Institute for Entrepreneurship Welcomes IT Expert Andrea Latino

IT expert Andrea Latino

IT expert Andrea Latino

On February 25, the JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with the BUS 305 Introduction to Entrepreneurship class taught by Professor Silvia Pulino, welcomed IT expert Andrea Latino.

Latino’s field of expertise spans across public policy, management consulting, and tech journalism. In 2011, he founded the non-profit initiative GSE with the aim of propelling public understanding of technological-environmental issues in secondary school settings. Latino’s initiative caught the attention of the Italian Prime Minister’s office, where he eventually went on to work for the Agency for Digital Italy. Since then, Latino has served as a digital advisor and consultant for companies such as Microsoft and De Agostini, in addition to having become a member of the World Economic Forum’s initiative “Global Shapers Community.”

With professor Pulino’s course exploring the process of creating start-ups, Latino’s lecture provided a valuable case-study as he drew on his humble origins, the realization of his initiative, and provided insights for budding entrepreneurs. Latino’s take-home message for the audience was clear, “a rounded skill set, hard work, and knowing your priorities will get you much further than relying on connections.”

Following his lecture, Latino responded to students’ questions. He further discussed the gender divide in the digital sector, and the importance of diversifying one’s CV.

One of the objectives of the JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship is to provide education and training in the fundamentals of best entrepreneurial practices. Every semester the Institute invites 20+ entrepreneurs to the classroom to share their experience in real time. This allows students to network, learn about the entrepreneurial landscape in Italy, get a real sense of how to identify a business opportunity, and gather the resources needed to go from idea to implementation.

Learn more about getting a Minor in Entrepreneurship at John Cabot University.