I), Paolo led the investments in Miscusi and Poke House. He was Adjunct Professor of Accounting / Financial Statement Analysis at Bocconi University. He is co-founder of the Octagon Capital multifamily office.
ANDREA GUERRA
Senior Advisor LVMH
A graduate of Sapienza University in Rome, Andrea Guerra began his career in the hotel industry as Marketing Director at Marriott International in 1989. He then joined Merloni Elettrodomestici in 1994, holding various positions in central, commercial and production services, before becoming CEO in 2000. In 2004 he took up the position of Chief Executive Officer of Luxottica, before being appointed by Matteo Renzi as strategic advisor to the Italian Government for industrial policies and relations with the business world. In 2015 he was appointed Executive Director of Eataly, the extraordinary initiative that promotes Italian gastronomic culture internationally through high quality products. From 2020 to 2022 he was CEO of LVMH Hospitality Excellence and a member of the Executive Committee. Since January 2021, he is also head of Fendi and Loro Piana.
NEZAHAT GULTEKIN
Head of Advisory, Unicredit
MD and Head of Technology Investment Banking for EMEA at Nomura and, previously, Director at Temasek, Nezahat Gultekin has 20 years of experience in the technology industry in Silicon Valley and Europe. Prior to Temasek, she provided independent strategic consulting to technology companies as senior advisor, for example, to Atlantic Bridge Capital and as a founding member of Tech Nation's Future Fifty programme (aka Tech City UK), a Downing Street initiative to assist selected growing technology companies. Nezahat had previous experience in technology investment banking with Credit Suisse, Lehman Brothers and Broadview.
JODI HALPERN
Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program University of California, Berkeley
Jodi Halpern is a Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities in the Joint Medical Program and the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. She is the co-founder and co-lead of the Berkeley Group for the Ethics and Regulation of Innovative Technologies. Her work brings together psychiatry, philosophy, affective forecasting and decision science to elucidate how people imagine and influence their own and each other’s future health possibilities. Her first book, From Detached Concern to Empathy: Humanizing Medical Practice was called a “seminal work” by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Her upcoming book Remaking the Self in the Wake of Illness focuses on how people facing health losses in the prime of life experience shifts in their core values and identity. Her work appears in publications such as the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Journal of Medical Ethics, Emotion Review, Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience, Gerontology and Global Public Health as well as in popular media. Her current scholarship focuses on how innovative technologies change how we adapt to health losses, how we view our futures and the trajectory of empathic curiosity across differences. Her new book project Engineering Empathy looks at the upcoming uses of technology in relationships, including using AI/robotics in caregiving (AI psychotherapy, elder and childcare) and the influence of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) on empathy across differences.
PHILIPP HILDEBRAND
Vice Chairman, BlackRock
Mr. Hildebrand joined BlackRock in 2012. Prior to that, he served as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank (SNB). In that capacity, he was also a Director of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Swiss Governor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a member of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), of which the Leaders of the G20 appointed him Vice Chairman in 2011. He was also Chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Board of Directors of the BIS, and part of the Steering Committee and the Plenary of the Financial Stability Board (FSB). Previously, Mr. Hildebrand was Chief Investment Officer of a Swiss private bank and a partner at Moore Capital Management in London. Mr. Hildebrand is a Trustee of the British Museum, a member of the Group of Thirty and an Honorary Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford. He sits on the International Advisory Board of Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government and the International Leadership Council for Europe for the University of Toronto. He is a Chevalier de L'Ordre National du Merite (France). Mr. Hildebrand earned a BA from the University of Toronto, an MA from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, and a PhD from the University of Oxford.
KAROLI HINDRIKS
Founder, Jobbatical
Karoli is the CEO & founder of Jobbatical, a startup Forbes named one of Europe's 10 Most Exciting Technology SMEs For 2018. Jobbatical is working on removing the friction of labor mobility by making immigration processes seamless through technology. In 2017 Karoli was nominated to speak at the Fortune Magazine Most Powerful Women International Summit. Past seven years EU-Startups named her one of the 50 most influential women in the European startup and VC space. In 2020 the EU Council named her one of the 8 most inspiring women in Europe. In 2021 she was a speaker at the TED conference in Monterey, California. Karoli founded her first company at 16, officially becoming the youngest inventor in her native Estonia. She also led the launch of seven television channels in Northern Europe, incl. National Geographic Channels and MTV.
DANILO IERVOLINO
Founder Pegaso Group
ANDREAS KIPAR
Co-Founder, CEO & Creative Director, Lands
Architect, landscapist and urban planner, Andreas Kipar is the founder and Creative Director of the international landscape architecture studio LAND, with offices in Germany, Italy and Switzerland. A graduate in Landscape Architecture at the GHS University of Essen and in Architecture and Urban Planning at the Politecnico of Milan, where he has taught Public Space Design since 2009, he often holds seminars and lectures at a number of universities, including Naples, Dresden, Venice, Zurich, Versailles and Dortmund. He is the inventor of the “Raggi Verdi” [Green Rays] model in Milan, which connects up the various areas of the city to favour a new slow mobility from the centre towards the suburbs. This model, internationally recognised as a pioneering model in green urban planning, has also had subsequent applications in Essen, the European Green Capital 2017, and in the award-winning Smart City of Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye in Moscow. He has been appointed to draft urban and peri-urban green plans in a number of cities, including Milan, Cagliari, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia and Essen, and to develop territorial strategic plans, such as in the Ruhr basin, on the Karst Plateau, in the Langhe, on Lake Garda and on various Italian islands.
NICOLA LANZETTA
Head of Italy, Enel
Nicola Lanzetta has held the position of Italian Director of the Enel Group since December 2021. He has served as Chairman of numerous Boards of Directors of Enel Group companies: Enel Energia SpA, Servizio Elettrico Nazionale SpA, Enel.si srl and Enel Sole SpA. He began his career in 1992 at AT&T/NCR Italy S.p.A., dealing with major clients, before moving on to the world of telecommunications with Telecom Italia S.p.A. and Infostrada S.p.A., for which he held the role of Trade Marketing Director and, subsequently, Retail Sales Director. He joined the Enel Group in 2001, first dealing with the corporate integration and formation of Enel Gas S.p.A. and later with the launch of Enel Energia's commercial network with the first phase of liberalization of the retail market. Since September 2014, he has been responsible for the Italian Market. He is also president of the Energy Group of Assolombarda and member of the Board of Directors of Confimprese.
FEDERICA MARCHIONNI
CEO, Global Fashion Agenda
Federica Marchionni is the Chief Executive Officer at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), which is a non-profit organisation that mobilises, educates and inspires the industry to improve its sustainability performance. Marchionni is responsible for accelerating the impact of the organisation and has the ultimate vision to create a net positive fashion industry for people and the planet. Marchionni leads the elevation of the Global Fashion Agenda’s prestigious forums including Global Fashion Summit (formerly known as Copenhagen Fashion Summit) and the publication of reputable thought leadership, and propels its advocacy efforts. All led with the aim to foster a thriving fashion industry that creates prosperity for all people and communities by working within planetary boundaries, reversing its impact on climate change, and protecting biodiversity. Before joining GFA, Marchionni attained leadership roles in Europe, USA, and China. Most recently, the role of International CEO of Secoo, a Chinese e-commerce retailers in China. Prior, Marchionni was CEO and Board Director at Lands’ End and President of Dolce&Gabbana Inc., based in America. Before moving to the States, Marchionni worked as SVP at Ferrari. Her career began in the early stage of the telecommunication industry, working in Italy for global players such as Samsung, Philips, and Ericsson.
CARLO MASSEROLI
Head of Strategy and Development, Nhood
Carlo Masseroli, born in 1967, graduated in Management Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano. During his professional career, he has acquired in-depth knowledge in the management of complex organisational structures involved in projects for the transformation and enhancement of large urban areas, through virtuous public-private partnership processes. He has also developed technical and analytical skills in the management of relations with corporations and financial institutions, the study and monitoring of projects, and communication plans. In his 30-year career, Carlo Masseroli has worked with some of the largest real estate companies in Italy, including Beni Stabili (of which he was also a board member with responsibility for social housing projects), BNP Paribas and Investire SGR. As General Manager of Milanosesto SpA, he was in charge of the development of the Ex Falck area in Sesto San Giovanni for the creation of new urban neighbourhoods characterised by the presence of different integrated functions and the re-functionalisation of industrial archaeology buildings on an area of 1.4 million sq m. From 2020 he joins Arcadis Italia as City Executive to manage the Big Urban Cities programme. Since June 2022 he has been Head of Strategy and Development at Nhood, a real estate services and consulting company specialised in urban redevelopment, with the aim of consolidating the company's development projects in Italy.
KEVIN MAYER
Chairman, Dazn and Co-CEO & Founder Candle Media
Kevin A. Mayer is an American business executive who is the chairman of DAZN Group. He was CEO of TikTok and COO of its parent company ByteDance Ltd in 2020. Mayer is the former Chairman of the Direct-to-Consumer & International division of The Walt Disney Company. He was previously the senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Disney where he led their acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, BamTech, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. He also directed the divestitures of Miramax and ABC Radio.
MATTIA MOR
Founder and CEO, Emotion Network
Mattia Mor, entrepreneur and politician, is Founder and CEO of Emotion Network and a deputy of Italia Viva. Graduated with honors from Bocconi University in Business Administration, he was first a strategic consultant in Value Partners, then in Bain & Company. Since 2005, he has dedicated himself to entrepreneurship in the clothing sector, creating the Blomor brand and leading it to sell in 30 countries around the world with a turnover of 4.5 million. In 2015, he moved to Singapore where he worked as Senior Vice President for Lazada, the largest e-commerce in Southeast Asia, active in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore, and part of the Alibaba Group. In 2016, he returned to Italy as European Executive Director of Mei.com, a website owned by the Alibaba Group, specializing in luxury. In both positions, he was responsible for helping the internationalization towards Asia of Italian fashion and design companies through the development of digital technology. In 2017, he created the civic project #HoSceltoMilano (#IChoseMilan), with the aim of combatting the rhetoric of lament and decline and awakening the Italian civic passion and sense of pride towards their cities and their country, a project that has reached more than 3 million people. Elected in Milan to the Chamber of Deputies in 2018 with the Democratic Party, since September 2019 he has been a Deputy of Italia Viva. Member of the Commission for Productive Activities, Trade and Tourism and of the Parliamentary Intergroup for Innovation, he is also the National Manager of Italia Viva for Innovation and Digitization. In 2018, he filed the ‘StartAct’ bill, with the aim of enabling Italy to recover the gap of private investments in start-ups and venture capital and thus amplify their ability to grow, innovate and create jobs, favoring the return of Italian expatriates and encouraging them to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. In 2020, and in collaboration with other Italian and international entrepreneurs who love innovation and Made in Italy products, Mattia Mor founded the media company Emotion Network, a global platform of entrepreneurs and investors passionate about exploring models of technological innovation that bring the human and his emotions back to the center. The docuseries "Tech.Emotion – Empower Human Potential", created in collaboration with Facebook and broadcast on SKY and Rai Play, is the first of a series of initiatives that Emotion Network is working on to promote a new vision, combining technology with emotions and innovation with creativity.
ANGELO MORATTI
Founder, Chairman and Anchor Investor, Milano Investment Partners Sgr
An entrepreneur, he has been involved in Venture Capital investments since 1996, when he founded the telecommunications company ePlanet (listed on the stock exchange in 2000) and, later, Sarlux, a company that built and operated a power plant. He is the founder of ACM (Angel Capital Management), a private investment company and family office. ACM is the majority shareholder of Milano Investment Partners SGR, a management company of Alternative Investment Funds, founded to support young visionary entrepreneurs not only in their search for capital but in the development of their project. A philanthropist and patron, he is vice president and executive committee member of Special Olympics International. He was formerly President of the Association of Friends of the Dino Ferrari Center, which is engaged in research for neurological diseases.
GIAN MARIA MOSSA
CEO and General Manager, Banca Generali
Gian Maria Mossa has been CEO of Banca Generali SpA since 20 March 2017. Graduated in economics and business, he gained significant experience in RAS first in the Risk Management & Asset Allocation sector, then moving to the commercial area and marketing. In 2006, he joined Banca Fideuram as Product Development Manager, assuming positions of increasing responsibility up to the position of Marketing Manager and Head of Commercial and Private Development, reporting directly to the CEO. He joined Banca Generali in July 2013 as Co-General Manager, before being appointed General Manager in April 2016 with responsibility for the company.
JOSÉ NEVES
Founder, Chairman & CEO, Farfetch
In 2008 José Neves launched Farfetch, bringing together his interests in fashion and technology, as well as his experience in design, wholesale and retail, to create a business that would celebrate and support the diversity of the global fashion industry. His vision was to create a single portal, offering independent boutiques the opportunity to compete with the leaders of fashion e-commerce. José has been involved in the fashion start-up world since the mid-1990s when he launched footwear business SWEAR. José later founded SIX London, a fashion licensing and wholesale company selling to 600 retailers worldwide. In 2001, José opened the renowned B-Store, which won the British Fashion Award for Retailer of the Year in 2006.
BJÖRN ÖSTE
Founder, Oatly
Björn Öste is Founder & CEO of Good Idea Drinks. He is the Founder of Oatly and has 25 years of experience from entrepreneurial-driven companies. Scientists, physicians, nutritionists and dietitians all over the world agree that meals with too much sugar and fast carbs result in repeated blood sugar spikes that, in the long run, put great strain and stress on our bodies. Some years ago, experts in food and nutrition at Lund University in Sweden found that a special mix of amino acids and a particular mineral could have a beneficial effect on the blood sugar spike following a meal. Repeated clinical trials confirmed that when this mix was dissolved in water and served before eating, or with a meal rich in sugar and fast carbs, it was able to reduce blood sugar rise by 20-30%. This research marked the beginning of the development of Good Idea® – The Swedish Sugar Buster. The goal was to develop an attractive product that could help our bodies handle the fast carb and sugar effects following a meal. Now it is here, and it comes with a Structure/Function-claim, proudly printed on every single can.
PIERLUIGI PARACCHI
CEO e Co-Founder, Genenta Science
Pierluigi Paracchi is an experienced healthcare venture capital investor, the Founder and CEO of Quantica SGR, Co-founder of Axòn Capital and AurorA Science and previously Venture Consultant at Sofinnova Partners. He was also an investor in and Board Member of Ethical Oncology Science, which was acquired in 2013 in a total deal of $400+ million. Pierluigi is a member of the Assobiotec Executive Committee, the Italian association for the development of biotechnology. He also serves as non-executive Director of the autoimmune disease company Altheia Science, non-executive Chairman at Lipogems International (a medical device for testing adipose tissue), and has accumulated more than 15 years of board experience in Life Sciences companies.
CORRADO PASSERA
Founder and CEO, illimity
Graduated in Business Administration from Bocconi and with an MBA from the Wharton School in Philadelphia, he spent his early professional years at McKinsey. Corrado Passera has built his professional career on the challenge of innovation: from Olivetti to illimity, passing through Poste, Intesa Sanpaolo and a government position as Minister for Economic Development, Infrastructure and Transport. In 2018, he created illimity, a banking startup specialized in lending to SMEs, which aims to discover and exploit the many hidden potentials of our economy and society.
OMAR PEDRINI
Singer & Songwriter
Songwriter, guitarist and writer. Leader of the band Timoria for almost 20 years.
MASSIMO REDAELLI
Co-Founder, Emotion Network
Massimo Redaelli is an out of the box thinking person with a keen interest in social, cultural, technological and ecological trends/changes. His experience in the creative fields (Fashion, Sport, Design, Art, Music, Film) applied to technology innovation (Singularity University), curiosity (sound resonance, neuro-architecture) and social good (The Great Balance, Womenlobby.org ), lead to develop a new type of ‘conscious’ communication at PRIMA, a creative agency that design authentic culturally reference experiences, which positively touch users for clients such as Apple, Google, Starbucks, H&M, BMW, Bulgari etc. By challenging existing models/concepts, collaborating within and between companies and creatives, opinion leaders, lawmakers, social entrepreneurs etc.. Massimo helps design engaging storytelling and story-living experiences at the intersection of “Art, Emotion & Science”. Massimo co-founded the Arts & Technology Council at the Vatican and collaborates with MIT Media Lab, Arts + Mind Lab and the Music Lab of the Milan Polytechnic, for his Mission to bring ‘Emotions’ to technology using Arts & Culture to foster a more responsible relationship between humans and machines. Massimo also collaborates with various conference platforms: DLD, Brilliant Mind, Google Camp, Lakestar, Founders Forum and AccelerateHer, where he curates & moderate eclectic panels with leaders from diverse backgrounds.
ENRICO RESMINI
CEO and General Manager, CDP Venture Capital Sgr
Born in Oakland (USA) in 1968, he is married and has three children. He graduated from the Politecnico di Milano with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, with a Master’s in Business Administration. In 1995, he joined McKinsey & Company, where he became Partner in 2005, focusing on Telecommunications, High Tech, and Media. In 2012, he joined Vodafone Italia as Residential Director, responsible for fixed line services and broadband before moving to Wholesale and Strategy. In 2017, he joined Vodafone Group in London, taking responsibility of digital commercial services for the entire Group (20+ countries). In 2019, he joined EY as Partner, managing the Strategic Consulting division of the Mediterranean Area. In January 2020, he was appointed CEO of CDP Venture Capital Sgr - National Innovation Fund.
TATIANA RIZZANTE
CEO, Reply
Tatiana Rizzante is the CEO of Reply, serving on its Board of Directors, and one of its founding members. In Reply’s early years, Tatiana handled the creation and development of competencies in the most innovative technology fields, such as value-added services for telcos, new media and new digital channels. Over the years, her role has grown to cover ever-increasing responsibilities within the Group, assuming direct responsibility for various lines of business. In 2006, she was made Chief Executive Officer as a result of her vast experience in Innovation Management, becoming responsible for the full range of services offered by the Group and for building the Reply presence in Europe, US, Brazil and China. Before joining Reply, she worked for CSELT (today Tlab) where she carried out testing and research on technologies and Internet services for the public. Since February 2020, Tatiana has held the position of independent council member at GEDI Gruppo Editoriale S.p.a. and, in April 2022, she was made independent council member at Borsa Italiana. Tatiana gained a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino.
ALEC ROSS
Author of The Raging 2020s (Henry Holt & Co)
Alec Ross is a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at the Bologna Business School, an author, entrepreneur and investor.
His book ‘The Raging 2020s’ is about the collision that has taken place at the intersection of government, business and citizens. His prior book ‘The Industries of the Future’ has been translated into 24 languages and been a best-seller on 5 continents.
He is a Board Partner at Amplo, a global venture capital firm, and sits on the board of directors for companies in the fields of technology, manufacturing, media, human capital and cybersecurity. Alec served as the convenor for technology and media policy on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and served as Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After leaving the Department of State in 2013, he joined Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs as a Distinguished Senior Fellow. Alec is a recipient of the U.S. Department of State Distinguished Honor Award, the Oxford University Internet & Society Award and the TriBeCa Film Festival Book of the Year Award. He was also named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers. He began his career with Teach for America and co-founded and helped lead a technology-focused social enterprise.
BEPPE SALA
Mayor of Milan
After working as a manager in important multinational companies, he turned the page and started working for the public administration. He was general manager of the Municipality of Milan. He led Expo 2015, a very successful event that saw the participation of millions of people from all over the world, where he succeeded in showing the value of Milan and Italy. It was during the exciting and challenging period of Expo– on a personal, human and professional level – that the decision to run for the primaries to become Mayor of his city began to mature, a role he has held since June 2016.
THOMAS SCHNEIDER
Co-Founders Emotion Network
Thomas is a Partner at Isomer Capital, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage digital opportunities across Europe through fund investments, co-investments and secondary transactions. He was previously Head of Southern Europe for Russell Investments, a leading multi-asset, multi- manager investment firm, where he worked with some of the largest financial institutions in Europe. He also accumulated various entrepreneurship experiences developing companies in Italy as well as advising asset managers on their pan-European strategies. Being born in Switzerland, growing up in Italy, studying in France and living in London, Thomas is passionate about the development of the European tech ecosystem and its potential. Amongst other things, Thomas is helping venture capital funds in their operations, connecting start-ups to business partners and investors, and helping governments to support their ecosystem. Thomas believes that Europe can play a unique role in the international tech scene by combining long history of humanism and entrepreneurship with innovation. Thomas is fluent in English, French and Italian, and some Spanish, helping him to maintain a strong network and market insights across Europe. He holds a Finance and Management degree from Université Paris Dauphine and Banking degree from Paris Descartes.
CRISTINA SCOCCHIA
ACEO, illycaffè
After graduating with full marks in Management of International Firms at Luigi Bocconi University, Cristina Scocchia completed a PhD in Business Administration at the University of Torino. She started her career at Procter&Gamble, where since 1997 she held positions of increasing responsibility working on mature and emerging markets until she was appointed in 2012 as Cosmetics International Operations Division leader, with the responsibility of supervising the brands in her portfolio in over 70 countries throughout the world. From 2014 to 2017, she served as Chief Executive Officer of L’Oréal Italia and she led the return to growth of the company in a challenging economic environment. From July 2017 to December 2021 she acted as Chief Executive Officer of KIKO, a leading make up company that she has led to a successful turnaround thanks to a business plan based on product innovation, digital transformation and geographical expansion in Asia and the Middle East. Since January 2022 she is Chief Executive Officer of illycaffè. Speaker and lecturer in many national and international conventions and conferences related to enterprise development, leadership, diversity and sustainability, Dr. Scocchia is also a member of the Board of Directors of EssilorLuxottica. In June 2019 she was awarded the Legion d'Honneur.
MARINELLA SOLDI
Chairwoman, Rai
Marinella Soldi was appointed Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Rai Radiotelevisione Italiana, in July 2021. She is a member of the Board of Directors of EBU-European Broadcasting Union and Confindustria Radio Televisioni. She is currently also Non-executive Director for Nexi (digital payments), Ariston (Thermal Solutions) and Angelini Hives (Health Innovation hub). From 2019 to 2022, she was non-executive Chairwoman of the Vodafone Italia Foundation, established in 2002 to promote social inclusion and to support young people and social enterprises, people with disabilities, health and research. Marinella was CEO of Discovery Networks Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Portugal and France) for 10 years, until October 2018. Under her leadership Discovery Southern Europe completely transformed its business model from pure linear pay to a diversified multiplatform portfolio with innovative content. In Italy, Discovery has become a leading media company. Marinella was born in Italy and grew up in London. Before joining Discovery, she trained and worked for leading international brands in the technology and media sectors as a leadership coach for nine years. Prior to her career in coaching, she spent five years in senior roles at MTV Networks Europe, including SVP Strategic Development in London and GM, MTV Italy in Milan. She began her career at McKinsey Company working as a strategy consultant for three years in London and Italy.
PHILIPPE STARCK
Creator
“Political, ethical, subversive, ecological, humorous: this is how I see my duty as a creator.” Philippe Starck. Despite more than 10 000 creations - completed or in the making - his global fame and his tireless protean inventiveness, he never forgets the essential. Philippe Starck has a mission and a vision: creation, whatever shape it takes, must make life better for the largest number of people possible. Starck believes this highly poetic, political, rebellious, benevolent, pragmatic and subversive duty must be borne by all and he resumes it with the humor that has accompanied his approach since the earliest days: “No one is forced to be a genius, but everyone has to take part.” This citizen of the world, who considers it his duty to share his ethical and subversive vision of a fairer planet, creates unconventional places and objects whose purpose is to be “good” before being beautiful. From individual windmills, to a smart thermostat, electric bikes, or innovative and ecological wooden prefabricated houses – soon to be followed by solar boats and space tourism habitation modules, his technological miracles are vectors of democratic ecology, focused on action and a respect for the future of both humans and nature. Inventor, creator, architect, designer, artistic director, Philippe Starck is all of the above, but above all he is a man of honesty, in the purest tradition of the Renaissance artists.
NIRAV TOLIA
Founder, Nextdoor
Nirav Tolia has spent the last 23 years creating and leading early-stage, pioneering consumer Internet companies. He founded and served as CEO for three successive companies, most significantly, Nextdoor (IPO on NYSE in 2021). Under Nirav’s leadership, Nextdoor grew into the world's largest local social network and was adopted by over 220k neighborhoods in 11 countries worldwide, including 90% of American neighborhoods. Nirav is currently Executive Chairman of Hedosophia, a leading technology investment firm. He holds a BA from Stanford University.
PATRICIA URQUIOLA
Architect, Designer and Art Director at Cassina
Patricia Urquiola studied architecture and design at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and completed her studies at Politecnico di Milano where she graduated under the mentorship of Achille Castiglioni. In Spain, she was awarded the Golden Medal for Merits in Art and received the Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. Patricia Urquiola has been Cassina’s Art Director since 2015 and works with the most important design companies, including Flos, Moroso, Driade, GAN, Andreu World, Glas Italia, Kettal, Kvadrat and international groups such as Haworth, BMW, Boeing, Louis Vuitton, Missoni, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Four Seasons, Marriott Group, Starbucks, Ferrari and Swarovski. Urquiola is part of the advisory board of Politecnico di Milano and Triennale Milano Museum. She taught Interior Design at Domus Academy Milano and has given lectures at Harvard University, Rhode Island School of Design, Michigan University, Shenkar School of Engineering and Design in Israel, Alvar Aalto Academy in Finland, State University and Università Bocconi in Milan. She has also given talks at countless cultural events, such as Design Shanghai, Design Week in Istanbul, the Expressive Design Conference at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany, the Bloomberg Design Conference in San Francisco, Festarch Perugia, Festival della Mente in Sarzana and Mantova Literature Festival, among others. Patricia Urquiola’s work is exhibited in many art and design museums around the world, including the MoMa in New York, the Decorative Arts Museum in Paris, the Triennale Museum in Milan, the Design Museum in Monaco, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the Vitra Design Museum in Basel, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Design Museum in Zurich, the Stedelijk Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Amsterdam, the Design Museum of Barcelona and the Philadelphia Art Museum. She has been named Designer of the Year by Wallpaper, Elle Decor International, AD España and Architecktur und Wohnen, among other magazines.
RICCARDO ZACCONI
Co-Founder Sweet Capital, King.com and Pten Research
Riccardo was a co-founder of King and continued to serve as company Chairman until 2020, having served as CEO from 2003 until 2019. King has 271m active users playing games across its 200 mobile, social and web titles, including hit franchise Candy Crush Saga. Riccardo led King’s listing on the NYSE in 2014, and in 2016 it was acquired by Activision Blizzard for $5.9bn. Riccardo is co-founder of tech angel fund Sweet Capital and founder of the PTEN Research Foundation for rare genetic diseases.