InspiringFifty in its Italian edition has chosen the 50 winners. These are 50 women working in the world of technology in various capacities, including entrepreneurs, managers, investors, university lecturers, all Italian, including some who work abroad.
We have reported on the Inspiring50 award in the columns of Startupbusiness, which is the media partner in this edition; we have described its spirit, based on the concept of the role model, and the objectives it sets; we have spoken with one of the founders Janneke Niessen and also with those who support its development, such as Fabiola Pellegrini of Klecha .
Now it’s time for the final act, on 7 September 2024 at the headquarters of Sky, another partner in the project, the winners will be awarded the prizes selected by the jury from the many nominations received (the names of the 50 winners can be found at the bottom of this article). We wanted to gather the thoughts of some of the winners to better emphasise how this is an award that truly aims to empower the role of women in the tech industry.
“Receiving the Inspiring Fifty award is a great honour and an important responsibility for me. This award goes beyond my personal and professional journey, because it represents a step towards gender diversity in a sector, that of technology, where the presence of women is still too limited. I decided to participate in this award to help create a concrete role model for young women who aspire to a career in STEM fields. I firmly believe that seeing other women achieve significant milestones is crucial to encourage the younger generation not to set limits for themselves, to believe in their own abilities and to confidently embark on paths of study and work in technology fields. Role models are crucial for breaking gender stereotypes and demonstrating that talent and competence have no gender. Technology, with its potential for social and economic transformation, needs the contribution of everyone, regardless of gender, to be truly inclusive and innovative. Being one of the winners of this award gives me the opportunity to amplify this message and to continue working for a more equitable and diverse future. I am deeply grateful for this recognition and hope that my journey will inspire other women to pursue their goals with determination. Together, we can build a technology ecosystem that values diversity and gives space to all voices, contributing to fairer and more sustainable progress,” Elisa Piscitelli, CEO and co-founder of Futurely, tells Startupbusiness. She adds: “Encouraging the new generations not to set themselves limits, to believe in their own abilities and to confidently embark on paths of study and work without having stereotypes in mind but having role modelsIt is also what prompted me to start Futurely: a start-up that provides guidance for middle and high school students, starting with self-knowledge, skills and passions. We have also started parenting courses to help parents with children of all ages to accompany their children in this self-discovery, without prejudice’.
“I am deeply honoured and grateful to be recognised as one of this year’s Inspiring 50. This award not only testifies to the commitment and passion with which P101 contributes to the development of the innovation ecosystem, but also represents an extraordinary opportunity to continue to inspire and support the next generation of female innovators and entrepreneurs. Venture capital, in fact, finances and supports the start-up and growth of companies in high-potential sectors, and it is precisely in these areas that women will increasingly be able to play a key role, just as they will be able to do in venture capital, a constantly growing sector in which the presence of women, currently too limited, is destined to increase. I firmly believe that success lies in collaboration and sharing ideas, and this recognition further motivates me to actively contribute to a more inclusive and innovative future, with a special focus on women’s empowerment. I sincerely thank those who have supported me and all those who continue to believe in the driving and transformative power of ideas and courageous leadership,” says Glenda Grazioli who is a partner in the P101 venture capital fund.
“Awards like InspiringFifty are crucial to give women visibility, turning them into a tangible example for other women and girls, especially in the tech and entrepreneurship sectors. It is important to realise that to truly inspire, you must first be seen, you must have a stage, a microphone, a space to occupy. And occupying space, for a woman, is not just an act of presence but of resistance in a world where it is often reserved for men. It is a fight to claim equal opportunities to influence and innovate. By amplifying women’s voices, these awards create an impact that can really change the future of these industries,’ points out Gaia Roncalli, co-founder and COO of the spacetech startup Ecosmic.
“Receiving this award represents for me a moment of great reflection and gratitude. My experience with Eyes on the Future, born out of a desire to find a cure for my daughter Vicky who suffers from a rare genetic disease, has shown me that, even in the face of the most difficult challenges, we can make a difference. This award is not only a recognition of the work done so far, but an encouragement not to give up and to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible. I hope that my story, like that of the other winners, will inspire other women to believe in their own potential and use their skills to tackle complex challenges and create a better future,” says Silvia Cerolini CEO and founder of Eyes on the Future.
“I am a great believer in the quality of this award and its potential to help make a difference, as I was one of the first women in Italy to develop her career in the tech and startup sector, I have worked for Uber, Circle, Revolut, Kuda and now I am preparing for new professional challenges, I have always been in direct contact with the importance of having more and more women in this field, and although things have improved over time, there is still a lot of work to be done, and an award like Inspiring50 is essential to reinforce this message, a message that must be very clear and direct because women in the tech industry They need support or mentoring, but above all they need to be able to express themselves and seize the opportunities that exist, especially women entrepreneurs, start-ups, who need access to funding, who need to be considered for their abilities both by the market and by investors, and who need to be able to contribute at all levels, starting from the boardroom,’ emphasises Elena Lavezzi, who has high-level management experience in international tech companies and is also co-founder and board member of Unicef Nextgen.
Francesca Fiore, ambassador of InspiringFifty Italy as well as business angel and advisor, explains how this year’s edition received wide attention in terms of nominations and how the jury’s work was complex precisely because of the high profile of the candidates: “For this edition, we received and evaluated over 500 nominations from Italy and abroad, well beyond our expectations. I believe this is an indicator that the award, which is now in its third edition, is recognised and appreciated in the STEM world. The disciplines and backgrounds of the nominees are very heterogeneous. Among the sectors represented are computer science and telecommunications, aerospace, quantum computing, healthtech, edutech, to name a few, and, for the first time, non-profit. The awards day will also be an opportunity to launch our mentorship programme with SheTech to further promote the element of role modelling for younger women that is at the heart of the InspiringFifty initiative under the motto ‘if she can see it, she can be it’. It should also be underlined that among the new 50 InspiringFifty there are 13 female entrepreneurs and one female investor, this denotes that the attention is also growing in the start-up world, in fact these numbers are increasing compared to the previous editions and I am confident that in the next editions even more role models with this profile will apply”.
The 50 winners
The 50 winners of InspiringFifty 2024 edition are: Alessandra Michelini chief transformation officer of TIM, Angela Sara Cacciapuoti professor University of Naples Federico II, Anna di Silverio president Europe of Avanade, Anna Russo global AI and data science director of Gucci, Annamaria Nassisi manager space economy observation and navigation of Thales Alenia Space, Antonella Ambriola chief transition officer of WindTre, Aram Chantal Mbow founder of Innovamey, Arianna Trainito business strategy director of Google, Barbara Poli chief information and technology officer of GNV, Beatrice Riva co-founder and CEO of ChemiCare, Carla Masperi managing director of SAP Italia, Chiara Brughera managing director of SheTech, Cristina Vicini founder of Vicini Strategy, Danila De Stefano CEO and founder of Unobravo, Danila Di Nicola digital marketing director of Docusign, Diva Tommei chief innovation and education and chief marketing of EIT Digital, Elena Lanati founder and CEO Lionhealth, Elena Lavezzi c-level manager of tech company, Eliana Salvi founder and CEO of Cosmic, Elisa Giaccardi professor Politecnico di Milano, Elisa Piscitelli CEO and co-founder of Futurely, Federica Ferretto director worldwide operation of Amazon, Federica Tremolada general manager Europe of Spotify, Filomena Floriana Ferrara CSR manager of IBM, Francesca Carlesi CEO Revolut UK, Francesca Scire-Scappuzzo corporate VP science and technology QuinetiQ, Francesca Tagliani EMEA sales director TE Connectivity, Gabriella Vacca CIO and CTO of Sky, Gaia Roncalli founder and COO of Ecosmic, Glenda Grazioli partner of P101 Ventures, Irene Boni CEO of Talent Garden, Irene Nutini scientific researcher National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Irene Sardellitti national technology officer at Microsoft, Karen Nahum general manager publishing and digital area Il Sole 24 Ore, Luigia Tauro CEO of KnowAndBe.live, Mara Tanelli lecturer and delegate of the Rector for diversity and inclusion Politecnico di Milano, Maria Cristina Ferradini managing director Amplifon Group Foundation, Maria Giuseppina Cerè chief information officer and head of TDI Italy of Deutsche Bank Italia, Maria Ubiali professor University of Cambridge, Marta Marsilio lecturer University of Milan and president IRCCS Besta, Matilde Giglio co-founder Even.in, Milena Lerario managing director Airbus Italia, Mirta Michilli general director Fondazione Mondo Digitale, Morena Ferrario director cloud and AI business practice head and chief product officer of Avanseus, Rand Nezha head of data and AI architecture EMEA of Google Cloud Consulting, Silvia Cerolini CEO and founder of Eyes on the Future, Silvia Pepino founder and CEO of GlobeEye, Simona Onori associate professor Stanford University, Tiziana Musacchio medical director spasticity and movement disorder and global medical affairs of Abbvie Pharmaceuticals, Vanessa Fortarezza senior vice president and country general manager of Salesforce Italy. (in the photo the winners)
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