ANDREA AIELLO
CEO OF EDIFIS
Andrea Aiello, born in Milan in 1972, graduated in Literature at the Università Statale of Milan, member of the editorial team of Michelin Guide Italy until 2006 when he leaves Michelin for the editorial start-up of retail&food, the first Italian magazine about retail modern spaces: from shopping centers to airports. In 2012 the media company Edifis Spa acquire retail&food, and Andrea became editor-in-chief of others Edifis magazines: Artù, l’Orafo Italiano. He was among the founders of ICSC/CNCC Next Generation Italy and Board Member of ANES Italian national association of b2b publishing. Andrea loves his four children, friends, good books, TV series, restaurants, gin tonic, mountains, seaside and travel.
MASSIMO BARBIERI
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
Massimo Barbieri during his career path was always actively involved in growth projects of chains in the restaurant business. Massimo is in Burger King Restaurants Italia since 2015 and today he is in charge for Business Development and Institutional Relations. Previously he was Operations, Franchising & Training Director: in these 2 years the Brand grew in Italy from 122 to 148 units. Previously he was Retail & Franchising Manager for ci Gusta!, overseeing a growth from 32 to 50 stores, all out of Italy. With the same responsibility he was in the team of Cibiamogroup, a multi-brand Italian company which manages brands such as Cibiamo Time, La bottega del Caffè, Virgin Active Cafè and Mondadori Cafè: in 2 years the growth of this multi-brand chain marked over +30%, increasing from 60 to 81 locations. A veteran of McDonald’s, where he was a member of the team with several different responsibilities – thanks to a job rotation process – in Departments such as Operations, Training, Franchising, Corporate Relations, he spent there over 15 years (with a happy break in Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company) during which the Brand grew in Italy from 30 to over 400 stores.
ELEONORA COZZELLA
FOOD JOURNALIST
Eleonora Cozzella, graduate with a degree in Philosophy at La Sapienza University and specialized in Journalism at Luiss, has been coordinating since 2006 the site Food & Wine of the Group Espresso-Repubblica; she writes for Guida I ristoranti d'Italia of Espresso, collaborates with several Italian and international magazines on topics of food and wine. She is panel leader for Italy of the international jury which annually ranks the World's 50 Best Restaurants. Over the years, her passions have turned into real specializations in specific areas of food: pizza in particular (she teaches at the Università della Pizza -University of Pizza), Pasta (subject of the book she is writing) and Gelato (she is often member of juries for gelato competitions). She coordinates and leads food and wine events like the ‘Identità di pasta’ - Identity of pasta - and ICWC, the Gelato World Cup.
NORMAN CESCUT
DESITA FOUNDER AND CEO - PRESIDENT OF THE JURY
Expert in Design for Business, he is supporting entrepreneurs helping them realize their projects. Founder and CEO of DESITA, the International Foodservice & Retail Consultancy Company specialized in creation and development of food and retail business. President of the DESITA Award Jury, he has been speaker at: TEDx Milano, BIFEX Beirut, Franchising EXPO Dubai, Detrop Thessaloniki, Franchising Nord Piacenza, Salone del Franchising Milano among other.
MARCO GUALTIERI
FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF SEED&CHIPS
Visionary entrepreneur in different fields : Entertainment, Digital , Fashion and the Arts . He has started successful startups in all the above areas . Mostly known for founding TicketOne , the first e - commerce ticketing platform in Italy as well as co - founded Netcomm, Italy’s largest e - commerce association. Founder and Chairman of Seeds&Chips the Global Food Innovation Summit – the world - renowned go to event on Food Innovation. He has revolutionized the way food events are done today, making Seeds&Chips an open platform for startups, corporations, organizations, government, investors alike. A meeting of the minds to truly solve the challenges w e face today. Furthermore, his daily activities include connecting entrepreneurs, corporate executives, government and policy makers to create synergies for our global good. Marco has become an internationally recognized expert in this field speaking at conferences , writing articles and mentoring startups and young innovators launch their solution in the market. Since August 2017 he is also chairman of the initiative of “Io Sto Con Paolo” to sensitize the global community as well as starting an international pool of experts, doctors and researchers in the fight against ALS. Today, he is also on the board of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and a prominent investor in Food Tech startups.
ERICH INVERNIZZI
DESIGNER
Born in Milan on 28.10.1973 spent his childhood on Como Lake, returned to Milan after graduation followed the course in Electrical Engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan, then moved to his passion, design and architecture achieving his master’s degree in Industrial Design. During the master collaborated with colleagues from all over the world in an international and cosmopolitan environment. Before he even finished the courses, he worked with two companies in the eyewear industry and industrial design. In 2000, after a period of six months spent in London to improve his English and one year as an athlete for the Navy during military service, played the role of designer and project manager dealing whit events & exhibit design (Omnia Design). In 2004 created the firm of his dreams Designers since the beginning followed all the phases related to managing the relationship with customers and suppliers to design to production/construction site.
MARINA LANFRANCONI
LAWYER
Founding partner of MilaLegal she is specialized in intellectual and industrial property law, in particular she is experienced in Trademarks, Designs, Patents, Know-How and new technologies. She advises and assists Italian and international clients active both in fashion and design sectors providing assistance on strategies to protect IP rights, shape of goods, stores layout, know-how and trade secrets including both new ways of sharing and exploiting the IP rights on the net and new technologies. Experienced in patronymics trademarks, drafting and negotiating license, transfer, franchising, co-branding and co- existence agreements; she provides on going assistance to Italian and international clients active in sectors of luxury fashion brands and design, advises and assists investments funds and corporations in ordinary and extraordinary transactions, including company acquisitions and restructuring, with reference to all aspects dealing with circulation, transferring, and providing securities on IP portfolio.
TIZIANA MARONGIU
ETHICA&MITTEL DEBT ADVISORY DEPUTY EXECUTIVE
Tiziana is Deputy Executive of Ethica & Mittel Debt Advisory, a consulting firm that assists Italian companies in identifying the most effective financing alternatives in support of a specific investment plan. From 2013 to 2016 he worked in Mittel Advisory Debt & Grant, and also serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mittel Advisory. Previously, since 2001, she worked on M&A for Mittel Corporate Finance and E. Capital Partners. Tiziana holds a degree in Business Administration - Finance from Bocconi University in Milan and is registered in the Milan Register of Chartered Accountants and Experts.
LUCIANO PIGNATARO
WRITER AND JOURNALIST
Writer, journalist and enogastronomic critic, is head of the "Mattino" where, since 1994, he has been managing a weekly column on wine that is the longest in Italy. Premio Veronelli 2008 as a journalist of the year, is the author of numerous guides on wines and gastronomy, as well as a member of the executive committee of the Guida Espresso Guide and coordinator of Slow Wine in Campania, Basilicata and Calabria. His blog www.lucianopignataro.it is among the most followed and influential in Italy, leader in the food & wine sector with over 300,000 visits every month.
ROBERTO SGAVETTA
COOP ITALIAN FOOD PRESIDENT
Manager with over 30 years of experience, including general management of mid to large size organizations, corporate development, startup, corporate restructuring, product development, business operations, finance, control and strategy. But , first of all , a Cooperator.
FRANCESCA ZAMPOLLO
FOOD DESIGNER
Dr. Francesca Zampollo is a Food Design researcher, consultant, keen public speaker, teacher, HuffingtonPost writer, and YouTuber. She is the founder of the Online School of Food Design©, the first and only provider of online education on Food Design. Francesca has a PhD in Design Theory applied to Food Design and is an award winning Food Designer. She is currently developing Food Design Thinking, a branch of Design Thinking she has theorized in 2012. She is the founding editor of the International Journal of Food Design, and the founder of the International Food Design Society (2009). Francesca has organized the first, second, and third International Conference on Food Design, and has taught Design Theory and Food Design at London Metropolitan University and Auckland University of Technology as a senior lecturer.