Dear friends,
2024 is fast moving on between the daily routine made up of news and content in social media, the monthly routine with interviews and the magazine, and the planning of projects, events, and lots of news, both in Italy and in the United States.
The first news ... is not new: it is the third edition of our Gala here in Rome, which again this year will celebrate the Italian American community and the friendship between Italy and the United States.
After the 2022 and 2023 editions that saw a total of 600 participants, our Gala has become a recognizable and very powerful event to forge relationships and to present ideas, products and services to a selected and multinational audience. It is the institutional moment to celebrate the exceptional contribution of the Italian Americans to the economy, culture and every sector of American society.
We aggregate institutional personalities, entrepreneurs, professionals and academics who share our goal of building and consolidating bridges between the two sides of the ocean.
Here you can find videos and photos of last years' galas: 2022 and 2023. The program of June 17, 2024 includes a networking cocktail and a seated Gala dinner, in the most prestigious Roman Grand Hotel, during which the we will award Italians who have most distinguished themselves in relations with the US. This year, too, we will award the American State of Honor, and with it its Italian American community. In 2023 our State of Honor was New Jersey.
We are preparing a surprise for all you Italian American friends interested in this event. Together with Micromegas, we will soon be proposing tour packages to come and visit Italy in a suggestive, new and interesting experience. The first proposal will be dedicated, in June, to those who would like to come here and, in addition to visiting central Italy, attend our gala. We will share our proposal very soon. For now, if you can, keep your schedule free for the week of June 17: we will be happy to welcome and celebrate you in the only Gala dinner organized in Italy dedicated to the Italian American community. Two Flags, Hundred of Hearts.
During our Gala, there will be a moment dedicated to "Rock, LoveITDetroit - The Perfect Pitch," an interesting project that We the Italians is organizing together with the Italian Consulate in Detroit, LuckyHorn Entertainment and RetImpresa (part of Confindustria, the main association representing manufacturing and service companies in Italy).
The project is aimed at Italian startups in the mobility sector and other related fields, to build bridges between innovative Italian talents and the vibrant American market. The main objective is to guide these Italian startups on a targeted growth path, providing them with key skills in terms of strategy, image and reputation, to prepare them for entry into the American market, culminating in a flawless presentation through, precisely, a "Perfect Pitch." Selected startups will have the opportunity to present themselves to investors and acquisition managers, with access to a network of experts and the prestigious LoveITDetroit 2024 event, a key moment for making connections with local institutions, both public and private.
In the selection of startups, the female component will be valued, either as founder or in governance, through the assignment of an additional bonus score, in line with the Italian G7 Presidency's goal of supporting the development of female entrepreneurship and fostering gender equality. A TV crew will closely follow each stage of the selection process and then will produce a docu-series for distribution on the main top streaming platforms, which will also contain content filmed during the We the Italians Gala, where the winning startups will be announced.
A few days ago, here in Rome, We the Italians had the honor of participating in the opening of artist Meo Carbone's exhibition on Mother Cabrini at the Chamber of Deputies, organized by the Honorable Christian Di Sanzo, one of the three elected members of the Italian Parliament in North America. Meo Carbone has been working for years on the image of Mother Cabrini, the protagonist of a wonderful film that will be in theaters around the world in March.
Last, but not least, we are very happy to welcome two new Ambassadors in our wonderful team.
Michael Messina is our new Ambassador in Alabama. Michael is a third-generation Italian American whose family emigrated from Sicily. A resident of Birmingham, Alabama, he received a degree in Communications from the University of Alabama and is currently the Manager of Client Success at a multinational organization. Michael is married to Marena Messina; both are fellows at the Italian American Future Leaders. He is a member of OSDIA and the Italian American Heritage Society of Birmingham. Michael believes that it is vital to engage the younger generation and provide them with an understanding of the importance and pride of being an Italian American.
Mattia Iovane is our new Ambassador in Campania. Mattia is a journalist and television host. Born in Naples, he has worked for Mediaset group newspapers and currently collaborates with Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana. He has also worked for the Prime Minister's Office of the Italian Republic - Palazzo Chigi, and has been a communications consultant for Italian companies and institutions.
Once again, let me remember the new yearbook of We the Italians is available. You can find a preview and buy a copy here. Finally, please check our virtual store, the perfect place where to buy gifts for your family, your friends and – why not – for yourself! You can find more than 20 products in different colors: t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, onesies, mugs, notebooks, pillows, totes, tapestries, pins, laptop and smartphone cases, magnets, stickers, masks. Buy We the Italians!
It’s all for now. Please stay safe and take care, and enjoy our magazine and our contents on our website. The future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades. A big Italian hug from Rome!
