Dear Friends of Italian Innovators, in the new episode of the show I introduce the figure of PIERA CILLARIO, mother of Michele Ferrero and visionary female entrepreneur. In this presentation I explore the beginnings of Ferrero, and I investigate the extraordinary impact of this rather ordinary woman, not only on the famous chocolate company in Alba, but also on Italian civil society in the aftermath of WWII.

The creative compass of Ferrero: Finding the recipe. How Pietro Ferrero arrived at the hazelnut and cocoa paste; The early years. The marriage of Piera and Pietro, the birth of Michele, three entrepreneurial failures, and the return to Alba; The Langhe and Italy’s civil war. From WWII to reconstruction (1943-1945); The post-war birth of the Giandujot (the forerunner of Nutella) and the foundation of the Ferrero chocolate company; A new model of social reconstruction. To work, create, and give (from the early days to the Ferrero foundation); Piera’s presidency and legacy. A remarkable story of female entrepreneurship.