E72: Meet the Woman Creating the Italian Cultural Appreciation Hub that is Istituto Mondo Italiano

What makes Viviana Altieri with Istituto Mondo Italiano a good neighbor? 

 What happens when a Roman takes a $100 bet and ends up in Pittsburgh? Viviana Altieri's journey from Italy to the Steel City led to the creation of Istituto Mondo Italiano, a cultural hub celebrating all things Italian for the past 15 years.

Viviana's story begins with an unlikely wager made with two Duquesne University students who bet she would never leave Italy. Months later, she arrived on their doorstep, suitcase in hand. Though she never collected the $100, Viviana found something far more valuable - a welcoming community that would eventually inspire her mission. After years in the tech industry, she felt a growing disconnect from the city that had embraced her. This realization sparked the creation of Istituto Mondo Italiano, her way of giving back through cultural connection.

Today, the institute serves as Pittsburgh's gateway to Italian culture, offering language classes for all ages, popular cooking workshops, La Dolce Vita Boutique, and the Italian Radio Hour podcast. What makes Viviana's approach special is its inclusivity - no membership fees, no Italian heritage required. "We're open to anyone," she emphasizes, creating a space where everyone from toddlers to nonagenarians can experience authentic Italian culture. Beyond the institute's walls, Viviana brings Italy to the community through pasta-making demonstrations at local events, cooking videos streamed live every Friday, and a podcast reaching listeners in over 100 countries.

Ready to experience la dolce vita right in Pittsburgh? Visit istitutomondoitaliano.org, follow Viviana's social media, or search "Italian in Pittsburgh" to find the Italian Radio Hour. Whether you're planning a trip to Italy, exploring your heritage, or simply want to be "Italian for a day," Viviana's passionate cultural mission proves that sometimes, the best journeys begin with a small bet and a big dream.

To learn more about Istituto Mondo Italiano go to: 

http://www.istitutomondoitaliano.org/

Istituto Mondo Italiano

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Lila Carter.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a littledolce vita in your life?
Some might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
viviana Altieri, with IstitutoMondo Italiano.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Thank you for the invitation.
It's such a pleasure to talk toyou today.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Such a pleasure to have you here, so we're excited
to learn all about you and yourorganization.
Please tell us more.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Sure, istituto Mondo Italiano is pretty much your
getaway to anything Italian herein Pittsburgh.
We started about 15 years ago,and so we provide language
classes, cooking classes, prettyamazing cooking classes.
We have La Dolce Vita Boutique.
We even have our own podcast,the Italian Radio Hour, and we

(01:05):
just wanted to be a point ofreference for anyone that was
either of Italian origin mightbe going to Italy or just wants
to be Italian for a day?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Excellent.
How did you get into thisbusiness?

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Well, I'm originally from Rome.
I came to Pittsburgh on ahundred dollar bet that I made
with two Duquesne studentsduring my college years who bet
$100 that I would never come.
I would never leave my mama and, needless to say, a couple of
months later I knock at theirdoor with my suitcase.
I say I'm here, where is the$100?

(01:39):
Not kidding, I've never seenthe money, but really met a lot
of people worth the weight ingold.
When I first came here it tookme a couple of years to get used
to the language, the climate.
I came here of the blizzard andand Got into high tech.
I had a wonderful, wonderfulcareer, but over the years I

(02:03):
felt that I was losing touch ofthe community that had welcomed
me so warmly.
So I wanted to put to use mybackground, my skills, to create
again a welcoming culturalorganization that is open to
anyone again that loves andenjoys the Italian culture.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Amazing.
So what are some myths, ormaybe misconceptions, in your
business?

Speaker 3 (02:30):
Well, I have to say that I'm pretty fortunate
because kind of being Italian iscool nowadays.
Maybe it wasn't back in the daywhen the first waves of
immigrants came over and theyhad to endure a lot of hardships
, but the Italian culture is oneof the most appreciated
cultures in in the worldnowadays, whether it's the food,

(02:50):
the contributions to art andscience, or so it just as I said
more than misconceptions, Iwould say probably is more
varied than what people mightthink.
So I highly encourage everyoneto get involved or take a trip
to Italy to really experiencethat variety firsthand.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
So who are your target customers and how are you
attracting them to theInstitute?

Speaker 3 (03:14):
So we do work with pretty much everyone from the
three years old all the way tothe ones in the 90s, because,
again, our services.
We have the language classes,both for adults and children,
and summer camps amazing summercamps the cooking classes.
So the cooking class is alwaysa sellout who doesn't like to

(03:36):
make delicious Italian food?
Then we have the shop thatattracts both inline shoppers
and also people that come andsee our space and we do a lot of
things in the community.
We recently had the LittleItaly Days in Bloomfield.
So I set up a little table likea little nonna and I was making

(03:57):
pasta day after day after day.
So any passerby whether againwere little kids or grownups
stopped and gave a try to makewhatever pasta shape I was
working on.
So I like to be as visible aspossible and I also like to
donate, give certificates to alot of worthy causes, really

(04:20):
supporting also otherorganizations that are
non-profits.
So it's kind of a give and takeright.
This is my time to give back.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Have you ever thought about doing a podcast, possibly
to increase your visibility?

Speaker 3 (04:35):
We do have a podcast.
It's called the Italian RadioHour.
So I've been doing it for fouryears and I think it's going
pretty well.
We are covering stories bothfrom Italy and here in the US,
so we kind of tracked I think.
According to the stats, thereare about over 100 countries

(04:57):
tuning in to download or listento our content, so hopefully,
you know, we'll get also biggertraction here locally as well.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Very cool.
So outside of work, what do youdo for fun?

Speaker 3 (05:13):
Believe it or not, I love the two wheels.
So, from a Vespa to a 1200Suzuki, 1200cc Suzuki to a 1200
Suzuki, 1200cc Suzuki, I do loveto take road trips Again,
whether it's on two wheels ormaybe in a car, so traveling is
indeed one of my biggestpassions.
I'm also pretty crafty, so myfurniture, my look of one color

(05:38):
one day, and it might be a totalmakeover the following week.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
I'm the same way about my interior design.
I love to switch it up Verycool.
So, viviana, please tell ourlisteners one thing that they
should remember about IstitutoMondo Italiano.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
That we're open to anyone.
First of all, we don't have anymembership fee.
Again, you don't need to beItalian to come to our events.
You will surely have fun andmake new friends, and, again,
whether you are a long timePittsburgher or a newcomer, as I
was back in the day.
So, and then we have also agreat online shop, so you can

(06:20):
bring a little bit of Italy toyour home.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
Very nice.
And how can our listeners learnmore about the Institute?

Speaker 3 (06:27):
I'm very active on social media, but we do have an
official website, which iswwwistitutomondoitalianoorg and
there is no N in istituto, butI'm sure we'll spell it out and
again on Facebook under my name,viviana Artieri, mondo Italiano
, usually on Fridays.
I also do live cooking videosthat we started during COVID,

(06:50):
cooking videos that we startedduring COVID and it's been our
weekly appointment.
They can find Italian RadioHour on podcast platforms or on
YouTube.
As soon as they put Italian inPittsburgh, I'm sure we'll come
up.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Very nice.
Yeah, it's been one of my lifegoals to make my own pasta.
Come on over.

Speaker 3 (07:11):
You're officially invited now.
We'll have a follow-up episodeafter your pasta class.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah, you can't go back to the store-bought stuff,
I'm sure, once you make your own.
Well, Viviana, I reallyappreciate your time today and
having you as a guest on ourshow.
We wish you and the Institutethe best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
Thank you very much.
Ciao, ciao a tutti quanti.
See you at the Istituto MondoItaliano.
And, leila, thank you again forthis opportunity.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnppittsburghcom.
That's gnppittsburghcom, orcall 412-561-9956.