The People We Are October 2015 by Professional Women's Association of Rome

October 2015

Monthly Newsletter of the Professional Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association of Rome

Isabella Cattan. The Mixer From Realworld to Dreamworld thru Business & Pleasure

PWA is an international hub in the heart of Rome where ideas and values, tradition and innovation, diversity, culture and professionalism meet and intersect. On our journey into the future our travel companions are respect, ethics, and a sense of social responsibility.

It’s time to dream big If you had to order the twelve months of the year from your favorite to the ickiest one, I bet October is towards the end of the list. It’s cold, it rains, the trees lose their leaves and it gets darker ever so much earlier than during summer. Yet with PWA it becomes the most exciting month of the year, for it’s time to build your dreams. Cristiana Durante, the Dream Builder, will lead our October conference and give us tips on how to tune into success and prosperity by following our dreams. Can you think of anything more electrifying than that?! Well, perhaps all the cool digital and tangible resources that can stimulate your dreams into visions, that Lisa R Tucci presents in her piece From Dream to Vision. Or the thrilling stories on a real Roman Dream Factory, LUISS ENLABS, and a focus on one of the Startups born in this very incubator, LoveItaly!. And we’re not done yet! The PWA website was launched 10 days ago and so far all the feedback and comments have been extremely positive. If you haven’t visited it yet, do so promptly and find out all about our amazing PWA Dream Team, upcoming events, resources and the latest news – including some of our latest ties to professionals all around Rome! Remember also that Lisa and I would love to receive for our November issue your photos, articles, news, milestones & more. And we would appreciate your feedback on this one. So drop us a line at newsletter@pwarome.org ― it’s your mouthpiece, make the most of it!

We’d love to hear from you,

Hanna

Editing Team

Hanna Suni editor and layout designer www.hamedesign.com newsletter@pwarome.org Lisa R Tucci co-editor www.artemediacomm.com

in this issue

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October Conference: The Dreambuilder ― The Power of Vision From Dream to Vision From Dream to Reality through the Roman Startup Factory: LUISS ENLABS Isabella Cattan: The Mixer ― From Realworld to Dreamworld thru Business & Pleasure PWA and its value proposition: Passion & Collective Leadership Culture Corner: Doesn’t everyone just LoveItaly! Enjoying the WIN Journey: The Experience of the WIN Scholarship Winner October ConneXion: Ottobrate Romane with Marcus Eaton in Concert Beware of the Unconscious Robot ― Creativity: Think Through Your Fingers Getting the Most out of The People We Are and Issuu TIMEOUT: Invest Your Time to Reap Rewards Later Let’s Go Social: Join the Conversation on Social Media Scholarship Winners 2015-16 Announcing Our Newest Alliance: Federprofessional News from our Partners: John Cabot University

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PWA October Conference

The dream builder The Power of Vision - From victim to hero

• Do you want to experience more prosperity and balance in your life? • Are you pouring your heart and soul into your work and still not getting the results you want?

The Dream Builder: Keys to Accelerating Your Results

• Would you like to increase your success while remaining in complete harmony with your highest values and spiritual beliefs?

In this conference you will learn:

If these questions resonate with you, then you are going to love the PWA October conference!

√√ Simple thinking-strategies that will guard you from fear, doubt and worry

By NOT pursuing our dreams, we are actually repressing our creative energy and eventually we begin to experience symptoms. At first, like a feather dusting our cheek, it may feel like a tiny nuisance about our life. But if we don’t do anything about it, the pressure increases until it feels like a nudge, showing up as disorder in our lives. Eventually, if we continue to ignore these signs of distress, in order to really grab our attention, the symptoms multiply – leading to a much more serious problem in many facets of our lives.

√√ Two essential keys for tuning into your life’s purpose √√ A 5-point test for determining whether your dream is right for you

√√ The number one factor that causes people to lose steam when pursuing their dream, and how to stay motivated to override it √√ The one critical thing you must give up in order to reach your dream

And much more!

About Our Speaker

Cristiana Durante

ristiana Durante has long been dedicated to lifelong learning, along with the application of various disciplines and therapies applied throughout both her personal and professional lives. While pursuing her career, she was always aware of the close connection between Body, Mind and Spirit, and her unbridled curiosity led her down a path where she is today. First graduating from Rome’s La Sapienza University with a liberal arts degree, in the 1980s Cristiana worked as an editor for television and radio. But by the 1990s, she took up studying CranioSacral work and Emotional Release in the USA under Dr. Upledger in an attempt to unveil the truth behind some personal problems she had been experiencing. As a result, she became a practicioner as a CranioSacral therapist working for over 20 years between the U.S./Italy. Throughout, she held a steadfast interest in brain function. In 2012 she became certified as a DreamBuilder coach at Mary Morrisay’s Life Mastery Institute in Los Angeles. Not only incredibly rewarding, but it was a life-changing experience. Finally, she had discovered a way to integrate her previous experiences as a

therapist, with her drive to help others pursue more fulfilling lives. Cristiana found that by transforming her own limitations into new possibilities by becoming responsible for her own life’s choices, she was literally opened to vast new horizons. Today, Cristiana is the only certified mental coach applying the DreamBuilder system in Italy. Since starting her DreamBuilder business in 2013, she has helped countless people to transform their lives through the discovery of their dreams and the mission of their souls. Through her DreamBuilder work, Cristiana is wholly committed to making her contribution toward creating a better world. She firmly believes that for every human being that commits her or himself to change by doing it first and foremost for themselves, many others will follow. Taking charge of our own wellbeing and learning to shift our consciousness into new, higher states of being can deeply affect our lives and those around us; as well as the environment and the politics of our countries – and the community as a whole.

http://cristianadurante.lifemasteryinstitute.com dreambuilderitalia@gmail.com

Siamo un team di consulenti specializzati in strategie di sviluppo. Da oltre 10 anni collaboriamo con aziende, start up e professionisti di diversi settori, a cui offriamo un supporto costante nella realizzazione di piani di marketing, progetti di comunicazione e strategie per l’acquisizione di nuovi clienti. Ci occupiamo del lancio di nuovi prodotti, di campagne pubblicitarie, di marketing e strategie di vendita, con un’attenzione particolare al canale Internet. I nostri clienti ci vedono come un partner più che come un fornitore di servizi: questo approccio ci piace particolarmente perché sappiamo che alla fine porta a risultati concreti!

www.s a b i a n l a b .i t

A goal is a dream with a deadline. Napoleon Hill

What else can I say about realizing your dreams? For many of us, that could be the dream job, or creating the dream family, or even the dream wedding, or any countless ideas that spin in our head and down to our feet where we run it by a few people…and…! So, here are a few people that have inspired me to Dream Big - Dream Farther - and not take NO for an answer. For anyone following New Thought or Metaphysics or just plain vanilla Self-Improvement, Dr Wayne Dyer is a household name. He recently passed on to wider pastures, but he has left an outstanding legacy of tomes to choose from, as he grew in his spiritual quest. From his first book, Your Erroneous Zones to his movie, The Shift, and more in between, one of my favorites is, You will See it when you Believe it. Ponder that for a while…

“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” So define your goals, set a plan of action, and then execute.

Vision + Action = Success

There’s an app for everything, so why not dream generators? This is different from Dream Journals… You plug in, you think about something… and then let

THE APP

do its thing… Not sure how it works, but, hey… As for me? I’ll stick to my app that makes beautiful windchimes that sing me to sleep…

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French author (1900-1944)

by Lisa R Tucci

Art&Media Communications Quantum Learning SuperCampItaly www.artemediacomm.com

Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction,” J.F. Kennedy

Here it is, the definitive business book on putting your vision into action A Dream with a Deadline: Turning strategy into action By Jacques Horovitz, Anne-Valerie Ohlsson-Corbo

“Let’s put a man on the moon in 10 years.” This was a dream with a deadline ― The deadline was met, the dream came true and history was made. Your vision may not be quite as groundbreaking as JFK’s, but achieving it could still have a major impact on your business. Formulating a brief and easyto-grasp business vision can help inspire and focus people towards the same goals and objectives. Having the vision is one thing, you then need to make it happen. A Dream with a Deadline will show you how to transform a well-articulated and inspiring vision into positive action and results. This book will provide all business managers and leaders with a set of practical tools for turning their business dreams into reality. Managers and leaders, have your pen and paper at the ready, by the time you have finished this book you will have a one-page visual representation and a threepage written summary specifiying your strategy and where you, your team or your company are headed. It also includes an all-revealing self-diagnosis exercise which will show you where you should concentrate your energy, time and resources to make your vision happen. Don’t just dream about what your business ‘could be like’, set a deadline and make it happen.

And finally, here is the story of Olga, a 60-year-old woman contemplating retirement, who took what started out as a hiking trip in Nepal to providing education for thousands of kids, and now frees girls from slavery by offering their villages, pigs! So girls can pursue their dreams…

Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. Malala Yousafzai

Her book is just released Olga’s Promise: One Woman’s Commitment to the Children of Nepal And while we’re on the subject of little girls… After all, we started dreaming young! Stop whatever you’re doing and go hear Malala’s passionate appeal for girls’ education upon acceptance of her Nobel Peace Prize. She discusses child brides and dreams of careers put asunder, but it’s a real rabble-rousing speech!

So, how to go from your dream to your vision, let this joyous SlideShare show you how!

From Dream to Reality: LUISS ENLABS Roman Startup Factory

ermini Station: The Terminal – where things naturally come to an end, or if you’re a busy commuter or taking a trip, it may be a launch pad for business or adventure as well. But not many Romans rushing through the station, grabbing connections, or milling about with friends and family for a quick coffee, are aware of a place that is buzzing with activity even though a lot of people are seated. And this place, right above the train platforms, on the third floor of the main building, is littered with the telltale signs of a different kind of Launchpad: a busy open-air space full of desks, laptops and white boards, which could double as the control room at NASA. It is here that dozens of students, researchers and advisors start their workday ― in a real Dream Factory, LUISS ENLABS. PWA met Bianca Santillo, Head of External Relations of LUISS ENLABS, to find out more about this stimulating and engaging Startup factory that puts people and projects on the right track to success. In 2010, inspired by his experience in Silicon Valley, Luigi Capello, entrepreneur and business angel, founded EnLabs with the mission of supporting Startups during their growth and development process. But this marked just the start of the journey towards the creation of a real Startup accelerator. LUISS ENLABS was officially founded in 2012, after a joint venture with LUISS University, becoming fully operational in 2013. The driving force of “the factory” consists in the organization of two 5-month Acceleration Programs each year. During the Acceleration Program, LUISS ENLABS helps the Startup go to market and reach explosive growth, through financial investment and a balanced mix of management courses, hands-on support and business insights provided by a network of advisors. Selected Startups get a micro-seed funding from LVenture Group in exchange for 10% equity. Startups are also asked to reserve a further 3% of equity for the pool of advisors. “Since 2013, we have received and evaluated over 1500 projects. The number of applications grows geometrically each time we

by Hanna Suni announce a new Call for Applications. For the last batch we received over 200 applications, approximately a third of them coming from abroad”, explains Santillo. The selection process is highly selective and includes several stages. In the end, roughly 15 Startups get to the final stage in which they are invited to pitch their project to the team and the Board of Advisors of LUISS ENLABS. The number of Startups that get selected to the Program varies from batch to batch, but they are approximately four to six potential blockbuster companies. Over the past two years, LUISS ENLABS has accelerated a total of 25 startups that roughly fit into four main categories: crowdsourcing, daily life, food & drink and for developers. These can naturally be divided into more sub-categories. “So far, we have invested in a wide range of digital startups operating in several business fields. As we keep monitoring the market in search for new opportunities, we are now particularly interested in the Food and FinTech sectors. FinTech - a line of business based on using software to provide financial services is emerging as a new leading industry in the world of Startups and in 2014 investments in FinTech increased fourfold, reaching a value of over 12 billion dollars,” Santillo says.

When asked about the most exciting or successful Startups in the history of LUISS ENLABS, Santillo finds herself at a loss for words. “We think that every single Startup we select, amongst hundreds of candidates, is truly exciting. We sincerely believe in the potential of every idea we choose to invest in. We put our hearts into all of them and it’s hard to set parameters to signify what ‘success’ means.” Santillo continues: “Hosting so many teams of young entrepreneurs working in several different sectors, you cannot really rely on mere financial results produced at the moment to make a judgment of what the outcome will be. However, if I had to mention three of my favorites, right now I’d say: CoContest, Gamepix and Tutored.” To give you an idea of the innovation departing above Platform 24: CoContest is a crowdsourcing platform dedicated to the world of interior design and is now opening its headquarters in Silicon Valley, after having successfully participated at one of the most important acceleration programs in the world. Gamepix is the world’s first supplier of an all-in-one HTML5 video games publishing platform for developers and publishers. It counts over 15000 titles and is receiving a lot of attention on the international scene. Tutored is a portal that helps students find the tutor that best suits their needs for private lessons; the team members’ average age is 23, yet in under a year they have raised nearly one million euro in investments and they’re already expanding abroad. Most of the Startuppers we see hunched over their laptops or huddled around a table to discuss ideas with their LUISS ENLABS colleagues appear to be young university students. However, the Dream Factory is not limited only to students. In fact, there is no age limit or any other kind of restriction to participate in the application process, as long as every startup-team includes more than one person.

Luigi Capello, CEO of LVenture Group and co-founder of LUISS ENLABS. Finally, there is one important prerequisite: fluent knowledge of English. “Even though not all of the activities that are carried out at LUISS ENLABS are in English, most of the principal activities, events and meetings are. Therefore, knowledge of English is essential, and we check the English level of the startuppers from the very beginning of the selection process, as the Application Form for the Acceleration Program has to be filled out in English in all its parts,” Santillo specifies. The resources available for the LUISS ENLABS Startuppers are truly magnificent and range from fully equipped facilities and non-tangible assets like business software, to team-specific business advisors and numerous networking events, not to mention all sorts of perks like technical services. So if you have a dream hidden in your desk drawer, it is time to make it a reality. The next innovation train pulling out of this station is October 25, 2015 Application Deadline. Startup your engine to your destination: Success!

Isabella Cattan – The Mixer From Realworld to Dreamworld thru Business & Pleasure PWA’s new Social director, Isabella Cattan, chose this position as a candidate for the Board, yet we couldn’t have chosen a more competent woman to lead us through our social season. As a mixer, she rocks already, successfully getting business people together to socialize and network. She is a connoisseur of good food and wine and you’ll often find her around and about as she discovers great places to meet, delicious food to taste and quality wine to sip. An ardent traveller, Isabella loves to take photographs of the places she visits, yet the most vivid memories of her travel experiences are linked to music: “Music is the greatest collector or pipeline in the world”, she says. That’s why her Roman house is always a friendly hub of musician friends from

every part of the world. And although she likes to travel the world, every year, like an appointment of the heart, she returns to her ancient family estate in the Italian countryside. When not travelling, Isabella roams from real world to dream world when she mentally travels through literature. Her passion for stories, true or make-believe, lingering between poetry and philosophy are important for the message they produce. One of her preferred tomes is My name is Red by Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk. Set in Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire of 1591, it is a semi-historical murder mystery revolving around the murder of a master miniaturist. It’s also quite an exploration of philosophy of art (the tension between illustration in the European style against the traditional Eastern style). What impressed her

With family in Paris, July 2015

On the road with my camera (Egypt 1999) The three musketeers at the Leadership Seminar (May, 2015)

was the same story narrated by different people, underlining the power of different points of view that change perspective with every individual. Isabella’s Lebanese grandfather was forced to leave the Lebanon during times of great peril. One of the lessons learnt as a child from her grandfather, after his studies for a diplomatic career in Italy, is that “being different and conscious of that diversity” evolves into a great sense of responsibility and reliability, and was further shaped by her parents’ teachings. When Isabella was just a schoolgirl, she was already singled out as a leader, not a follower. She dreamed of an initial career inside a multinational environment. So, equipped with a degree in Statistics & Economics, instead of accepting an offer in state owned ISTAT-Istituto Centrale di Statistica/Central Institute for Statistics, she chose a different challenge: entering Ford, a blue chip company in the private sector. But it wasn’t until she arrived at Europcar that her professional experience gave her the chance to express her potential. Both professionally and personally, Isabella is convinced that usually, corporate environments do not allow people to naturally express themselves and that “the recipe for happiness doesn’t necessarily lie in the workplace”. Isabella was introduced to PWA by a friend and long term member, Sile O’Broin. She joined our association a few years back together with Caterina Flick, PWA’s present legal advisor. As member of the Marisa Bellisario Foundation, Isabella discovered

by Valerie Baxter, PWA President

that PWA had a different nuance: “An international environment demonstrating constancy in planning and concreteness of action. From thought to action, an open-minded climate where the choice was yours: free to take an active role or simply participate.” Our Collective Leadership gave her the opportunity to evaluate specifically certain aspects of the “group”. As she developed an unexpected interest in this new trend, she found as she researched opinions on collective leadership for the PWA seminar “In the Driver’s Seat--Leadership challenges in tomorrow’s world” in collaboration with Rome Business School, that the trio formed ad hoc, Isabella Cattan, Sonia Biondi and Simona Orlandi - affectionately nicknamed “the three musketeers” - was able to work in perfect harmony. Isabella is convinced that today’s PWA fundamentally maintains its coherence of purpose: facilitated relations and unusual in-depth conference topics. When at table with Dacia Maraini in November 2013 during an event centred on violence against women, Isabella was impressed by the author’s modernity; an iconic figure for contemporary women. Happily married and mother of two boys, she holds her family and friendships as prime values… And, while she’s helping to bring innovation to PWA in the real world, I’ll tell you a secret -- Isabella still has a dream unchanged from childhood: To write a book!

PWA - Our Value Proposition: by Valerie Baxter PWA President Passion & Collective Leadership

The three “Bs” - Belonging, Believing, Behaving This is the second installment of the series on Collective Leadership – something we have implemented already to great success here at PWA and that we invite all of our members to take a part in…After all, you get out of PWA what you put in..! PWA now has a new mission: “PWA is an International hub in the heart of Rome where ideas and values, tradition and innovation, diversity, culture and professionalism meet and intersect. On our journey into the future our travel companions are respect, ethics and a sense of social responsibility.” A SENSE OF BELONGING…thru Building and Retaining your Trust First and foremost, our organization is only as strong as our members. Each and every one of us, whether one-time guests or long-standing members add something to PWA. And whatever that something is, it’s what has kept us going for nearly two decades, despite the comings and goings of what is often a volatile city, where expats and Italians alike change countries, cities, or family states. So by its very nature, volunteer organizations do not have the same shareholder obligations

as those in the private sector. However, as the distinction between non-profit and private sector organizations becomes blurred, there are concerns that the ethical role of both sectors – is being undermined. Non-profit organizations are increasingly expected to achieve targets and become more ‘business like’; similar to private sector enterprises. Looking at it from an ethical approach, we expect to involve a range of stakeholders, including: (a) Constituents on whose behalf the organization exists and operates – our own association members (b) An Executive Board & Team Members who conduct the organization’s affairs (c) Customers who receive the goods or services the organization produces (in our case, our visitors and members who take part in our activities) (d) Suppliers who provide the input materials for the organization’s activities and (e) A President who guarantees an organization’s rights and privileges, enforces its responsibilities, and regulates its behaviors through policy and processes The shareholders or stakeholders are the owners of the organization, and the organization has a binding fiduciary duty

to put their needs first, to increase value for them. In a simple private sector inputoutput model of an organization, it converts the inputs of investors, employees, and suppliers into usable (sale-able) outputs which customers buy, thereby returning some capital benefit to the firm. By this model, private sector organizations only address the needs and wishes of those four parties: investors, employees, suppliers, and customers. However, for voluntary associations, we must first provide a platform based on Trust in the Organization. And, in order to build trust, a non-profit stakeholder theory must first and foremost make the case that additional outputs are necessary. BELIEVING IN THE ORGANIZATION…or… Creating Shared Value and Sharing our Values Creating Shared Value (CSV) is a concept first introduced in a Harvard Business Review article, Strategy & Society: The Link between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility and further expanded upon with a follow-up piece entitled, Creating Shared Value: Redefining Capitalism and the Role of the Corporation in Society. Taking this concept even further – and applying it to collective leadership demonstrates the strong ties between business strategies and corporate social responsibility, which is best illustrated by the example of GE. General Electric’s redirection of its business plan to an “eco-magination” program in 2005 was a result of the societal and governmental push for reduction in electrical and fuel costs and in carbon emissions. With the help of environmental consulting firm, Green Order, G.E. managed to modify its products, making them more eco-friendly and energy saving. Its sales reached $18 billion in 2009 and were predicted to grow twice as fast as overall company revenues over the following five years. The real numbers oscillated around $15 billion from 2010-2014, maintaining not only a steady performance despite the global economic crisis, but also and above all, demonstrating that social responsibility in reducing emissions to respect the environment was a sound business decision. The central premise behind creating shared value is that the competitiveness of an organization and the health of the communities around it are mutually dependent. Recognizing and capitalizing on these connections between societal and economic progress has the power to unleash the next wave of global growth. Closer to home, PWA “the People We Are” concept within PWA takes the theory of Creating Shared Value and unites it with our member-centric identity by Sharing Our Values. These, combined with passion for what we do and why we do it, form the collective

leadership building blocks upon which our strategy for growth is based. But these two blocks and a mission statement are not truly enough. For collective leadership to work, we need to balance two more important blocks upon them: Conformity (e.g., with laws, codes, structures and roles) and Collective Performance. To assure our continued strength, we need to revise our statutes (from 2007) to reflect the changes in our culture and climate – making way for an “As One” association of many, in pursuit of shared goals and objectives. Moreover, good governance on its own cannot make an organization successful. It stands to reason, therefore, that we as an association must also perform collectively, like a symphony orchestra. As a conductor shares a performance piece with his players, we must also have a shared vision: revealing clarity and emotional intelligence (EI), without which collective performance is at risk and the long-term success of the association is in serious doubt. If we, as individuals, are driven by engagement, commitment and passion, every effort towards collaborative behavior will be a plus for the group as a whole. The sum will show itself far greater than the whole of its parts. CHANGING BEHAVIOURS In conclusion, CSV and sharing our values (culture) encourages each organization (both private and non-profit) to create economic and social value simultaneously by focusing on the social issues that each is uniquely capable of addressing. …. and so, with this in mind, we can identify, support, and promulgate our collective vision: PWA is committed to building a strong network, anticipating new trends, believing in women and changing lives starting with our own. Together -- everyone can achieve more. Because in PWA we differentiate ourselves by truly making connections that count, we are able to stimulate greater response among members. Our shared values enhance our capacity for inspiring and empowering each other. Singly and collectively, we will react both at home and at work in favor of equal opportunity regarding education, decision making, remuneration, representation, training and professional growth. We will strive to show our best practices, respect, ethics, diversity; our integrity. These are our performance strengths and “fair value”. Together, they form our “value proposition”. And together, we come together in perfect harmony: with ourselves, our community, our organizations, our world.

Doesn’t

racy Roberts ― known to the Roman Englishspeaking community as “Ms. Yellow Pages” ― founded and successfully led the company for almost 25 years as testiment to her own personal passion and love for Italy. From there, still captivated by its vast and enchanting cultural heritage, she decided to dive head first into the founding of LoveItaly! - a startup looking to leave Italy better than when she found it, and become its Vice President. “Closing Yellow Pages in 2013 was like watching my own baby die. I had almost decided not to work anymore and was not motivated to think of new projects or startups, for that matter. Then one day, Luigi Capello and I came up with the idea of an initiative of restoring and preserving Italian art and archeology through crowdfunding. We talked to Richard Hodges, archeologist and President of The American University of Rome and he immediately fell in love with the project“, says Roberts. LoveItaly! is a non-profit association dedicated to the preservation, promotion and appreciation of Italy’s unique cultural patrimony and first of its kind to support conservation projects throughout the country. The association was founded by LVenture Group, a holding company quoted on the Italian Stock Market that participates in digital startup businesses, and an international group of coordinators, professional advisors and volunteers with varying fields of expertise with a unifying mutual passion for the beauty of Italy. “Our objective is not only to reach the millions of visitors coming to Italy, but also the countless number of people worldwide who are passionate about Italian history and culture. We use a crowdfunding platform, the most powerful and innovative tool available to better connect with local and international communities. By implementing new forms of communications we can reach out and engage new audiences”, Roberts says. In her office above Termini Station, at LuissEnlab, the innovation incubator of new projects and start ups, Roberts talks about Loveitaly!, but also about Italian cultural heritage and new ways of supporting archaeological research and restoration. On the contrary to Britain and the United States, partnerships between public and private entities are not common in the Bel Paese, nor is the use of private sponsorships. The renovation of public monuments and resources was always seen as the duty of the state operating under the technical direction of the Soprintendenze territoriali and the Universities. Thankfully, things are changing. Starting in 2013, Diego della Valle, managing director of Tod’s, has invested 25 million euro for the restoration of the Colosseum, obtaining the exclusive use of the images of the monument for the next 15 years in return. Fendi for Fountains sees the Fendi Group spend 2.18 million euro to refurbish the Trevi Fountain and the Complesso delle Quattro Fontane in

just

CULTURAL CORNER

by Laura Rizzi & Hanna Suni

Rome. The upcoming restoration of the Spanish Steps is supported by Bulgari, investing 1.5 million euro to celebrate its 130th anniversary in the Eternal City. “These are all wonderful examples and together with the Art Bonus -law of 2014 proposed by Dario Franceschini, the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, they will certainly encourage private investment”, Roberts says. “But due to the bureaucracy, it is still very difficult to manage and finance restoration projects in Italy.” For its inauguration, LoveItaly! has kicked off two ambitious, but manageable fundraising projects: The restoration of the Cubiculum n.3 of the Domus of the Centaur, one of Pompeii’s finest and most important examples dating back to its Golden Age in the 2nd Century BCE. The second project involving the National Institute for Conservation and Restoration which aims to bring back the splendor of the magnificent Age marble sarcophagus in Rome’s Corsini Gallery. “Italy has more cultural and historical sights to offer to its citizens and visitors than any other country in the world. These sights need to be wholly improved, appreciated and taken care of the way they merit. Our aim is to raise funds for restoration, but more than anything to promote civic awareness and to allow people from all over the world to participate in its culture. The global LoveItaly! community will involve everyone: local school children, tourists, Italians living abroad, corporations and private donors, not to mention the elderly who can also lend a hand”, states Roberts. “Together we can make a difference in preserving the beauty and magnificence of this extraordinary extraordinary cultural heritage that belongs to us all.”

To give your contribution and support Italian cultural heritage visit www.loveitaly.org

Enjoying the WIN journey THE EXPERIENCE OF THE WIN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER Paola Devescovi, PWA Community Director, won the PWA scholarship to participate at the yearly WIN Conference, this year held in Rome on 30 Sept-2 Oct. She tells The People We Are about her experience at the 18th edition of this empowering and enchanting forum for women and men from all over the world.

by Paola Devescovi

e open. This was the advice I received from the PWA friends who had previously attended WINConference – Women’s Preferred Global Leadership Forum. I couldn’t have asked for any better advice since in the months leading up to the event I felt overwhelmed and disconnected from my inner guidance that I generally tap into whenever I need to make a decision. My inner voice had been silent for months and I needed a way to re-connect with it. So I went to WIN as this year’s scholarship recipient graciously gifted to me from all of you at PWA, totally open to whatever should come my way. And what I needed to hear arrived immediately upon arrival, through the words of the first keynote speaker, Helga Hengge, the first German woman to successfully climb Mount Everest. In her presentation, Helga shared her enthusiasm for the adventure, for pushing physical and emotional boundaries, for getting out of her comfort zone, and for dealing with any challenge that might lie ahead. She described the step-by-step ascent, being the only woman with a team of men, dealing with setbacks and discouragement, but always trusting her inner strength. She reminded me how important it is to focus on the journey; to take a moment to turn back and look at what you have accomplished rather than always focusing on the destination that sometimes may appear unattainable, thus increasing your discouragement. The highlight of her presentation was finally reaching the summit, the fulfillment of a life’s dream. The moment, when there is only the sky above. And that sounded like another great reminder: we often forget that the sky is the only limit we have. Throughout the conference, each and every plenary session and workshop that I attended,

and even during the coffee and lunch breaks, I spoke with other amazing women from all over the world – and thru these seemingly simple conversations, I kept on receiving food for thought or inspiration. This is the beauty of events like this: they are opportunities where you always find what you need in that particular moment. And this is the reason why everyone should invest in her personal and professional development; reconnect with oneself and get whatever at that particular moment is necessary for one’s growth. PWA offers its members many unique opportunities in the form of scholarships. My advice to my PWA sisters: they are opportunities are there for you. Don’t let them pass unnoticed. Take them and enjoy the journey. For a complete roster of speakers and the WINConference Agenda Click Here To get a daily dose of inspiration from past WINConferences, check out their YouTube Channel!

PWA grants one scholarship each year to the international WIN Conference. If you are interested in applying, contact president@pwarome.org .

October ConneXion: Ottobrate Romane with Marcus Eaton in concert The Ottobrate Romane ConneXion regaled the PWA members and guests with a gorgeous sunset across the skyline of the Eternal City. Together with the delicious Italian wines and the fresh, tasty hors d’oeuvres served at our exclusive venue, Hotel Independent, it was a feast of the senses, including our ears…

photos and story by Hanna Suni

The absolute highlight of the evening was the clever and touching lyrics and melodious yet original tunes played by Marcus Eaton on his acoustic guitar. Eaton, Idaho songwriter and musician, is in Italy to release his latest album,Versions Of The Truth with Italian label Route 61. The album consists of thirteen songs and two Social Director Isabella preludes that introduce the listener to a new space Cattan introducing the star before particular songs. David Crosby is singing of the evening, Marcus on three tracks and also helped Eaton with the production. “Without a doubt, this is the best recording I have ever done from every perspective. My recording engineer and friend Kitch Membery and I worked diligently on this album to create something with incredible musicality and sonic integrity. Recording this at home created a completely new connection to the songs and it was an absolute joy to dedicate all of the time needed to produce the music exactly the way I envisioned it”, Eaton explains. If you missed the ConneXion, but would like to hear Marcus on another gig, you are lucky, for he will be back in Rome on October 29th at L’Asino che Vola. To find out more on Marcus tune into: http://www.marcuseaton.com/

September conference: BEWARE OF THE UNCONSCIOUS ROBOT

CREATIVITY: think through your Fingers

The word creativity usually leads us to think about art and design. But true ‘creative thinking’ can be applied to virtually any discipline. Creativity applied to everyday life helps us to discover new ways of carrying out routine tasks and to find innovative solutions to problems. As Simona Orlandi, certified business trainer, life coach and founder of Sam_Insight_to_go, explained to our members and guests, creative activity also enhances our overall mood; creativity makes us produce adrenalin, endorphin and seratonin and therefore all those feel good feelings, much like sports enthusiasts experience when they’re in ‘the Zone’. Lego® Serious Play® method (LSP) is a great example of using creativity in everyday problem solving. The method is based on simple facts: • Our brains are limited in how much information they can consciously handle at one time • With the help of all the neural connections located in our hands - they are connect to 70% to 80 % to our brain cells - we “know” a lot more at any given moment than we think we know. In fact, LSP activates the connection between our hands and brain cells, helping us quickly develop innovative solutions to any problem.

2 3

Luisa La Via, Leadership Coach, and expert trainer in Human Resource Development, also provided her testimony to the effectiveness of the Lego® Serious Play® method (LSP). She has used the method with experienced business managers to allow them find creative solutions in problem solving. According to La Via, at first the rigid managers have difficulty with this new approach, but in the end the problem solving sessions evolve smoothly and the experiences are positive for everyone concerned, with long-lasting results.

4 1 Simona Orlandi, conference speaker 2 Valerie Baxter, PWA President 3 Christine Sterpetti, Programming Director 4 Luisa La Via, Leadership Coach

photos and story by Hanna Suni

PWA members Michela Lazzè, Monica Sorcetti and Barbara Lee trying out the Lego® Serious Play® method (LSP).

Getting the most out of &

our monthly online magazine for women professionals

Members, guests, and people throughout your network can read and browse through the People We Are online magazine on Issuu without creating an account. All anyone needs to do is go on www.issuu.com, search for The People We Are and enjoy!

Issuu allows you to flip through their vast selection of online magazines with ease and pleasure. You can zoom in and out to adjust the size of each page (red arrow on the left) and choose whether you wan to flip through one page or the whole spread (two pages) at a time (the red arrow on the right). To move up and down within a page, use the hand tool by pressing it down until you’ve found the spot to stop on. However, if you want to benefit from the cool features of sharing, clipping, commenting or downloading, you need to create a personal account. You can easily do this through your Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+ -accounts, without having to create and remember new login information. Once you are logged in, the world is at your fingertips!

If you’d like to download the magazine and read it with Adobe Reader (as a PDF file), you can do so by clicking on the Share option and then choosing Download. Share also allows you to share contects on Social Media.

All the interactive links on any magazine show up within blue, dotted frames and you can easily click on the link and your browser will open a new tab with the website in question. You will find that our articles are filled with links to learn more about the people and projects that make up our Association.

But don’t have just a passive read – by all means, it wouldn’t be online if it weren’t interactive too! You can leave your comments by clicking on the blue clip-icons.

You can also share or leave a comment on any page and spot of the magazine by using the Clipping-feature (the orange plus-sign at the upper right-hand corner of each page). Click on the plus-sign, determine the image, text area or page you’d like to share/comment and start spreading the love! If you have any other questions or doubts regarding online reading, I am happy to help. Write to me at newsletter@pwarome.org .

Enjoy! 18

by Hanna Suni

Let’s take Time Out from our “money-driven” economy to share our knowledge, our skills and our power with others...

a TimeBank project inspired by our very own PWA Rome ThinkTank, in collaboration with Providing our members with a meaningful exchange of professional skills to empower others, ourselves, our community

WHAT IT IS - WHO IT’S FOR - HOW IT WORKS TIMEOUT is a way of giving and receiving services for mutual benefit within PWA, with members of Federprofessional and in our community. Any member can make available her/his competencies and skills to others. One hour helping another earns one TimeBank Hour or Time Credit, that can be used at a later date in a pay-it-forward policy. The Time Credit can be spent by asking the services of any other member that you may require. Exchanges can take place:

Exchanges can be:

1:1 – one person helps another

1:Many – a workshop with one speaker and a small group

This professional help exchange will prove to be a valuable and meaningful offer of professional services by members of different associations at your disposal.

CORE VALUES ASSET: We are all assets / We all have something to give RESPECT: Every human being matters and needs help to empower oneself REDEFINING WORK: Any professional profile needs to be honoured, recorded and rewarded

RECIPROCITY: How we can help each other build the world we all live in SOCIAL NETWORKS: We need to reweave communities of support, strength and trust Together with Federprofessional, we are paving the way for the PILOT PROJECT (January-June 2016). Each TimeBank is a unique reflection of its members, who they are, the expectations they have for their community and what they choose to offer and receive. Our skills and resources depend on you, so come and Be a Part of It! For further info and application form, please contact ThinkTank - Michela Lazzè and Alessandra Tacconelli, specialprojects@pwarome.org

let’s go “social” Join the conversation on Social Media

by Paola Devescovi

ocial Media has now become a staple of life in the 21st century. Social and economic movements are ever-expanding, thanks to these networks. Political candidates use them to campaign and comment on the day’s events. It has become one of the easiest channel for companies to build relationships with customers. It is our daily source for information on our friends and colleagues. We use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and other social networking platforms to converse with friends and colleagues, and to share family photos, videos, and important moments in our lives. Social Media experts Peter Ciobo and Peter Munro define it as, “… A conversation over the (digital) backyard fence where your side of the fence is in Melbourne and your neighbor’s is in Paris.“ Conversation on Social Media is also an integral part of the People We Are mission and vision. Our pages and groups are not only privileged channels to inform our members about our Association’s activities but first and foremost, they are a platform to talk about what matters to us and to share ideas, values, concerns, celebrations.

As in every dialogue, to be real and effective, it must be a two-way process. This is why we invite you all to engage and share what is being published on our Facebook page and group, our LinkedIn page and group and on Twitter. But don’t stop there. Share our info and your comments and thoughts with your own networks as well. You show the world what you’re interested in, what engages you, and you invite – by your example – others into the conversation as well. Simply tag other people and use hashtags to pull others into your sphere of influence. Let’s make our Social Media space a virtual coffee lounge, open 24 hours a day. Some of you may pop in for just a few minutes and just watch. Others may converse for hours on end. You can listen in on other people’s conversations, or drop in on a conversation you may find fascinating. If the conversation doesn’t hold your interest, tell us that, too. Your opinion matters. With your participation, we aim to make our Social Media space an endless source of information sharing and dialogue amongst professional women in Rome, in Italy, and even further afield.

So let’s get socially active – we want your two cents’ worth…and more!

Facebook page Facebook group LinkedIn page LinkedIn group Twitter

If you have any questions on how best to use Social Media, send them to community@pwarome.org. We’ll be sure to discuss them in upcoming Let’s Get Social installments.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS 2015-16 PWA would like to congratulate the winners of the five scholarships.

Paola Devescovi - WINConference (Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Preferred Global Leadership Forum) Scholarship

Michelle Bassanesi - The Performance Coach Scholarship Foundation Coaching Competences

Monica Livan - The Performance Coach Scholarship Foundation Coaching Competences

Nicole Giacomarra - Rome Business School Scholarship Public Speaking

Anne Tasca - Rome Business School Scholarship Tecniche di Negoziazione

For more information on scholarships, contact Michelle Bassanesi at treasurer@pwarome.org 21

ANNOUNCING…OUR NEWEST ALLIANCE for PROFESSIONAL WOMEN

WA is intent on expanding its network of business alliances in Rome, Italy and even further afield. Toward this end, I am very pleased to share with you all a significant step forward in institutional relations for PWA. We have just formalized an agreement with Federprofessional – A Federation of High Profile Independent Professionals. This is an ideal relationship, based on a common vision and values. In fact, our shared mission is as follows: 1. The common aim of both organizations is to sustain and add value to the professional culture of individual members, and to be a primary point of reference for the personal and professional needs of members. 2. With this aim in mind, the objective of both associations is to increase the quality and quantity of service given to its members, according to statute and purpose of each association, also regarding aspects of information, training and relations in the workplace. 3. Both organizations share the goal of extending and coordinating their respectful spheres of relations within the institutional world, with mass-media, with other associations and users of professional services, with professional representative organizations, and in general, with all leading national and international organizations of similar reference.

publicize this agreement and the individual initiatives organized in collaboration to members and guests via each association’s own website, printed or digital correspondence and press facilities. It is important, however, that we maintain each association’s separate identity and full independence. For PWA & Federprofessional Members: With this agreement, members of each association have the right to avail themselves of products/services predisposed by the association of which they are not members, at the same conditions applied to members of the association offering such products/services. For PWA Members: This important agreement with Federprofessional will allow us to gain more visibility for PWA thru a greater online presence and newsletter readership, and the promotion of our conferences to a wider audience. For individual members, we will widen our scope and sphere of influence and bring about new business opportunities for our members, and much more: • expansion of our mentoring program •

meeting even more qualified professionals (women and men)

4. Each association proposes a regular exchange of experience and welcomes the opportunity to integrate the diverse professions in order to further an exchange of knowledge and competences.

•

obtaining professional certification

•

gain access to national and European projects

•

opportunity to participate in national cooperation agreements stipulated by Federprofessional

How to integrate and collaborate: Each party will endeavor to activate forms of permanent collaboration and consultation with the aim to further the afore-mentioned strategic and operational objectives. To this end, PWA and Federprofessional will identify and promote initiatives and activities that can be co-organized or coordinated between us. PWA and Federprofessional will both circulate and add value to our various joint ventures via the usual communication channels. In specific, each is bound to

•

And last but not least, we shall be able to implement a JV in our project “TIMEOUT” - professional Time Bank, which will also includes the occasional use of an office and conference room in the Federmanager building in Via Ravenna 14, 00161 ROME (Piazza Bologna).

About Federprofessional FEDERPROFESSIONAL is an association founded in 2001 on the initiative of a number of independent consultants, former managers and corporate heads, all working independently, with the purpose of promoting, supporting and safeguarding professionalism across various fields. FEDERPROFESSIONAL is a point of reference for those who believe that work outside corporate employer-employee relationships can be regarded as a positive and profitable opportunity both for the professional and for organizations.

This introduction is by courtesy of our PWA member & Thinktank leader, Michela Lazzè to whom we express heartfelt appreciation for this extraordinary opportunity. Your comments are most welcome. FEDERPROFESSIONAL’s mission is to give a “community home” to all entrepreneurs, even those already organized in guilds, regulated lists or otherwise, like the “atypical” or “project workers” or similar autonomous workers who cannot refer to any entity able to aggregate them in order to provide necessary support and advice. Furthermore, FEDERPROFESSIONAL is open to all professionals without a point of reference regarding the safeguard of common interests, assistance, counsel and interpersonal communication in general.

federprofessional@federmanager.com www.federprofessional.com

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS: JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY AGREEMENT OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES PWA and JCU have renewed their mutual agreement of sharing resources and promoting each other’s activities reciprocally. The agreement includes the right for one PWA member to audit a course each semester at JCU and five JCU members to participate in all of PWA’s events. PWAers are also entitled to a 10% discount on executive education short courses and masters in Italian. PWA experts have the possibility of teaching courses at JCU and JCU students of interning with PWA members’ companies. We encourage all PWA and JCU members to take advantage of this incredible agreement!

Corsi di Master in italiano per il 2016 offerti dal Centro di Alta Formazione e Avviamento alla Carriera della John Cabot University SCOPRI di PIU sull’offerta dei Master 2016! 1 - Management delle Piccole Imprese in Ambito Internazionale: Brochure! 2 - Marketing delle Organizzazioni Pubbliche e Private e Strategia Digitale: Brochure! 3 - Management Strategico delle Risorse Umane ed Organizzazione Aziendale: Brochure! 4 - Business Finance: Brochure!

Approfitta del 10 % di sconto sul costo dei Master per i membri di Professional Women Association e i loro familiari!

“Communicating to Impress: How to Set Up a Successful Presentation” 1-Day Workshop Program This short course is aimed at those who want to gain a good basic understanding of how to create and deliver an effective presentation. The course starts off by providing the bases of communication strategy and an introduction to Public Speaking. It explores: the relationship between the communicator and the public, the pros and cons of oral communication, the different types of audiences, the ground rules for effective oral communication. The course then goes on to introduce different types of presentations: informational, persuasive, etc. A major emphasis will be placed on different ways of organizing a presentation, and how each one is suited to a different audience and objective. The preparation of slides and visual aids will be examined and discussed at length. The course then focuses on delivery techniques and how to effectively use your voice, body, eyes, posture, to gain maximum effect. Finally, the class will watch videos of famous speakers and will analyse the texts of landmark speeches to draw practical lessons. The final part of the course is dedicated to a group project: students will be divided into groups and will prepare and deliver a presentation to the rest of the class. The presentations will be video taped and students will receive feedback from all participants and the instructor.

Guest Speaker: Michéle Favorite Date: Friday, November 20, 2015 Time: 9 am – 5 pm Fee: 80 €

Upcoming events November Eatalyan ConneXion Eataly Roma Repubblica Piazza della Repubblica 41

Wed, 4 November, 18:30-21:00

Cocktail will take place in “salumi e formaggi” area onfloor -1 Price: 10 € members and guests

November Conference Overcoming Fear by Julie MacKenzie Wed, 21 November, 19:30

Hotel Aleph, Via San Basilio 15, Rome

PWA in 2015-16 ConneXions 4 November 2 December 13 January 3 February 2 March 6 April 4 May 8 June

PWA conferences Hotel Aleph Rome Via San Basilio 15 (Via Barberini)

Conferences

Special Events

PWA ConneXions are held 16 December X-mas Party at different Roman venues Stay tuned via direct email, 8 March IWD social media and our website 15 June Summer Party

Check out www.pwarome.org

6 November 20 January 17 February 16 March 20 April 18 May

Membership news New Members Welcome!

We would like to welcome Tracy Roberts, Fiona Stelfox and Charmaine Wilkerson who have recently joined our Association. PWA is a place that grows with each member, therefore we are looking forward to enjoying PWA together with you! If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to join, visit our website and contact membership@pwarome.org

2015-2016 PWA Board and Team members President Valerie Baxter president@pwarome.org Secretary Edna Francis secretary@pwarome.org Treasurer Michelle Bassanesi treasurer@pwarome.org Programming Sonia Biondi programming@pwarome.org Programming co-chair Christine Sterpetti programming@pwarome.org Membership Olga Plyaskina membership@pwarome.org Corporate Member coordinator Maria Banks membership@pwarome.org Associate Member coordinator Nicole Giacomarra membership@pwarome.org Social Isabella Cattan social@pwarome.org PR & Sponsorship Christina Barbiero pr.sponsorship@pwarome.org PR & Sponsorship co-chair Marta Schneider pr.sponsorship@pwarome.org Newsletter Hanna Suni newsletter@pwarome.org Newsletter editorial consultant Lisa R Tucci newsletter@pwarome.org Webmistress Rossana Scazzocchio webmistress@pwarome.org Community Director Paola Devescovi community@pwarome.org Mentoring Program Manager Maria Letizia Nesta mentoring@pwarome.org Luisa La Via Mentor Think Tank Michela LazzĂ¨ specialprojects@pwarome.org Think Tank Alessandra Tacconelli specialprojects@pwarome.org Social media communications assistant Giuseppina Rizzolo Media communications assistant Katia Ingegneri Legal Advisor Caterina Flick

Conference sponsor

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