John Cabot Students Participate in ItaliaCamp
By Francesca Passudetti
Professor Pulino prepares the students for ItaliaCamp
On Saturday, February 15, John Cabot students had the chance to cooperate with some of the most promising innovators in Italy. On the occasion of the 2013 USACamp competition, ItaliaCamp, a leading Italian association in the field of startups, selected the best business ideas “made in Italy”; the winning ideas will be pitched to a committee of investment funds, venture capitalists and global financial experts in the first-ever BarCamp on Wall Street on February 22, 2014. The successful pitches will secure funding for further development.
In preparation for this special occasion, Italia Camp and the JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship, directed by Prof. Silvia Pulino, organized a day of stimulating activities related to the Elevator Pitch.
The day started off with an effective lecture by Professor Pulino on how to prepare a successful presentation. Based on her tips, the candidates joined forces with some 25 John Cabot students who attended the event to improve and rehearse their pitches for Wall Street. This win-win situation allowed the students to interact directly with groundbreaking entrepreneurs while putting their knowledge into practice; at the same time, the candidates collected valuable advice and comments, fundamental for their upcoming performance.
The ideas presented by the five candidates at the event were truly inspiring: from synthetic enzymes to clean-tech boxes, from flexible exoskeletons to innovative cloud systems. Their pitches were presented to a jury composed of Professor Silvia Pulino, JCU Academic Dean and Vice President Mary Merva and Cristiano Panfili of ItaliaCamp., who provided the entrepreneurs with actionable feedback. The event concluded with a mini lecture on non-verbal communication techniques held by famous Italian linguist and philologist Alberto Castelvecchi, and a brief presentation about ItaliaCamp.
The enthusiasm in the room was tangible, as later confirmed by the positive comments of John Cabot students. According to Soomin Kim, “It was a great experience to have the chance to help these entrepreneurs get ready for such an important occasion; at the same time, I learned a lot about effective non-verbal communication and useful presentation skills. I am glad I participated.”
The event showcased the irreplaceable value of entrepreneurship and innovation. The Institute would like to thank ItaliaCamp for the great opportunity and wishes the best of luck to these young Italian entrepreneurs. As Professor Pulino said, “A part of our hearts will fly to New York with them.”
ItaliaCamp is a leading Italian Association that promotes innovation and the development of new solutions to real problems. ItaliaCamp connects different generations and institutions by collaborating with numerous entrepreneurs and social entities, as well as almost sixty national and international Universities.
Learn more about the Institute for Entrepreneurship at JCU.
Learn more about studying Business Administration in Rome.
