Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Davide Garofalo his experience as Founder and CEO @ Xplored.

Davide is the Founder and CEO of Xplored (est. 2008), a game innovation studio specializing in full-cycle development—from concept to release—of hardware and software IPs. He has extensive experience as a CEO and vision carrier in innovation-driven companies and has managed crowdfunding projects totaling more than $4M. His work spans gaming, extended reality (AR/VR), connected board games, smart toys, and videogames.

Xplored has researched and filed nine international patents related to technological innovations in the gaming sector—an achievement considered close to a record in Europe for this category. The company collaborates with high-profile global brands, including Hasbro, Mattel, Ferrero, Giochi Preziosi, Clementoni, and Ravensburger.

Davide brings senior expertise in business development, product management, product design, marketing & sales, and team leadership, with experience both in SMEs and multinational corporations. He co-founded his first company in 1993 and earned his University Degree in Business and Economics, with a specialization in Marketing, from the University of Genoa in 2002.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Davide shared his experience as Fellow @ USRA, Senior Research Scientist @ NASA.

Davide is a versatile mind, always ready with a Plan A, B, or C. Since 2012, he has been a Senior Research Scientist at NASA and a Research Director and Fellow at USRA, a leading space and aeronautics organization tackling some of the nation’s most complex challenges through research excellence and strong university partnerships.

A long-time friend and host of the Silicon Valley Study Tour, Davide inspires students with his experience and vision.

Beyond NASA, he is involved in several organizations and startups, including Green Sands Equity, Sensorium TL, TreQ, Starlight Ventures, and Archon Drones.

Davide holds a PhD in Condensed Matter and Computer Simulation from SISSA, a PhD in Nanophysics from Université Grenoble Alpes, a Master’s degree in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. He also carried out postdoctoral research in Condensed Matter and Quantum Information Theory at Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Valeria shared his experience as Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computational Science @ San Diego State University.

Valeria holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and is passionate about exploring Mathematics in all its forms, from theory to real-world applications. Her interests range from Scientific Computing and Numerical Simulations to Computational Geometry, Discrete Differential Geometry, and Computer Graphics.

Growing up as a first-generation low-income student in Italy, she developed perseverance, curiosity, and determination, which have shaped her journey. Valentina’s pursuit of excellence led her to study abroad in the United States, complete a dream internship at Pixar Animation Studios, and take on research roles at the University of Colorado Boulder and Caltech.

She is now Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computational Science at San Diego State University, where she continues to merge her love for Mathematics with cutting-edge research and teaching.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Emanuele Baglini shared his experience as Co-founder and CEO @ Ermit.

Emanuele is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and engineer from Genoa, Italy, with over 20 years of experience spanning hardware, software, and manufacturing engineering. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ermit, a company focused on developing cutting-edge technological solutions across industries. Emanuele holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science Engineering with a specialization in Robotics from the University of Genoa and is currently completing an Executive MBA at SDA Bocconi.

Before founding Ermit, he was the CTO and Partner at Pillo Health, where he led the R&D of an innovative personal medical assistant for home healthcare. His career also includes roles as Managing Director of Pillo Labs and researcher at the University of Genoa, where he contributed to several EU-funded projects in sensor networks, embedded systems, and robotics.

Emanuele is passionate about bridging engineering excellence with product innovation to create meaningful, impactful solutions.
In this webinar, he will share insights from his journey across startups, robotics, and digital health — and discuss what it takes to bring deep tech ideas from lab to market.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Matteo Stoppa, PhD shared his experience as Chief Innovation Officer Coesa Energy and Lead The Future Mentorship mentor.

With a background in Biomedical Engineering and a PhD in Human Space Flight & Space Medicine, Matteo has built a diverse career at the intersection of technology and business innovation.

From early roles at Thales Alenia Space to founding multiple startups as CTO, he has led groundbreaking projects in aerospace and consumer tech. Over the past nine years, Matteo has contributed to four aerospace projects, founded two startups, presented at CES Las Vegas, and had a product exhibited at MoMA New York.

With three patents, an academic impact of over 2500 citations, and an exit among his ventures, he brings proven expertise in R&D, team leadership, and go-to-market strategy.

Inspired by the legacy of Adriano Olivetti, Matteo merges visionary thinking with practical execution. Today, as CIO in the energy sector, he designs and leads high-impact innovation projects — most recently KeepTheSun, the first marketplace for second-hand solar panels and more. Startup mentor and a believer in human capital with a strong network across industry, academia and investment.

Matteo has been an LTF mentor for several years, always bringing his experience and playing an active role in the growth of our community.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Jeff shared his experience as a PhD @ University of Maryland, Fulbright Scholar and Google Intern.

Jeff is a PhD student in Computer Science and Fulbright Scholar at the University of Maryland, where he focuses on algorithms, big data, and decision-making under uncertainty—the kind of theory that powers today’s large-scale computing systems.

Before that, he earned his bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Genoa and completed his master’s at ETH Zurich. Along the way, he interned at top companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta, and at research labs at ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics.

Jeff is passionate about sharing knowledge. He led the Google Developer Student Club in Zurich for two years and has been a teaching assistant for several courses. His journey reflects not just a love for science, but a strong belief in giving back and using technology to make a difference in the world.
Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey wher

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Leonardo Ubbiali will shared his experience as a founder of a YC startup.

Leonardo is an entrepreneur and data scientist passionate about applying AI and data analysis to business. He co-founded and was CEO of Bilanc, an AI-driven financial decision-making startup that went through Y Combinator (W24).

He holds a Master’s in Marketing Management from Università degli Studi di Bergamo and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca. He is currently building a new startup in stealth mode.

Leonardo's accomplishments showcase his leadership and technical expertise. At Bilanc, he merged cutting-edge technology with innovative business strategies, creating products that excel in the competitive AI and data science market.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Emanuela Zaccone shared her experience as AI Staff Product Manager Sysdig.

Emanuela is a Staff Product Manager in AI for Cybersecurity at Sysdig. She leads the development of Sysdig Sage, a generative AI assistant that enhances cloud security. Her work empowers teams to detect threats faster and act with clarity in complex, dynamic environments.

With 10+ years in tech, Emanuela combines AI, cybersecurity, and product leadership. She simplifies complexity, drives execution, and aligns teams around clear goals. Passionate about innovation, she brings focus and energy to every project, fostering collaboration and empowering stakeholders to move from vision to impact.

Emanuela is a Partner at The Liquid Factory, a startup studio in the Italian Alps. She co-founded TOK.tv, which reached 40 million users before its 2019 acquisition, and AIDA Monitoring. Her entrepreneurial path reflects deep experience in product development, user growth, and agile innovation.

Certified as a Scrum Product Owner, Emanuela excels in Agile frameworks and digital strategy. She helps teams iterate quickly, prioritize effectively, and deliver value continuously. Her structured yet flexible approach supports cross-functional collaboration in both startups and enterprise contexts, always focused on results.

She holds a patent and is a published author. As a frequent speaker, she shares insights on AI, women in tech, and entrepreneurship. Emanuela also advises companies and institutions on digital transformation, helping them embrace innovation and data-driven strategies with clarity and purpose.

Outside of work, Emanuela enjoys photography and gaming. These hobbies reflect her creativity, precision, and curiosity. Through photography, she captures stories and details; through gaming, she explores strategy and play. Both passions contribute to her well-rounded approach to innovation and leadership.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Andrea Canessa shared his experience as GTM Engineer @ Factorial.

​Andrea is a Go-To-Market (GTM) Engineer specializing in Outbound Growth Analysis at Factorial in Barcelona. Originally from Genoa, Italy, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and completed a Master of Science in Management with a specialization in Strategic Marketing in Lisbon.

In his current role at Factorial, Andrea focuses on developing and implementing strategies to drive outbound growth, leveraging his expertise in technology and market analysis. He is particularly passionate about integrating technology with human capabilities to create value, with a keen interest in Revenue Operations and the digital supply chain

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Unlock the insights from our webinar with Silicon Valley Study Tour and Silicon Valley Fellowship, where Damiano Congedo shared his experience as CEO & Digital Marketer SEO Pirates.

Damiano is a digital entrepreneur with extensive experience in the startup ecosystem and digital marketing. Active in the field since 2004, he began his career as a freelancer and later worked within communication agencies. In 2012 he founded his first startup, APPEATIT, which was backed by LVenture Group.

He has collaborated with the Università degli Studi di Cagliari as a tutor and lecturer in SEO and Semantic Web, and has contributed to educational programs such as Intraprendiamo and the Contamination Lab (Clab). He has also participated as a mentor in several startup acceleration programs, including B Heroes.

Since 2010, he has been sharing his insights and experiences through his blog damianocongedo.it and the project oneminutestartup.it, focused on stories of entrepreneurial failures. He is currently the CEO of SEO Pirates, a digital agency specialized in SEO and Google Ads.

Don’t miss the upcoming sessions of Inspiration Valley, a virtual journey where you’ll hear the stories of Italians working in Silicon Valley and around the world.