BAIAblog

Italian Consulate in San Francisco launches Business Event Contest

We are pleased today to host a special guest writer: Mr. Stefano Mancini, Commercial Attaché of the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco.

Dear fellow Italians and American friends,

I have recently been appointed as the new Commercial Attaché in San Francisco, with responsibility for an area of primary importance for the US economy and the business relationships between Italy and the USA.

I am committed to help, in my role, the Italian business community in my jurisdiction. I would be happy to welcome event proposals from the scientific and business associations that traditionally cooperate with the Consulate. I would also be happy to consider advertising messages of Italian companies and events within our district. More specifically, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you about our latest initiative: Business Event Contest.

Beginning in February 2012, the General Consulate of Italy will launch a new initiative. The Italian companies and professionals that operate within its district will be able to send proposals of economic-commercial-related events (as well as scientific events with a business component) to be held at the Consulate to the email address of the Commercial department, commerciale.sanfrancisco@esteri.it).  The General Consulate will select the best proposal and will host the event at its office at no charge, cooperating in order to achieve the success of the initiative. (Please note that insurance expenses, as well as cleaning and possible catering expenses are borne by the proposer).

We also have launched a commercial newsletter of the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco. If you are interested in being added to the list of recipients please send a request via email to commerciale.sanfrancisco@esteri.it.

Thank you for your support and look forward to working with you.

Stefano Mancini
Commercial Attaché
Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco 

Event Recap: Beyond Borders, The Age of Global Biotech

Last Thursday, BAIA held the much awaited panel event discussion with Pitch Johnson, as moderator, in conversation with David Low, Douglas Crawford, Roberto Crea, and Napoleone Ferrara at Squire Sanders law firm in downtown San Francisco.

Sponsored by Grazia Bennett of Sotheby’s International Realty, the event was a great way to network with industry experts and learn about biotechnology: an exciting, difficult, and life-changing area of science and research. It is no surprise to us that we had a sold-out event and every guest showed us their eagerness to attend.

Left to right: Dr. Crawford, Mr. Low, Mr. Johnson, Dr. Ferrara, Dr. Crea (photo courtesy of Aurora Meneghello Productions)

In synopsis, Dr. Crea and Dr. Ferrara shared their stories at Genentech (now a member of the Roche Group), in the biotech industry, and their decision to leave Italy to come to the US. Pitch Johnson, Mr. Low and Dr. Crawford explained how funding cycles and innovation capital requirements are affecting the biotech industry, and finally, how biotech companies will have to overcome both scientific challenges and compete in the international arena.

The Stories of Two Italian Scientists: Dr. Crea and Dr. Ferrara

In 1974, Dr. Crea earned a Ph.D in Biological Chemistry at the University of Pavia, Italy. In 1981, Dr. Ferrara earned a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from the University of Catania Medical School, Italy. In the 80s, if you asked both Dr. Crea and Dr. Ferrara what biotechnology was, they would have not been able to give you an answer: the biotech industry was just beginning, and both independently saw an opportunity to continue their passion for scientific research in the San Francisco Bay Area.

With the “right skills at the right time,” in 1978 Dr. Crea became Genentech’s first Director of the Nucleic Acid Department, and one of the four members of Genentech’s initial scientific team. In 1989 and also with the right skills, Dr. Ferrara and his team of scientists at Genentech made a groundbreaking discovery that opened doors to our understanding and treatment of cancer. Most notably, Dr. Ferrara’s research led to the successful development of Avastin (for the treatment of certain cancers) and Lucentis (for the treatment of macular degeneration disease of the eye) drugs.

The Biotech Entrepreneur: Success, Failure, and Funding

To Pitch Johnson’s surprise, the scientific panel argued that 90% of projects in Phase III fail. For industry outsiders, Phase III is the last stage of product development before registration and marketability of a product/drug. This means that research is increasingly complex, resource-intensive, and success is very hard to predict.

On the business side, entrepreneurs also face similar challenges. Mr. Low, Managing Director at Lazard and an expert in Biotech M&A, told us that, as cost of capital is high and access to capital is low, biotech start-ups are in a very difficult position to compete with mature, profitable companies. In fact, according to a recent Ernst & Young biotech report, the “20% of US companies that were most successful in raising funds garnered 82.6% of capital in 2010 — up from 78.5% the previous year. Conversely, the bottom 20% of companies raised only 0.4% of funds — down from 0.6% in 2009.”

The Future: International Partnerships and Translational Medicine

The future is exciting. Both Dr. Crea and Dr. Ferrara told us that scientific research of the past years is only “the tip of the iceberg, and many more advancements are possible.”

As Dr. Crawford pointed out, we are seeing that biotech research is becoming less vertically orientated and biotech companies are relying more on outside partners to conduct research and testing. In turn, this reliance helps lower the cost of capital for biotech firms and increasingly cooperation is on an international level.

In addition to international partnerships, the panel concluded that biotechnology will become more of a patient-centric industry with the pursuit of translational medicine (i.e. the conversion of scientific discovery into health improvement).

The Future: Creative Scientists

The panel pointed out that “creative scientists” are what the biotech industry needs to innovate and create core technology for the future. BAIA readers, do you see “creative scientists” will keep coming to the Bay Area or will clusters of innovation be established abroad? In Italy?

A special thanks to our speakers: Pitch Johnson, David Low, Douglas Crawford, Roberto Crea, and Napoleone Ferrara.

Like our event recap on LinkedIn, and follow our conversation on Twitter @baianetwork.

Sergio Mandrone

Links and Resources:

• Official Event Photos
• BAIA Upcoming Events
• Dr. Crea’s Profile
• Dr. Ferrara’s Profile
• Ernst & Young 2011 Biotech Industry Report

BAIA Aperitivo: The Italian Way to Connect

Photos courtesy of Aurora Meneghello Productions

BAIA Aperitivo, held every first Wednesday of the month in San Francisco, is the latest addition to the list of events organized by BAIA – Business Association Italy America.

BAIA Aperitivo is an informal, social get-together, free and open to anyone. It is the best way to meet Italian professionals and entrepreneurs, to socialize with the Italian business community, and to chillax with friends at a different location every first Wednesday of the month during happy hour from 6 to 8pm. We kicked off the BAIA Aperitivo series in August at the Bubble Lounge and soon after its big success in September we were at the Press Club.

So, come join us October 5th at our 3rd BAIA Aperitivo at Twenty Five Lusk, savor the Italian happy hour with us, and spread the word to your Italian friends too. Check out our events page, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us @baianetwork for upcoming BAIA Aperitivo locations and other events.

If you have any suggestions on which wine or lounge bar to host BAIA Aperitivo next, please comment below.

Sergio Mandrone

UPDATE:

BAIA Aperitivo: Nov. 2 at CHAMBERS eat + drink at the Phoenix Hotel. Come rock with us!

Event Recap: BAIA Celebrates 5th Anniversary at the Italian Consulate

This year BAIA celebrates its 5-year anniversary!

We are all inspired and amazed by the efforts and numerous volunteering hours donated by each past and current BAIA team member. They all have contributed to the production and success of our year-round events and projects, they have built our online community and services and most recently have built BAIAbase, the open Italy-USA business database that allows anyone to look up and search conveniently and at no cost which Italian companies operate in the US or viceversa.

On July 27, 2011 at the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco, we celebrated BAIA’s fifth anniversary with Fabrizio Marcelli, Consul General, Marcello Curci, Vice Consul, the BAIA team and our closest supporters.

In an earlier occasion here on our blog, we had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Marcelli and, throughout the years, he has always been a firm supporter of BAIA. In opening the doors of the Consulate for this private event and addressing the attendees, once again Mr. Marcelli expressed his belief that BAIA can play a significant role in establishing awareness of the Italian professional community in the Bay Area.

I would like to thank Mr. Marcelli and Mr. Curci for hosting BAIA’s special anniversary at the Consulate and share stories together while having a bite of real Italian focaccia.

Consul Marcelli, BAIAbase project leader Massimo Arrigoni and Vice Consul Curci

The event at the Consulate was also an opportunity to officially present BAIAbase. BAIAbase is a free service for the business community and it is the result of endless volunteer hours and a small (but significant for BAIA) financial effort. In the coming months we will start a fundraising campaign for BAIAbase and keep you informed on any new features that will further improve information on Italy-USA companies.

For more information go to our BAIAbase FAQ or send us an email at base@baia-network.org

Sergio Mandrone

 

Notes & Links:

• Event photos
• Fabrizio Marcelli interview blog post
• The official Consulate General web site
• How to support BAIAbase web page

Event Recap: The Startup Game with Bill Draper and Federico Faggin

On June 22, 2011 at the historic San Francisco Orrick Building and sponsored by Sotheby’s International Realty, BAIA hosted the much awaited event with guest speakers William H. Draper III, the legendary venture capitalist, and Federico Faggin, technology entrepreneur and designer of the world’s first microprocessor.

Awhile everyone enjoyed the time to socialize and get a bite to eat, the sold-out audience was eager to engage in Mr. Draper’s conversation with Mr. Faggin, who had a selection of carefully crafted and inspiring questions for Mr. Draper. From which, Mr. Faggin’s first question was: Are there any start-up companies that have had a strong impact on you and therefore stand up in your mind? As Mr. Draper lightheartedly commented, the above question is the same as asking which child is your favorite one! As readers may know, Mr. Draper invested in the first defibrillator, in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test technology, which years later saved his life, and was an early investor in Skype. Three investments that he considers to stand out.

 

Nowadays, entrepreneurs have the daunting task to find fifteen minutes of a venture capitalist's time. In most cases, you get an impersonal "No, thanks, not interested." In a few instances, you are privileged enough to have a venture capitalist tell you everything that is wrong with your company. It is hard to believe that in the early days of venture capital Mr. Draper was actually the one who came to your door. Even more so, Mr. Draper told us the story of how he got into contact with Zilog, a technology start-up: by placing his business card between the windscreen wipers of the founder’s car!

From Mr. Draper’s conversation with Mr. Faggin, my personal highlight was when Mr. Draper referred to venture capital as a "force of change" for the technology industry, but equally important for society. In this respect, for example, the availability of capital to Skype has enabled people from different parts of the world to communicate at little cost and as a result the way we do business and interact in society has changed because of that. The same belief and passion seem to motivate Mr. Draper's foray into social investing through the Draper Richards Caplan Foundation. 

BAIA readers and entrepreneurs, do you think that your company is creating a positive “force of change” for society?

Thanks to all of you who have attended the event and we will keep you updated on all future ones. A special thanks to Mr. Draper and Mr. Faggin who took the time to share their insight and offered us to listen in on their conversation.

Sergio Mandrone

 

Resource Links: 

• Official event photos
• Examiner article
• Examiner video
• "The Startup Game" book official web site

UPDATE:

Grazia Bennett's introductory remarks:

"Good evening. I am Grazia Bennett and I am a member of the Governance Board of BAIA. Tonight I have the honor to introduce Federico Faggin and Bill Draper.

Federico is one of those persons that makes me proud to be Italian. He represents the intelligence, creativity, flexibility of mind and charm that make Italians irresistible. Federico Faggin is an inventor and a successful entrepreneur. I need only to mention that the 4004, the world's first microprocessor, is signed with the initials F.F., for Federico Faggin, its designer. He has been awarded many honors including in 2010 the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama, the highest honor given by the United States government to scientists, engineers, and inventors.

Bill Draper, is one of the fathers of the venture capital business. If you go to his office there is a picture of him posing as 007 “Dr. Yes” instead of “Dr. No”. A yes attitude and optimism are the qualities that have driven his life. In 1962 he and his best friend Pitch Johnson moved West and embraced the venture capital profession in stride. They committed themselves to make money, create significant companies while having fun doing it. They did exactly that and are still best friends. Bill started not one but four VC firms. In 1994 he was the first VC to invest in private companies with operations in India ending up returning 16 times the limited partners money in about 6 years.

Bill dedicated 10 years of his life to public service. He was the second highest ranking person at the U.N, travelled to 101 developing countries and met some of the 20 century most prominent leaders including having a 5 hours lunch with Fidel Castro.

Bill is also a generous man. He has been supporting many non-profit organizations and through his Foundation he has given seed capital to several social entrepreneurs.

Bill is the first one to admit that he is better in valuing people than technology or businesses. He has to see drive and vision in the eyes of the people that he is funding as a VC or as a philanthropist. Rarely has he been wrong.

Bill has been in my life for many years. I was mesmerized from the get go by his huge personality, brilliant mind but above all by his childlike curiosity for everything. He is a loyal friend and I love him dearly.

Please join me in welcoming Bill Draper and Federico Faggin."

Event recap: Women Entrepreneurs, the US vs. the European/Italian Experience

BAIA organized an inspiring event on January 19th, hosted at the offices of Cooley LLP in San Francisco and sponsored by Studio Design Solutions. Enjoying appetizers catered by C’Era una Volta, a sold-out, diverse audience participated in a spirited debate about a hot topic: Women entrepreneurs in growth businesses: why so few? Why are men much more likely than women to be entrepreneurs?

Despite representing the majority at colleges and universities and despite their increased participation in science and engineering, women are still underrepresented among business leaders especially in high tech and other high growth fields. In addition, there seems to be a disconnect between opportunities and resources in equity funding for high-growth, women-owned/led businesses.

Wendy Beecham, moderator of the panel and CEO of Watermark, an organization whose mission is to connect women leaders in a manner that leads to purposeful, meaningful, and enduring relationships, and amplifies their collective professional community, tried to capture the different perspectives among the panelists. "Women in our association are accomplished, confident, but they don’t get access to capital. Why are women out of the loop?"

Sharon Vosmek, CEO of Astia (a non profit global organization with a distinct focus and mission – to propel women’s participation as entrepreneurs and leaders in high-growth businesses, fueling innovation and driving economic growth) brought her professional experience to the discussion with an important question: even though women make up more than half of the students in technology and are receiving Phds from major colleges around the country, less than 10% get access to capital. Why is it it they have more trouble getting access to funding? One explanation some of our panelists emphasize is the lack of situational confidence: "walking in a room with mostly business men can be intimidating".

For Laura Ventura, VP of Marketing and Co-Founder of CumuLogic, with 15 years experience in high tech marketing, being one of the few women entrepreneurs is actually an advantage because "men remember you, because there are just a few of us, such a small group. In my last meeting there were 5 women versus 80 men. Getting exposure to large companies is vital, being in the right place at the right time is the key." Another reason is networking: "women tend to network with women and men tend to network with men" says Sharon Vosmek, "it plays out on the golf course, in the boardroom and it is certainly playing out in the world of high-growth entrepreneurship." 

Certainly women tend to be found more in small business groups where their connections are based on longevity and trust, which is seen not as a limit but as a strength by Joanna Rees, Founder of VSP Capital (a San Francisco based venture capital firm). "Venture capitalists work together with entrepreneurs. Both have the same goal: go out there to the community and raise money. There are some potential avenues for getting capital, and Non profit organizations like the National Center for Women and Information Technology, Astia and Springboard Enterprises, are trying to raise awareness by mentoring business women and introducing them to investors. When you don’t have a large amount of funding for your projects- continues Joanna-, work together with venture capitalists on the business plan and ways to source more capital". Don’t be intimidated by the networking process, "stand out and be different, thinking always: I deserve to be here."  What about the difference between the US vs the European model? It seems that European entrepreneurs have a hard time getting access to capital as well: first of all European networking is full of individuals who are skeptical, plus the entrepreneurs don’t articulate their pitch properly with investors: "there’s no access point if you don’t know the venture capital language." 

Silvia Console Battilana, co-founder of Auctionomics ( a software and consulting company for high stake auctions around the world) and just recently returned from a 3-week stint in Kenya, teaching entrepreneurship to African women, brings the European prospective with her experience in Italy and Africa. In Silvia's words, "I have been a student and a professor both in American and Italian universities. The entrepreneurship culture is not promoted in Italian universities. You can see it immediately looking at the relationship between the professor and the students. In Italy the professor is on a pedestal and is transfering knowledge to the the students. In the USA the relationship between the professor and the students is interactive and the knowledge flows in both directions". She also pointed out how in some parts of Europe "if you have a quick success they think you stole, and cannot be honest. Here in the Silicon Valley, it is different: a confident woman can have great power. If you have capabilities and ideas, there are no gender limitations."

Rossella Florio

Resource Links: 

• Official event photos
• New Scholars blog
• Watermark blog
• Astia Notes blog
• Joanna Rees blog 

 

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

Event recap: Fondazione Ricerca & Impreditorialità Presentation

Fondazione Ricerca & Impreditorialità debuted in San Francisco on Nov 1 at an event organized jointly by BAIA, Mind the Bridge and the Italian Cultural Insitute.

This non-profit organization was established thanks to an alliance  from the Italian public and private sectors only few months ago . Bank Intesa San Paolo, large corporations (Finmeccanica, Enel), Universities (Scuola Superiore Sant’anna and Politecnico di Milano) and high tech SMEs, joined this partnership, driven by the idea that Italy has great potential in research that can be transformed into true economic growth.

It is a fact that academic education and research in Italy are on an excellent level, but still a relatively small number of entrepreneurial ventures are spurred by this research. Surrounded by the sumptuous collection of Maria Callas’ historic stage costumes (still on display at the IIC until December 2nd) Alberto di Minin, Assistant Professor of Strategy at Scuola Superiore Sant’anna, presented the agenda of the organization.

Studies show that funding for research in Italy - both public and private - is consistently below the level of other advanced countries. The private sector is dominated by small and medium industries and this fragmentation is both an advantage and a limit to economic growth. While the ability of small businesses to renew themselves (their "know-how") has contributed to the success of the Made in Italy brand around the world, loss of competitiveness is attributed to the fact that just few of these small and medium companies are part of the high tech sector. "Science and High Tech are not perceived as a source of business in Italy" says Professor di Minin, Phd from UC Berkeley. "It is a nice thing to do, but who pays the bills?" The answer is "New knowledge for development." Fondazione R&I believes that applied basic research is the key: Science applied in order to solve practical problems.

So can we encourage and foster the growth of high-tech startups? "Companies are afraid to make the leap because there is no comparable ecosystem as there is here in Silicon Valley. In Italy we don’t celebrate entrepreneurship and the related  infrastructure is therefore missing. Our goal – Di Minin underlined- is not to recreate a Silicon Valley in Italy but to create a bridge between users and providers. Create a demand for new knowledge and technology for developing ideas."  The foundation aims to offer qualified services to support and encourage the growth of Italian startups: from managerial training to analysis of the potential of innovation.

"PhDs are the new entrepreneurs" Di Minin pointed out "they are the new actors, the social capital needed to look at the future." "We are very optimistic", as Di Minin concluded his speech, "first of all the commitment from the foundation is real and has been in the planning stages for a long time. Plus, all the partners are trying to sustain activities within the research system, as they are aware that the whole supporting system is missing."

Special thanks to IIC for kindly hosting the event at its magnificent new location and for providing the catering from C’era una Volta restaurant.

Hope to see you at our next events!

Rossella Florio

PS: Resource Links: 

• Official event photos
• Paper: A new form of entrepreneurial capitalism based on innovation and Research in Italy (PDF, in English)
• Prof. Di Minin presentation slides of Fondazione Ricerca & Imprenditorialità (PDF, in Italian)

Event recap: Transplanting startups in Silicon Valley

A cross section of the Bay Area public gathered in Palo Alto for the recent BAIA Panel event on October 14th. With the generous support of SAP Labs we were able to use the global software company’s Silicon Valley headquarters as the setting for our panel discussion.

After mingling over great wines and food, offered by Cafè Renzo of Palo Alto, Italian and American entrepreneurs, professors, students, along with many expats joined in (check out some photos) to tackle this fascinating and controversial topic: Transplanting Start ups in Silicon Valley: does it work? Can Italian tech companies be successful at home? Must international entrepreneurs move their companies to Silicon Valley if they hope to compete on a global scale? What’s the evidence?

This was the starting point for the discussion, which, along with moderator Massimo Arrigoni, BAIA Board member and CEO of Early Impact, a California-based eCommerce software company, featured prestigious and lively panelists such as Vivek Wadhwa, the inspiring Berkeley professor and senior research associate at Harvard Law school. Sharing the stage with him, seasoned and new Italian entrepreneurs such as: Fabrizio Capobianco, CEO of Funambol, Marco Marinucci, Google Manager and founder of Mind the Bridge, Aldo Cocchiglia, CEO of M31 USA, and Augusto Marietti, 22 year old co-founder and CEO of Mashape.

When talking about success in Silicon Valley, the Italian business community questions itself. It looks as if transplanting start ups from Italy hasn’t been very successful so far: why do always the same names come up? Why so few success stories? Is it an Italian problem? Has it worked with companies transplanted from other countries?

The speakers addressed these questions from different perspectives. Vivek Wadhwa, who is also a regular contributor for the online blog Tech Crunch, pointed out the importance in changing the idea of exporting Silicon Valley around the world. “Why do you bother to come into the USA? Why don’t you build a new Silicon Valley in Europe?” was his provoking question. But how do you recreate the same vibe you feel here in Silicon Valley? Vivek gave us the example of Chile. The country is hoping to lure private companies by granting $40,000 grants and providing cheap office space and accommodation to budding entrepreneurs from around the world. “We should teach each other to build ecosystems to create new Silicon Valleys around the world”, emphasized the columnist for Business Week.

So what is the “Italian problem” then? Too many internal policy issues? Or do Italians lack the attitude to succeed in this environment? Marco Marinucci, founder and executive director of Mind the bridge (a non-profit organization that aims to link the most innovative Italian start ups with Silicon Valley resources) pointed out at some of the issues: lack of management skills and auto referential politicians are important limits, or more specifically, “barriers”, as Augusto Marietti mentioned; structural barriers which limit Italian company to go global.

On the other hand success is repeatable as Marinucci emphasizes: "We need to use success stories to mentor and encourage new entrepreneurs." In a country where there is little investment in research, where the public discourse and the media are often focused on old political and economic patterns, it is important to find new ways to package content in order to reach the public. “It can be done” is the positive attitude and thinking that can persuade Italian entrepreneurs to empower new ideas, building a diverse culture that encourages risk taking and openness.

“Italy is the best place to develop software” said Fabrizio Capobianco. Italian universities produce a continuous stream of fresh bright minds even though as Aldo Cocchiglia - who has over 30 years of extensive experience in the world of start ups and technology entrepreneurship - underlined: “Professors don’t stimulate entrepreneurs as they do here in Silicon Valley”. Italian Universities lack the connection with the real world of business.

The hybrid model looks like the best option so far: it is important to keep good creative and relatively inexpensive engineers in Italy while transplanting financial and marketing resources to Silicon Valley, opening office with sales, marketing and finance teams. But still Silicon Valley seems to be the place to go “to change the world and get what you want”.

We hope you will join us at our next events!

Rossella Florio

PS: Resource Links: 

• Official event photos
• SF Examiner article #1
• SF Examiner article #2
• SF Examiner video #1
• SF Examiner video #2
• Chile entrepreneurial stimulus case study

BAIA Contest: Win a 10-person Tasting at A.G. Ferrari

Thank all of you who attended the BAIA event at Santa Clara University last Thursday. 

Dr. Odorizzi, CEO of EginSoft,  gave a fascinating presentation and it was an excellent opportunity to mix and mingle with the students involved in the Fulbright BEST program at the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Santa Clara University, kind host of the event. 

We are indebted to our friends at A.G. Ferrari for providing the wonderful food and wine. Thanks to our friend Luoise  at A.G Ferrari Sunnyvale we are able to offer a fabulous bonus. One lucky BAIA friend has the chance to win a 10-person Wine & Cheese Tasting Event gift certificate at A.G. Ferrari Sunnyvale, CA.

It is easy to win:

1. Go to the BAIA Link home page http://link.baia-network.org.
2. Submit at least a discussion or a blog entry on any Italian business related or topical subject you wish.
3. All submission between Nov. 5th through Nov. 30th, 2009 will enter the contest.

Submission will be reviewed by BAIA and rated based on content and follow on discussions which are generated. BAIA will announce the winner on Dec 3, 2009 at our BAIA Winter Mix event in San Francisco!

We are also pleased to remind you that there is a wonderful event on Saturday, Nov. 7th sponsored by Slow Foods and A.G. Ferrari. Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, headed up by Executive Chef Donato Scotti (formerly of Palo Alto, “La Strada” fame) is organizing a large wine event . A.G. Ferrari has graciously secured a discount of 10% for any BAIA Supporting members who wish to attend. Simply visit www.donatoenoteca.com to purchase tickets (BAIA Supporting members, enter the discount code we have emailed you to receive your discounted price.)

Last, but certainly not least, don't forget to check back with us for our upcoming BAIA Winter Mix at Bella Pelle in San Francisco on Dec 3, 2009!