BAIAblog

Event Recap: BAIA Winter Mix in San Francisco

La popolazione agiata del pianeta gode di  innumerevoli diritti ed è tutelata dalle autorità, questà è di per sé una fortuna poiché i poveri del pianeta devono ancora lottare per la sola sopravvivenza fisica. Il benessere, la comodità e i diritti però sono oggi spesso fraintesi dall’uomo occidentale che li percepisce come un fine e non come un mezzo perdendosi completamente in essi. Il più importante diritto dell’uomo è un diritto naturale del quale lui solo può volontariamente privarsi, è il diritto alla libertà e conoscenza di se stesso e/o ossia del Tutto. Il confronto impavido con le condizioni di vita e con le Realtà è come una caccia in territori sterminati. Decifrando le tracce e con un’attenzione costante, potremo ritrovare la strada. (Matteo Bergamasco, Italian Artist) 

The Cain Schulte Art Gallery in San Francisco was this years setting for the annual  Baia Winter mix on December 8. While enjoying wine and appetizers offered by Café Renzo, a mix of young and seasoned professionals, entrepreneurs, and the extended BAIA Community had the opportunity to mix and mingle while admiring the innovative creations presented in the MAGNA CARTA-ART/PAPER exhibition.

Curated by the directors Marina Cain and Kit Schulte, the exposition seeks to highlight the universal and contemporary relevance of the issues emanating from the Magna Carta in today’s increasingly globalized world. A cross cultural sections of international artists was selected to display personal explorations on the contemporary issues of protection of personal freedom, individual rights and unlawful imprisonment. The works on display range from small charcoal and ink drawings to large experimental sculptures.

Thanks to Silvia Girardi Art, BAIA’s sponsor and friend, two Italians artists were represented in this exhibition as well: Matteo Bergamasco and Daniele Girardi. We asked them some questions about their works and how they relate to this important 13th-century legal document, a key element in the radical transformation of constitutional thought.

Q: The Magna Carta is widely considered the most important legal document in the history of democracy, the first attempt to establish individual liberties for the public as a whole. How can its principles still be considered relevant in the world of contemporary globalization? 

Daniele Girardi: “In the new globalized world, information is accessible worldwide. the Internet is a giant container of messages and is somehow a universal document where anyone can write and express themselves. You can picture it as a democratic document where news circulates free and fast. It can be thought of as an extension of ideas, a knowledge base of the world and its messages of peace, brotherhood and freedom, are timeless.” 

Matteo Bergamasco: “The Magna Carta, besides specific content, has been considered as a symbol of freedom granted to the people. This was an important step considering the past of slavery and abuse. However we need to be careful because a document that grants rights, in reality hides a strong statement: there is a superior power that gives rights to individuals in order to not crush them under its boot. This kind of logic shouldn’t exist in a society meant as an organism were people self-regulate themselves in peace and harmony without laws and legislation. In order to arrive to this point, the individuals need to mature and form a collective consciousness."  

What inspired you to work on paper? 

DG: “The Magna Carta opened the way to freedom and individual rights. I see it as a journey toward the conquest of rights, of a territory, of emancipation and an infinite road looking for freedom. This project on paper represents an attempt to travel these long roads where undefined  visions are present. It is a journey toward the unknown but more important it is a journey to find ourselves. The road is an icon to our freedom and the right to access it.”

MB: “My work displayed at the exhibition is made using a simple and fast technique, and you can imagine it as a journey, a story made by the same protagonist. The paper I used for this work is also cut in an unusual way making it more like a antique than a modern work. The Magna Carta becomes a small piece of paper, absolutely subjective and more like a personal journal. However all the individuals are united by the idea of the journey and in this way it becomes universal.” 

Both their works explore intimate views of the concept of Magna Carta, and  this is one of the major intents of Silvia Girardi. Promoting emerging, as well as established artists with an emphasis on the renewal over the past decade of the italian art scene in painting, sculpture photography and new media.

In light of the next Baia Event on Women Entrepreneurs, the US vs. the European/Italian Experience, we asked Silvia Girardi about her personal experience as woman entrepreneur: 

Silvia Girardi: “As with many art dealers, it was a passion that inspired my business. Love of the art in all its forms, a strong network of artists that I developed in Italy and the vibrant art scene in San Francisco brought me to this field in 2005. I started representing a group of five Italian artists due to personal connections and admiration for their work I believed their works could have done well so I started to have a curiosity for the entrepreneurial side of the art world. Cultivating a network of artists and simultaneously establishing connections with art galleries, collectors and museums, was the first step. In the first two years of business in San Francisco these artists took part in group shows, while also having solo shows and press coverage throughout the country. Networking was and still is the main focus of my activities. It is all about meeting people and maintaining relationships over time.I had the chance to meet inspiring women art dealers and entrepreneurs from whom I eagerly “stole” their talents in networking and event planning.The connection with Italy is definitely a plus. In California I have found a real audience of art lovers who are interested in Italian art, craft, design and culture in general. I speak to that audience as well as to the international audience. My key words are: be passionate, don’t expect success overnight, take risks and expect the unexpected!” 

Looking forward to seeing you all on January 19, 2011 for the Baia Panel Women Entrepreneurs, the US vs. the European/Italian Experience. 

 

Rossella Florio

PS: Resource links:

• Official Event photos
• SF Examiner article
• SF Examiner video
• Silvia Girardi website 
• Matteo Bergamasco website
• Daniele Girardi website

An Interview with Dianne Hales, Author of "La Bella Lingua"

As an Italian I always loved my mother tongue. When I was a kid I believed Italian was the most musical, easy to write, and enjoyable among all the languages. My first experience as a student with French grammar was a confirmation of the indisputable superiority of Italian. Only later did I realize that any language, if approached with interest, perseverance, and curiosity, can be as enjoyable as my mother tongue and would reveal its own beauty. Over time Italian has become to me like an old friend. The sound of a well spoken Italian, or the words of a well written Italian book are among the pleasures of my life. Knowing how long has it taken for me to begin mastering English, despite living in the US, I felt surprised by the deep knowledge and "padronanza" Dianne Hales (blog) has for the Italian language. Her recent book "La Bella Lingua" is an incredible source of information not only for students approaching the Italian language, but also for Italians. She goes through words and expressions revealing fascinating details, connections, stories, and unexpected etymologies. Dianne's sparkling writing style keeps us on the page stimulating our curiosity and providing for a delightful read. As I know Dianne personally, thanks to the ItaLingua school in San Francisco, I wanted to ask her a few questions about her new book and her love affair with the Italian language.

Dianne can you tell us a bit about yourself and your activities as a writer?

I’ve written thousands of articles and dozens of books, both for a general audience and for students, and I’ve served as a contributing editor for several national magazines in the U.S., including PARADE, Ladies Home Journal, and American Health. But nothing I’ve done has been related to Italy or Italian. This is brand-new territory for me—which makes it exciting.

The same features that make Italy and Italians so lovable and exciting can also be irritating. How did you manage to stay always so enthusiast about Italy (and Italians) while learning the Italian language?

Maybe we all feel the same mix of affection and irritation with our countrymen, perhaps because we see the best and the worst of ourselves in them. Italians always went out of their way to help me with my research and were so delighted that I was writing about their language that I never had any reason to feel irritated.

In Italy, dialects are very important in preserving local cultures. Dialects can also be an obstacle toward a more integrated and strong nation. What is your view on this topic? Should we dump our dialects and pursue English as the global language?

No, please! Dialects are the spices that make Italian such a delicious brew of a language. Isn’t it wonderful that different regions came up with so many different ways of saying the same thing and that you can still hear echoes of their individual histories in their dialects? If I were Italian (forse una Romana de Roma), I would be just as proud—and protective—of my dialect as of the national language.

Despite your brilliant writing skills, writing a successful book about a topic such as the Italian language can be a challenging goal. What motivated you in sharing your passion for this language in a book?

As a journalist, I know a great story when I see one, and the tale of how Italian became Italian—which even few native Italians know—has everything: drama, war, beautiful women, heroic men, art, humor, mystery, food, music, movies and, of course, love. My goal was to write a book worthy of the Italian language, and my greatest gratification has come from Italians who tell me that I have given them a new perspective on and appreciation for their language. At my book presentation here, Valeria della Valle of La Sapienza said that I wrote of “l’Italia e l’italiano che vorremmo,” the very best of the country and the language.

Italians seems to be obsessed with food (soccer and women also score very high). In your experience how do Italian food and Italian language mix and influence each other?

Italy’s food and language meld together as smoothly as “cacio sui maccheroni.” Both boast a rich and rollicking history dating back to ancient times. Both vary greatly from region to region. Both reflect centuries of invasion, assimilation and conquest. The very words for simple culinary techniques—rosolare for make golden, sbricciolare for crumble, or sciaquare for rinse—make my tongue tingle with delight. Of course, one pleasure always trumps reading about Italian cuisine: eating it!

While we can name several exceptional Italian writers, the Italian language seems to miss the extraordinary talent of a Shakespeare or a Pushkin. The most important Italian writers seem to be too old or too academic to excite the current generations. Is Italian language too big and multi-medial to fit comfortably in the pages of a book?

Franco, your countrymen, particularly Florentines, would be horrified! Only Shakespeare, with all his collected works, can even compare with Dante Alighieri. More than seven centuries after his birth, Dante still rocks—literally. Bruce Springsteen, Patty Smith, and bands like Radiohead and Nirvana cite him as an inspiration as did John Milton, William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Ezra Pound, and Sigmund Freud. Roberto Benigni is selling out his TuttoDante shows around the world. College professors in the U.S. tell me that students flock to their courses on Dante and Italian literature. Pushkin? That was the name I gave my first cat. Dante? Vive sempre.

You list many great reasons to start studying Italian. Almost all of them are about passion, art, music, and history. Can studying Italian make also sense from a business point of view?

Italian may not seem the obvious choice for business, but no other language embodies the ideals of Western culture and civilization. For many centuries knowing Italian was the mark of a well-bred, well-educated person. I believe the same can still be true. With Italian, you learn courtesy, respect, diplomacy, a deep appreciation for all dimensions of culture. No other language may be better at distinguishing the sfumature, the subtle nuances of a situation. As long as business involves people—unique, complex individuals with so much to express and communicate—Italian will be relevant.

Many of the people reading this interview are struggling, like me, with a similar experience: we are trying to improve our English language skills. Based on your experience, do you have any suggestions for us?

To my surprise, Italian followers of my blog, which focuses on Italian colloquial expressions, have told me that the posts have helped them learn idiomatic English. To me, that is the most difficult thing in any language. I would suggest reading English newspapers and magazines to pick up expressions that Americans use every day—such as “hit a home run” or “make a long shot”—that aren’t taught in language classes. How else would you know that our equivalent of “in bocca al lupo” is “break a leg”?

I would like to thank Dianne Hales for taking time for this interview. If you have a question for Dianne or for BAIA please feel free to contact us or leave a comment below. If you enjoyed Dianne's interview do not hesitate to order a copy of "La Bella Lingua". I promise you will not be disappointed! I also suggest to visit Dianne's blog for daily "pills" of Italian vocabulary and culture.

Franco Folini

An Interview with Francesca Gaspari, Director of Italingua

In a tall building in downtown San Francisco, facing the crowds on Market Street, there is a small but notable Italian school. Every day in the classrooms of this school passionate teachers engage students in the culture and language of Italy.  The school's name is ItaLingua, and it is led by Francesca Gaspari. Despite living in the Bay Area for several years, Francesca still has the freshness and enthusiasm of a newcomer who has just landed at SFO from Europe.  Francesca combines her passion for everything Italian with the skill and determination of an entrepreneur. I recently met Francesca and asked her a few questions to learn more about this important bastion of Italian culture which seems more known to non-Italians than to the Italian community itself.  Here are my questions and Francesca's responses.

Francesca can you tell us a bit about yourself and your professional activities?

I’m originally from Bergamo, a historical town in the north of Italy, and I moved here to California at the age of thirty following jazz and love. I hold a diploma as a clarinet player from the Conservatory of Bergamo.  I also spent three years studying acting. I have a passion for teaching. This is the background that supported me in working on my main project to create an Italian language school. As soon as I came here I started to look for opportunities to teach Italian. I was motivated by my passion for teaching and by the interest in our language I noticed from Americans and especially Italian-Americans who wanted to recreate a connection with their parents' or grand-parents' language. Among several other ventures, I created Salotto Italiano, a private Italian school I led from 1990 to 2000. In 1996 I began working with ItaLingua Institute, starting as part-time teacher to become in 2001 the school director. At ItaLingua I’ve done countless activities, from organizing cultural workshops to teaching classes. I love to combine the teaching of the Italian language with specific Italian culture topics based on my students’ interests.  Unlike other schools, I organize Italian classes about literature, opera, Italian music, and Italian cinema. For my students I also organize special events with important guests such as Italian cuisine chefs, opera singers, Italian journalists, and more.

ItaLingua is a popular Italian School in San Francisco. What motivates people to study the Italian language?

Our students have many reasons to join our classes. Some are planning trips to Italy; others have Italian relatives or are tracing their family history. Many are attracted by our language because they love Italian art, music, architecture, fashion, cooking, and wine. In every ItaLingua class, students are involved in a complete visual, emotional, and phonetic experience.  We try to bring language to life and let our students realize how beautiful, fun and sexy Italian is - so they keep studying it.

Many people don’t see the benefits of promoting the Italian language outside of Italy. Do you have any experience to share to help people understand the strategic value of your job?

Like Italian paintings or opera or literature, the Italian language is a work of art. Just as learning about Michelangelo or Verdi or Dante enriches anyone’s appreciation of beauty and its creators, learning Italian enriches appreciation of Italy and all things Italian. I believe that the promotion and teaching of the Italian language has an impact not only on the “diffusion” and appreciation of the Italian culture, but can have a positive effect also on the interaction between Americans and Italian businesses. For example, when a student of ItaLingua cooks a Barilla pasta plate, or drives a Vespa on the streets of San Francisco, or watches a Muccino movie, he/she will know the culture that generated those products and will experience some sort of positive connection.

Based on your experience, what are the major positive or negative stereotypes of Italians here in the Bay Area?

I am not really familiar with any negative ones. Our students admire Italians and want to learn our language to acquire Italians’ style, vivacity and joy in living. Those are not stereotypes; those are peculiar features and integral parts of our Italian culture.

What are the major differences between the ways Italian and other European languages and culture are presented and promoted in the US?

Spanish language is so widespread in the United States that people study it for practical reasons. The French government supports the Alliance Françoise and promotes the study of French language as a symbol of the culture. Chinese and Japanese are popular languages because California has close ties to Asia. I think Italian is unique because many people study it for the sheer love of the language and the fun of learning it. As a spoken language, Italian ranks about 19th—much lower than Spanish and French—yet it has become the fourth or fifth most widely studied language in the world. My hope is that Italian teachers abroad and the Italian government can “revitalize” the interest for our beautiful language.

You have been in San Francisco for some time. How has the Italian community changed over the years?

The Italian community has always played a significant role in the Bay Area. One major difference is that several decades ago many Italians were the children or grandchildren of Italian immigrants. Now many are fourth- or fifth-generation Americans, and their ties to Italy are not as strong. More interestingly, we are now seeing a new generation of Italians coming to the Bay Area. They are university students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and professionals. Those people are gradually changing the traditional perception of Italy and of Italian culture providing a more updated and modern image of our country. For the old Italians, as well for the new ones, the Italian language is vital in keeping their ethnic bond and preserving a sense of pride in our Italian heritage.

What can Italian associations like BAIA and Italian institutions like the Italian Consulate do to help promote the Italian language and culture?

I would love to see all of us working together to celebrate the language, for instance, during Italian Language Week in October.  I’d like to offer classes in conversation and culture in Italian-owned or Italian-associated businesses, do special events on the language of Italian food and wine at restaurants and wineries, and involve children and families in Italian traditions and folklore. Language is the lifeblood of a nation and a culture and by promoting the Italian language we are promoting the essence of Italy.

I would like to thank the Francesca Gaspari for taking the time for this interview and for the important work she is doing every day at ItaLingua supporting and promoting the Italian language and culture. If you have a question for Francesca or for BAIA please do not hesitate to contact us or to leave a comment below. Francesca is a member of our online community BAIA Link where she can also be reached.

Franco Folini

An Interview with Luca Foresti Winner of the First Edition of Mind The Bridge

A few weeks ago the first edition of "Mind-the-Bridge" final event  was held here in San Francisco. Thanks to the determination of Marco Marinucci, the extensive support of BAIA, and the hard work of the businessmen involved in the selection and tutoring process, the the entire competition was a great success.
Now, a few weeks after the final event, it's time to analyze the first results and check how the protagonists are doing and in which ways this experience is affecting their business and mostly important their entrepreneurial mindset. Who can help us with this analysis better than the winner of the competition Luca Foresti? I asked Luca a few questions. Here is the complete interview.

Luca, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your entrepreneurial activities?

I studied Physics as first degree in Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, then Financial Mathematics; therefore I have a scientific and modelistic approach to life. My first step in the productive world was in a company developing micro-finance institutions in developing countries. There I learn how to manage large groups of people and how to make things happen with no-nonsense and excuses. During the last two years in the company I moved towards  the management of ICT departments. I basically learn about technology during the nights, deciding about contracts, people and strategies during the day. It was fun and it helped me a lot in developing a basic trust in the possibility of learning fast in areas where you are not a professional at the beginning. In practice this is the main skill if you want to be an entrepreneur.
Since February 2006 I am the CEO of Econoetica and I live in Bologna. Our company is based on a concept: only people fully engaged can create a long-term competitive advantage. Therefore we look for entrepreneurs that are not aware or ready to do the big step and put them under a lot of pressure. Those that survive and are able to take responsibilities are then shareholders. We have at present three divisions: Arianna (Multimedia mobile guides for cities), Noody (Wifi infrastructure and services), E-consulting (B2B ICT complex projects).

How was your experience with the Mind-The-Bridge business competition, and what is the next step?

It was a very good possibility for us. In practice was the first time we could translate our idea of Silicon Valley in real people, companies, time spent together with exceptional leaders.  The quality of people  that organized it (Marco Marinucci as main player, in our case Luigi Orsi Carbone as mentor, but many others helped us a lot), the centrality of the location, Silicon Valley, in the ICT world, are few reasons for being absolutely satisfied with the experience. The next step is to prepare ourselves to transforms all the opportunities created and the network developed in facts. Our initial aim was to look for Business Angels or VCs. The reality is that we should enter into a process where we prepare the ground for achieving our initial goals. Today we understand this is normal, when we started we were quite naive about it.

Do you have any recommendations for young Italian entrepreneurs wishing to compete next year in Mind-The-Bridge?

Two main recommendations. Write a Business Plan that has numbers interesting for investors; don't write small plans. In Italy we are used to think small. Silicon Valley is a place where everyone thinks big and expect everyone else to do the same. The real challenge is to forget for a while the Italian way to think about business and enter into the American way. Second, If you win, think about who you want to meet there and prepare yourself before flying in Silicon Valley. I know that this is difficult, but with the help of the mentor and with a bit of ability you may transform an interesting trip in a big possibility for you and your company. This suggestion translates in what everyone there call "homework"; and it's a lot of work.

Your business idea leverages a simple and relatively inexpensive device such as a PDA that customers are supposed to rent or buy. Do you have any plan to also approach the more common mobile phone platforms?

That was exactly the plan we presented at Mind-the-Bridge. Develop a downloadable software  for mobile phones, with a back-office platform for creating personalized guides. In the next 5 years almost every piece of software will go mobile. Smartphone will be smarter and smarter, connectivity will increase and finally multimedia contents will start winning over written contents. These are the trends we aim to surf for making our Arianna the best Multimedia city guide people can have. User generated contents can integrate professional contents, creating a mass-customized guide for a city. The portal is the place where people choose and manage the contents they really want and the mobile user interface is adapted to the conditions in which people really use the product. The main asset users have today is time: and it is a scarce resource. Therefore we spend a lot of time and effort in having a very user friendly product.

As an entrepreneur you have been exposed to the Silicon Valley way of doing business. Which aspect of the Silicon Valley model do you think can be successfully adapted to the Italian economic system and culture?

In the world of the economy every model that works spread in any areas where there are no barriers of entrance and no cultural clash. Italy is full of both. Therefore a very honest answer to your question is: none. First we have to destroy our barriers! Then there are many ideas, models and opportunities to be copied and implemented in Italy if those barriers disappears. Most likely the most important change we need are all those decisions that enhance meritocracy in our society. The creation of an ecosystem that can sustain an high tech industry in the long run is something very difficult to do. We need entrepreneurial spirit, and this is not something you can study in books. I have the feeling that first we have to send our people abroad for a while and then, when they come back, they will have a different mindset.

With the new BAIA LINK online community we are now trying to create a connection between Italy and the Italian community in Silicon Valley. What can this community do for Italian entrepreneurs like you?

BAIA Link can help us to find the right connections to spend a few months or even a year working there, with successful companies and creating a strong network that can be then used in developing companies in Italy. Another way could be to have there a company that commercialize services and products developed by Italian start-ups.

I would like to thank Luca Foresti for taking the time to speak with me today. If you have any questions for Luca or for BAIA, please leave a comment below or contact Luca or me on BAIA Link and we will be glad to answer.

Franco Folini

A Call for Energetic Optimism

Today, and in the months ahead, we must think and act with keen optimism and determination.

While I was traveling back home during the holidays, in my native Torino – which is also the 2008 World Design Capital – I witnessed the usual warmth and cheerfulness of familiar faces in an atmosphere fueled by the holiday spirit.

At the same time, I had the chance to browse through some of that more casual and disparate holiday reading material, ranging from the history book found at home, to the arts catalogs in the bookstore of the Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art to some mundane magazines which tend to materialize in your laps at the airport or at the hair dresser’s. Among tales of beauty, technology gadgets (I especially like the 500-shaped USB I received from my Dad), and daily happenings, a common theme was surfacing across the press:  the need for optimism.

Usually, when a state of mind is summoned by multiple parties, it means there has been a lack of it, or lackluster presence at least.  So I sniffed around for supporting data.

An article I came across in one of my “holiday magazines”, (A) by Giancarlo Bruno, manager of Banking and Capital Marketing for the World Economic Forum, was reporting data about Italy’s classification among the world economies, based on overall competitiveness (World Economic Forum competitiveness index). The current ranking: 46; down from 42 and 38 in the previous years.  By digging in a little deeper, it shows business competitiveness (ranking: 42) is more favorable in terms of “Sophistication of company operations and strategy”(32) rather than “Quality of the national business environment” (45) (link).

Given that Italy should be among the top five or six world economies, a 46th overall place sounds very much like the C series.  Or, with a different cultural metaphor, if you are an A student it is a shame to get anything less than a B, just because you can so easily do better. Two years ago, I attended a business breakfast where an economist from BNP Paribas stated: “Italy is dying” (he also mentioned oil prices were not going to rise ...). At the end of the presentation I raised my proud Italian hand and clarified that, thank you for the concern, but Italy was alive and well, despite aggressive competition in certain sectors, from high-growth emerging economies.  A few weeks later I flew to Torino to witness first-hand the sparkling beauty of the Olympic Torch and the rebirth on the world stage of the first capitol of Italy.  My country still looked very much alive.  Today we should not be in 46th place and, most important, we should be competitive, jostling for the top 5, top 10 positions.  Not for sake of the ranking per se, but because that’s a sign of the dreams, work and achievements that lie beneath the digits.  Hence my urge to blog on the topic.

Two weeks ago a business delegation with the Partnership for Growth program, accompanied by US Ambassador Ronald Spogli, visited the Bay Area.  There was much enthusiasm and no shortness of energy among the Italian visitors, eager to absorb information and to interact constructively, to build on their ideas.  Matteo Fabiano of BAIA opened his introductory note on BAIA, during a lunch session at Stanford (sponsored by YourTrumanShow), exactly on the topic of optimism, and on how it pervades the business climate of Silicon Valley. It was nice to see the light shining in the eyes of the audience, they grasped the message!

So, let’s capitalize on our talent, passion for quality, business acumen and scientific skills, to invigorate our country’s competitiveness and to keep our ability to dream alive. Dreams become reality when you believe in them and work hard toward their achievement. Optimism is not just a word, but the positive attitude and energetic drive required to move forward in spite of temporary obstacles and challenging circumstances.

Lucia Panini

An Interview with Gino Ferretti, President of the University of Parma

Gino Ferretti is the President (Rettore) of the University of Parma (Università degli Studi di Parma) in Italy. Parma is a very interesting  city, not only for its incredible cultural and historical heritage, but also its gastronomic tradition which brought us such products as Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. Thanks to a flourishing and technologically advanced food industry, it has become known as the Food Valley, an obvious reference to the Silicon Valley. By many Italians the city is considered a live laboratory experimenting different combinations of tradition and innovation. From his position at the University of Parma, Gino Ferretti is the person that can marry the incredibly rich food traditions of Parma with the business opportunities and challenges created by the global market and economy. Having known Gino Ferretti for more than 15 years, I asked him to share his ideas on how to bridge the Silicon Valley business models with the Food Valley food traditions.

Professor Ferretti, can you tell us a bit about yourself and the University of Parma?

The origins of the University of Parma go back more than one thousand years. While the original constitutive document has been lost, we still have an ordinance of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I dating back to 964 AD authorizing the Bishop of Parma to institute a Law School. We have records of scholars active in the city in the following centuries, but it was only in 1406 that a document was drafted stating a "re-foundation" of the University as an institution independent from the local bishop.
Today 1,100 teachers and a total of 1,100 technicians and administrative employees work for the University of Parma. We have about 30,000 students spread over 12 Faculties: Law, Literature, Economy, Political Sciences, Psychology, Medicine, Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture, Science, Architecture, and Engineering.
According to our data, 48% of out students come from outside of the Emilia-Romagna region, while only 33% come from the city and province of Parma.
Answering the question about myself: I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bologna. In my career I taught at several universities including Bologna, Padova, Trento, and, for the last 20 years, Parma. I have been in charge of the Reggio-Emilia public transportation company as President for about 2 years. After holding the title of Director of the Department of Industrial Engineering for six years, I have been elected Dean of the Engineering Faculty for 2 years. I've been the President (Rettore) of the University of Parma since the 2000 and thanks to the favorable results of the recent elections, I will be in charge until 2011.

According to Ignazio Marino, President of the Italian Senate's Health Commission, Italy is second only to India in the phenomenon known as fuga di cervelli or “brain drain”. This suggests that while Italian universities produce competitive young researchers and engineers, the Italian business and economic environment does not attract them. What’s your opinion?

The quoted statement is absolutely correct. This is mostly the result of a political crisis that dates back to the seventies. The social and economic differences between the diverse parts of Italy and the enduring political and ideological conflicts make governing our country a very difficult task. The instability of the government creates a difficult situation for enterprises and entrepreneurs with the result of slowing down economic development. Despite these problems Italy's scientific production, when considering the funding and the resources available to researchers, is at a very high level. What has been missing is a strong and consistent commitment of the central administration that has instead favored other sectors pursuing an easier and faster popular consensus.

The region of Parma is known as the “Food Valley” (an obvious reference to the Silicon Valley). Which parts of the economic model of the Food Valley could be adopted here in the US, and which aspects of the Silicon Valley economic model would be beneficial in the Food Valley?

The province of Parma and its region have historically been among the wealthiest and more productive agricultural areas in Europe. This richness brought us high quality products, stimulated a flourishing local food industry, and therefore supports a network of companies producing machines and plants for food processing. We are talking about small and medium companies making high quality products, and structurally unable to compete at the price level. Their products, coming from the rich local tradition, have specific features that were intended for a market and consumers that don't exist anymore. The current effort is to evolve those products that were not designed for large distribution or for a global market, in order to adapt them to the new markets and to make them more competitive. We are working on technologies, packaging, logistics, and branding. For these reasons our local business model is significantly different from the one used in Silicon Valley. We share the need for continuous innovation in order to sustain our economic growth.

Market globalization is a huge opportunity for Parma to expand its economy on a planetary scale. What is the role of the University of Parma in this new scenario?

I believe that global competition forces the scientific research, the scientific institutions, and our "capability to innovate" into a central and strategic position. Therefore the University has an important role to play, both indirectly preparing people and directly collaborating with enterprises. For this reason we are currently working on a new scientific park to host spin-offs from the academia and research labs shared with outside business enterprises.

In 2004 Parma was appointed the seat of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). What is the University's relationship with the EFSA?

EFSA is an institution that works in the same way as a scientific institution. We have a contact group and together we organize conferences and seminars. Several of our labs at the University have been accredited to provide consultancies and support for the EFSA. We are creating with them a Media Center for scientific communication. We have also to consider that EFSA hasn't yet fully deployed all of its activities in Parma.

In recent years the University of Parma started programs to foster spin-offs and new businesses. What has been your experience so far, and what are your expectations for the future?

The Italian academic world is not yet used to mapping its knowledge into business opportunities, though the situation is quickly changing. Some of our most recent spin-offs are achieving great results as businesses and we are determined, as a University, to further develop this approach in the coming years.

Thanks to the Internet, several Italian entrepreneurs in California are starting to look at Italy as a viable source of a highly qualified and relatively inexpensive work force. How can an association like BAIA be more effective in establishing these kinds of reciprocally beneficial connections?

I don't know your association and the way you work well enough to give you a specific answer. The best way to start a collaboration could be to jointly approach a specific problem from the legal and technical point of view. For example, I see opportunities to work together on topics such as the legal aspects of the import/export of food products in Italy and California. The reference person for those topics is Barbara Panciroli (barbara.panciroli1@unipr.it), from our Technology Transfer Center.

I would like to thank Gino Ferretti for taking the time to speak with me today. If you have any questions for Prof. Ferretti or for BAIA, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer.

Franco Folini

An Interview with Daniele Girardi, an Italian Artist

Daniele Girardi is one of the most interesting young artists of the contemporary Italian art scene (website). In his works Daniele explores the fusion of different techniques, repeatedly converting manual work into digital form and vice versa, resulting in a highly sophisticated mosaic of images that contain all the precepts of paintings and have no spatial references. Daniele's works can be seen at the MM Galleries in San Francisco from April 19 to May 26 in an exhibition of mixed-media works entitled Extension of the Inner Landscape. Thanks to Silvia Girardi, BAIA members and friends will have the opportunity to meet Daniele in person on May 24 at the BAIA Investing in Art: the Italian Contemporary Renaissance event. I took advantage of Daniele's recent visit to San Francisco for the opening of the exhibition to ask him a few questions about his artistic activities. Here is the interview.

Daniele, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your artistic activities?
My path as an artist is a fairly common one; I first attended the art institute in my hometown, Verona, then later the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan, which was almost a pretext to leave my small town. In Milan I found inspiration and great connections to pursue my career as a painter, as well as a rich dialogue with many artists, who later became companions along the journey. Anyway, in relation to my artistic education, I feel more as a student of life than of academic studies.

I read that artists “feel the pain of the world while seeing the beauty of the world.” In this world do you feel more pain or see more beauty?
It is known that suffering is a necessary step towards wisdom… a similar kind of labored gestation leads to the birth of art. However the feeling of suffering and the vision of beauty are not the unique prerogative leading to creation. I try to ‘survive’ the continuous stream between reality and vision to build my ‘chromocosmo’ (cosmos of colors) and transform… in color the inquietude of living.

In 2006 you were selected to be part of the ISCP (International Studio & Curatorial Program) program in New York. How has this experience changed you and your relationship with America?
My recent time in New York has been an inspiring and significant experience. I had the chance to discover new realities, to meet artists from all over the world, and expand my creative horizon diving every day into the megalopolis. It has been a strong impact without compromises… such is the city itself! I looked and observed a lot, I have filled myself with images and sensations of the American culture, so that now only after a few months, I'm transforming those influences into a more fresh and global vision.

You combine digital and traditional techniques in a very interesting way. Can you tell us the reasons for this powerful hybrid combination?
Let's say I have never really worked with a single technique; I have always looked after the union of elements. I have always been intrigued by the alchemy resulting from the combination of different languages and materials. There is always a surprise when opposite elements react and lead you to a discovery of new paths. The nature of painting is at the root of digital image. I try to let these two languages live together in a single territory where both lose their own identities to create a shared one…  like apolide, an identity without a homeland. The hybrid form is continuously changing, as my works are, moving from one phase to the other to fix themselves on the canvas in a continuous ‘come-into-being’.

Your art pieces are fully enjoyable even to people that have never been exposed to art. It’s common for artists to put meaning, shock value, or a message before aesthetic appeal. Can art just be beautiful?
Art, as well as the world, needs positive images available to anyone. In order to create an open dialogue with the viewer, I try to have experimentation and therefore a message coexist with a poetic style and an aesthetic ideal. In a sense I would define my work as ‘pop’ because I transform everyday objects into a new dimension, and give them back to the fantasy world of the painting. My works that are apparently easy to absorb contain under the skin an imaginative world to be discovered and that often remains secret.

What is your relationship with your paintings? Do you try “stay in touch” with them after the sale, or do you let them go?
The relationship with my works reminds me of the relationship between a parent and a son; at a certain stage of his life the son will have to leave the family nest and find his own path to grow and explore the world. This is the way I see my works when I finish them and they are ready to leave -- I wish them to find a good place in other's eyes also.

I would like to thank Daniele Girardi for taking the time to speak with me today, and Silvia Girardi for helping me with coordinating the interview. If you have any questions for Daniele or for BAIA, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer.

Franco Folini

“Talk their Talk and Walk their walk”, a Comment on Cultural Differences

I’ve been working in the international business field, mainly in export of goods and services from EU countries, for about 10 years before relocating to the US and trying to play the game the opposite way around.

In the meantime the world became a global economy, effortlessly going from telex and fax, to e-mail and e-commerce. The operators of this economy are still humans; as such, they were not ‘upgraded’, they simply grew up, as you and I, in very distinct environments.

Besides the nuts and bolts of whatever business I have been in, I was primarily attracted to, and fascinated by, an aspect that goes everywhere in between being taken for granted, and completely ignored in every size business I know: social and business culture differences.

CommunicAid is an Anglo-French “leader in the field of bespoke language, cultural awareness and communication skills, training to the world’s leading corporate and public organizations“. Note that such company is successfully based out of two countries that really need it. Their very respectful opinion on Italian business culture starts saying that “Italian culture permeates every aspect of life and as a result, for those wishing to integrate effectively into Italian society or perhaps hoping to successfully break the Italian business market, an understanding of this culture is a vital tool.”

I knew immediately that it was worth sharing it when I noticed that they had a paragraph on Beppe Severgnini “Bella Figura”, described as the “ability to present oneself well and behave with an air of demure and formality [which] is a key element in Italian business culture“.

Now, BAIA, the business networking association for Italians and Americans interested in each other, is a US based organization as any else (only not-for-profit), that when addressing the international community, in this case Italian, shouldn’t, and really can’t forget those principles either. Having many of us Italian backgrounds, it may be easier, but we neither should take them for granted or completely ignore it.

Thus, when it comes to talk to our Italian counterparts, being them members, enthusiasts, or simply prospective networkers, we have to adapt our language, our ways, our presentation and partly, our message; always in an effort to remaining loyal to it and to ourselves.

So, maybe we can assume to be a little more versed for the game, but we too, as everybody else, have still to play it, and will probably be reminded that nothing worthy comes easy.

Giorgio Ghersi

The top 10 things Italians must do right to sell software in US

Generally speaking, Italy is not perceived as one of the best places for software development. Personally I disagree on that perception. I know that Italy has a rich pool of top quality software developers, highly qualified just as most US developers. Also, Italy has a small group of software manufacturers offering an incredible set of high quality products. Despite the basic ingredients for a global success, many Italian software companies are experiencing difficulties entering the International markets, specifically the US market.
Based on my experience as software reseller at Novedge, I listed the top 10 things Italian companies should do to have a chance to succeed in the US market.

1. Think big! The US market includes more than 300M people. They all speak one single language and they all share the same culture. It's a very big opportunity for your business.
   
2. Spread the word! This is a huge country, to reach your potential customers you will have to wisely but heavily invest in marketing. Let as many people as you can know that you are here and you have something for them. It's simple: no marketing, no business.
3. Speak English! Before approaching the American market, be sure you have a fantastic English version of your website, and a professionally written English documentation for all your products. Double check that all your products speak English perfectly! Also have your sales people and technical people prepared!
4. Keep it simple! Americans are used to a simple and fast purchase process. This is the country where you can go to a car dealer and leave in 15 minutes driving your brand new car! Americans expect the same level of service from you and your resellers. Expectations are even higher if your software costs less than a car. Forget USB keys, computer-IDs exchanged by e-mail! Always go for a simple software activation, avoid complex procedures and excessive piracy protection.
5. Adapt to the local culture! Always remember that you are coming here to sell, not to teach Italian style or to show how supposedly better the Italian way is. If you like Italy so much, stay over there. When selling in US, try to think and to act like an American. Blend in with the way Americans do business, and focus on excelling at what they feel is important.
6. Be local! Prospects and customers will expect you to have a local toll free number, and a local e-mail address (keep the .it domain for Italy, get a .com domain for the US). Be ready!
7. Be fast! Don't even think about shipping your products from Italy! If you want to sell in the US, you must ship from a US location. Immediately send tracking numbers to your customer or reseller. Shipping from the US will give you the opportunity to offer overnight shipping, a magic word that Americans love, along with a tracking number.
8. Always be nice! Americans are always very polite and nice. This is the country where the lady at the cash register always ask "How are you?" and the only possible answer is "Great!". She doesn't really care, she is just following a local tradition. Prepare your people to be courteous the same way all the time: when they answer the phone, they write e-mails or they send a fax. It really is important.
9. Be reliable! In this country Net 30 means 30 days, not one day more. People will pay you in a timely manner and they will expect you to do the same. If you like to establish good relationships with your suppliers and customers, play by the rules.
10. Follow up, follow up, and follow up again! In order to succeed always follow-up with everyone you do business with and keep each communication short and simple. Many people are used to receiving follow ups as reminders, and expect them. Without follow ups, very little happens.

This is a partial list based on my personal experience. If you have any suggestions please leave a comment, I will be glad to have a discussion and publish a version 2.0, including your feedback.

Franco Folini

The Business of Culture or the Culture of Business? (part1)

It has occurred to me in recent conversations during some BAIA events, and especially in the process of organizing our events, how every so often the term “business” carries for certain people, if not a straight out negative, at least a diminishing connotation compared to other supposedly higher ranked disciplines. Sometimes business practices and themes are not perceived as “cultural”, or not dignified as the ones related to the term (and I assume the discipline of) “economy” or “economic”.
I assume this perception may be shared by technology specialists, particularly when expressing themselves in scientific settings.
While I understand the need of some people to distinguish, for example, High Art from Low Art in an artistic context (even if I generally disagree with the distinction, particularly faded in the contemporary art scene), this assumption of highness annoys, distracts, and definitely looses meaning when comparing different subjects, from different knowledge branches.
Undressed from its presumption, the tongue-in-cheek comment, or the blunt downplaying of the business topic, appears for what it is: a comparison of apple and oranges.
Honestly, I don’t see how, for example, a lecture given by a popular journalist, who wrote a number of anecdotal books on the everyday differences of two populations can be more or less “cultural” than, say, a public round-table of field experts on the business opportunities and challenges offered by the mainstreaming of traditional and or regional customs like, for example, the Italian cooking traditions. Would the first be more cultural because it’s related to literature and the second only to business? I actually see a good business in that literature, but maybe it’s only me.
Aren’t we maybe thinking business as in “consumerism’, more than business as in “microeconomics”?

Giorgio Ghersi