(Feb 22) – Bringing together a selected group of startups and SMEs, create an business opportunity and raise the overall perception of “why Italy matters to the world”. These are the goals of the Italian Innovation Day scheduled for tomorrow at the Banatao Auditorium, University of Berkeley, California. This is the natural evolution of the showcase that the Italian Mind the Bridge Foundation organizes since 2007, bringing in the United States the best ideas that come out of its annual competition. It is an opportunity to show the world what Italy has to offer in terms of innovation and creativity. The project is a joint initiative created by Mind the Bridge Foundation, Intesa Sanpaolo, sponsor of Startup Initiative, University of California Berkeley, WIMW-Why Italy to the World Matters and BAIA Business Association Italy-America. (CAF)
A BRIDGE IN SILICON VALLEY
Mind the Bridge Foundation is a nonprofit initiative conceived by Marco Marinucci. Working as Google’s manager, Marinucci drew inspiration from a mentoring project and business plan competition that he was following in Africa. Impressed by the strong impact of the initiative, he decided to propose the same model in Italy, hoping to achieve an equally explosive result. The Foundation is managed by a board of which Marinucci is executive director. Chairman and director of operations is Alberto Onetti, professor with a deep knowledge of Silicon Valley. The final target of the foundation is to promote an Italian business ecosystem and encourage the Italian businessmen to enter into direct contact with the most experienced entrepreneurial ecosystem in the world, Silicon Valley. Every year Mind the Bridge organizes a business plan contest, with the intent to select the best business ideas among talented participants. The selected startups will attend a Boot Camp training and other Coaching sessions to plan the Camp Venture MtB of Milan.