Connecting Youth to Opportunity with Giorgia Calvaresi

Giorgia Calvaresi is an Italian entrepreneur based in Brussels. With experience living across countries and continents, she has demonstrated dynamic skills in public relations. No matter where Giorgia travels, she shares how deeply connected she always feels to her Italian seaside roots. In this interview, Giorgia explains how the strong values instilled in her upbringing […]

How Laura Pioli Transferred Roots in Writing to Authentic Dialogue on LinkedIn

Laura Pioli is an Italian-raised, UK-based Senior Digital Marketing Expert with an impressive career working with brands like McLaren, Serie A, and Anthropologie. Inspired by some of the greatest writers like Fitzgerald and Fante, Laura is a passionate writer currently working on a novel. She has recently become a popular and comforting voice for the […]

From Ancient Sites to Phygital Worlds with Anna Paterlini

Anna Paterlini is the Co-Founder of NEWU, a creative consulting agency based in Rome, Italy that specializes in the phygital approach. Before working on creative projects with brands like Prada and Google, Anna began her career in archaeology where her passion for impact-driven grew. She shares in this interview how she blended her archaeological background […]

How Family Values Shaped Jerry Calabrese’s Success at McDonald’s

Before Jerry Calabrese became one of the leading experts in accountability at McDonald’s Corporation, he began his life deeply rooted in an Italian-American upbringing. In this interview, he shares how the early values he was taught in compassion, family, and hard work influenced his great success over 35 incredible years at McDonald’s. As the former […]

Peter Merlo on Music and Marketing in the Age of AI

Peter Merlo is a Chicago-area musician, songwriter, and marketing specialist. Learning from the inspiring line of entrepreneurs in his family, Peter has worked hard toward his passions with an impressive internship with Grammy-winning producer Seth Mosley and collaborations with artists like Rockie Fresh, OG Maco, and BWA Ron. Today Peter is a Marketing Manager at […]

Elisa Aceri on Natural Beginnings in Ethiopia and The Best Travel Advice

For the second episode of my ‘Uprooting Passions’ series, I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend and colleague, Elisa “Eli” Aceri. Eli and I met last year when I interned under her during my study abroad in Rome. Many of the skills and career paths I chose today were sparked by my experience […]

5 Things I Learned After 1 Year of Living with my Italian Nonna

5 Things I Learned After 1 Year Living With My Nonna Santa For the last semester of my undergrad, I moved in with my 82-year-old nonna for a little over a year. My nonna’s name is Santa which means “saint” in Italian. I think this name could not fit her any better, she is a […]