Italian Innovators
The Italian Innovators podcast tells the stories of great modern Italians in the fields of fashion, technology, business, music and design from the 19th century to the present. Episodes are 15-20 minutes each. They are published on the 1st of the month (presentation) and mid-month (interview). Check out the YouTube channel for video versions of episodes and the official webpage for a full outline of #innovators #interviews and #lessons.
Episodes
September 5, 2023 • 12 mins
The inventor of plastic and the ethics of innovation. A presentation by Luca Cottini (PhD)
* Oslo, December 10, 1963. The only Italian #scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
* Achievement & fragility. From the invention of plastic to the management of waste
* The imaginative mind of Giulio Natta. On #literature and #chemistry (Primo Levi)
* A groundbreaking lab of innovation. Montecatini: from nylon to Moplen
* The new mat...
* Oslo, December 10, 1963. The only Italian #scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
* Achievement & fragility. From the invention of plastic to the management of waste
* The imaginative mind of Giulio Natta. On #literature and #chemistry (Primo Levi)
* A groundbreaking lab of innovation. Montecatini: from nylon to Moplen
* The new mat...
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August 1, 2023 • 14 mins
The woman behind Italy’s greatest wine (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The call to serve. The beginning of Giulia Falletti’s mission in Turin’s prisons
* The story of Juliette Colbert de Maulevriér. From the French revolution to the Parisian encounter with Carlo Tancredi Falletti
* From Napoleon’s rule to the Risorgimento. The growth of Turin in the 19th century, between anticlericalism and religious renewal
* Carlo and Giulia’...
* The call to serve. The beginning of Giulia Falletti’s mission in Turin’s prisons
* The story of Juliette Colbert de Maulevriér. From the French revolution to the Parisian encounter with Carlo Tancredi Falletti
* From Napoleon’s rule to the Risorgimento. The growth of Turin in the 19th century, between anticlericalism and religious renewal
* Carlo and Giulia’...
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July 1, 2023 • 13 mins
The Masters of Italian Publishing (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The Martinitt orphanage in Milan, home of 3 great #innovators
* From poverty to entrepreneurship. The parallel path of Angelo Rizzoli and Arnoldo Mondadori
* The project of the Italian encyclopedia (Rizzoli, Bocconi, and Treccani)
* The Borletti-Mondadori partnership. The rights of D’Annunzio and the birth of detective novels
* A long-lasting rivalry. From magazin...
* The Martinitt orphanage in Milan, home of 3 great #innovators
* From poverty to entrepreneurship. The parallel path of Angelo Rizzoli and Arnoldo Mondadori
* The project of the Italian encyclopedia (Rizzoli, Bocconi, and Treccani)
* The Borletti-Mondadori partnership. The rights of D’Annunzio and the birth of detective novels
* A long-lasting rivalry. From magazin...
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June 1, 2023 • 15 mins
Liquore Strega and the bewitching power of literature (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The fascination for "La" Strega (the witch) and the apprenticeship at "Lo" Strega liqueur factory
* Poster #advertising and the aura of Strega. The blue, green, and red "witch" by Marcello Dudovich
* The Roman city of Benevento, the legends of witchery, and the #drink of Giuseppe Alberti
* A Southern Italian excellence from 1860 to the present...
* The fascination for "La" Strega (the witch) and the apprenticeship at "Lo" Strega liqueur factory
* Poster #advertising and the aura of Strega. The blue, green, and red "witch" by Marcello Dudovich
* The Roman city of Benevento, the legends of witchery, and the #drink of Giuseppe Alberti
* A Southern Italian excellence from 1860 to the present...
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May 1, 2023 • 27 mins
A presentation by Luca Cottini (PhD). Keynote address of the International Conference of the Canadian Association of Italian Studies (CAIS). Delivered on July 5, 2022.
* The culture behind the label. What model lies behind the Italian "impresa"?
* The three components of the Italian "incanto": limit, #design, the chorality of "works" (#opera)
* 1. The creative power of limit: care, respect, and #sustainability
* 2. Design as #storytel...
* The culture behind the label. What model lies behind the Italian "impresa"?
* The three components of the Italian "incanto": limit, #design, the chorality of "works" (#opera)
* 1. The creative power of limit: care, respect, and #sustainability
* 2. Design as #storytel...
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April 1, 2023 • 12 mins
The creative compass of Ferrero (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* Finding the recipe. How Pietro Ferrero arrived to the hazelnut and cocoa paste
* The early years. The marriage of Piera and Pietro, the birth of Michele, three entrepreneurial failures, and the return to Alba
* The Langhe and Italy’s civil war. From WWII to reconstruction (1943-1945)
* The post-war birth of the Giandujot (the forerunner of Nutella) and the foundati...
* Finding the recipe. How Pietro Ferrero arrived to the hazelnut and cocoa paste
* The early years. The marriage of Piera and Pietro, the birth of Michele, three entrepreneurial failures, and the return to Alba
* The Langhe and Italy’s civil war. From WWII to reconstruction (1943-1945)
* The post-war birth of the Giandujot (the forerunner of Nutella) and the foundati...
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March 1, 2023 • 16 mins
The father of Italian design (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* Domus. The theory and practice of “industrial design” (What is design? Who is the designer?)
* Designing life: a worldview in an object; a particular character in a space
* Ponti and Milano. From formation to expositions, from practice to theory
* Object-worlds. The passion for ceramics and glass. Lightness as brightness and weightlessness
* Secular and religious archi...
* Domus. The theory and practice of “industrial design” (What is design? Who is the designer?)
* Designing life: a worldview in an object; a particular character in a space
* Ponti and Milano. From formation to expositions, from practice to theory
* Object-worlds. The passion for ceramics and glass. Lightness as brightness and weightlessness
* Secular and religious archi...
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February 15, 2023 • 18 mins
A conversation between Luca Cottini (PhD) and Marco Baldocchi, Neuromarketing research director at NINA (the Italian Association of Applied Neurosciences), author, public speaker, and visionary entrepreneur in consulting and advertising.
* From Lucca to Miami. From advertising to #neuroscience (1:05)
* What is neurobranding? Why is neuroscience a key tool for #marketing? (2:35)
* The understanding of emotions. Our decisions take plac...
* From Lucca to Miami. From advertising to #neuroscience (1:05)
* What is neurobranding? Why is neuroscience a key tool for #marketing? (2:35)
* The understanding of emotions. Our decisions take plac...
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February 1, 2023 • 14 mins
The pursuit of legend (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The finish line at the 1908 Targa Florio. How it all started
* The birth of Italy's #automobile industry. Nazzaro (#Ferrari); Trucco (#Maserati); Ceirano (#fiat)
* The mechanic of Isotta Fraschini who became a pilot. The story of Alfieri Maserati
* Visionary entrepreneurship, competition, and elegance. At the core of Maserati
* Maserati's most legendary models and Alfieri's l...
* The finish line at the 1908 Targa Florio. How it all started
* The birth of Italy's #automobile industry. Nazzaro (#Ferrari); Trucco (#Maserati); Ceirano (#fiat)
* The mechanic of Isotta Fraschini who became a pilot. The story of Alfieri Maserati
* Visionary entrepreneurship, competition, and elegance. At the core of Maserati
* Maserati's most legendary models and Alfieri's l...
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January 17, 2023 • 38 mins
A conversation between Luca Cottini (PhD) and Michael F. Moore, PhD (freelance translator, interpreter, and author of a wonderful English version of Alessandro Manzoni’s novel “The Betrothed")
* A novel (and a language) for the Italian nation. Manzoni's I promessi sposi (1:00)
* From Manzoni's characters to Italy's character. A prototype of the Italian psychology (6:20)
* The American reception of Manzoni's masterpiece (13:40)
* Readi...
* A novel (and a language) for the Italian nation. Manzoni's I promessi sposi (1:00)
* From Manzoni's characters to Italy's character. A prototype of the Italian psychology (6:20)
* The American reception of Manzoni's masterpiece (13:40)
* Readi...
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January 1, 2023 • 13 mins
The secret language of shoes (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The mission to make #shoes visible.
* The journey of a young #shoemaker from Campania to America
* Italian immigrants and American #shoemaking
* The immigrant's mindset. Rooted openness (from Boston to California)
* Shoemaking and the cinematographic industry. The first Ferragamo store in #hollywood
* Return to Italy. #florence and the crisis of the 1930s
* Limit and #cr...
* The mission to make #shoes visible.
* The journey of a young #shoemaker from Campania to America
* Italian immigrants and American #shoemaking
* The immigrant's mindset. Rooted openness (from Boston to California)
* Shoemaking and the cinematographic industry. The first Ferragamo store in #hollywood
* Return to Italy. #florence and the crisis of the 1930s
* Limit and #cr...
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December 15, 2022 • 42 mins
A conversation between Luca Cottini (PhD) and Paolo Ciuccarelli (architect, communication designer, professor of design at Northeastern University, and founder of the Density Design Research Lab at Politecnico di Milano)
* The impact of Italian education on a professional career (1:26)
* The Italian cultural model as an archetype of design thinking (6:41)
* Architecture and communication. The inside and the outside of an object (10:27...
* The impact of Italian education on a professional career (1:26)
* The Italian cultural model as an archetype of design thinking (6:41)
* Architecture and communication. The inside and the outside of an object (10:27...
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December 1, 2022 • 13 mins
What's in a leather purse? (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The #houseofgucci movie. Story-branding, Italian family businesses, the founder's story
* What an elevator attendant at a fashionable hotel learned about #celebrity. How Guccio Gucci really started his entrepreneurial adventure in 19th century #London
* #Florence, 1921. The foundation of the House of Gucci and its Italian growth (Rome, Milan)
* Scarcity and #creativi...
* The #houseofgucci movie. Story-branding, Italian family businesses, the founder's story
* What an elevator attendant at a fashionable hotel learned about #celebrity. How Guccio Gucci really started his entrepreneurial adventure in 19th century #London
* #Florence, 1921. The foundation of the House of Gucci and its Italian growth (Rome, Milan)
* Scarcity and #creativi...
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November 1, 2022 • 14 mins
The joy of Italian dresses. The art of Italian living (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* A stroll through #Florence. From the 13th century (Dante's house, the Bargello) to 15th century city (Brunelleschi's dome, Palazzo Pucci)
* Aristocracy & #fashion, Renaissance & #modernity. The Florentine upbringing of Emilio Pucci
* Pucci's American discovery. From the winter olympics of 1932 to his studies Reed College
* From #sports to #avi...
* A stroll through #Florence. From the 13th century (Dante's house, the Bargello) to 15th century city (Brunelleschi's dome, Palazzo Pucci)
* Aristocracy & #fashion, Renaissance & #modernity. The Florentine upbringing of Emilio Pucci
* Pucci's American discovery. From the winter olympics of 1932 to his studies Reed College
* From #sports to #avi...
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October 10, 2022 • 13 mins
Forever Modern. Jewels are laboratories of lasting originality (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* From Studio 54 to Tiffany's. How a young Italian model became NYC's top jewel #designer
* An independent and unexpected path, from Italy to Japan, from Spain to New York City
* An extraordinary career at Tiffany's. The most remarkable pieces of Peretti's creative imagination
* The aesthetics of Peretti's style. Translating ideas in...
* From Studio 54 to Tiffany's. How a young Italian model became NYC's top jewel #designer
* An independent and unexpected path, from Italy to Japan, from Spain to New York City
* An extraordinary career at Tiffany's. The most remarkable pieces of Peretti's creative imagination
* The aesthetics of Peretti's style. Translating ideas in...
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October 7, 2022 • 30 mins
A conversation between Luca Cottini (PhD) and Andrea Prencipe (Professor of Organization and Innovation, and Rector of Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome)
* The founding vision of Luiss Guido Carli University. To establish a #university requires trust and the willingness to invest in the future (1:45)
* What makes the institution distinctive in the Italian #academic landscape (6:45).
* The #pandemic as an occasion to re-design #u...
* The founding vision of Luiss Guido Carli University. To establish a #university requires trust and the willingness to invest in the future (1:45)
* What makes the institution distinctive in the Italian #academic landscape (6:45).
* The #pandemic as an occasion to re-design #u...
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October 5, 2022 • 12 mins
From Naples to Milan. The Birth of Alfa Romeo (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The road to Naples. From the periphery to the big city, from poverty to #education
* The formation as civil #engineer and the start of #business (air compressors, train tracks)
* The great war and the great occasion. The acquisition of the #automobile company Alfa
* Alfa Romeo. The growth of the company, the creation of a legend
* The dream to manu...
* The road to Naples. From the periphery to the big city, from poverty to #education
* The formation as civil #engineer and the start of #business (air compressors, train tracks)
* The great war and the great occasion. The acquisition of the #automobile company Alfa
* Alfa Romeo. The growth of the company, the creation of a legend
* The dream to manu...
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August 1, 2022 • 47 mins
A presentation by Luca Cottini (PhD). Delivered on June 24, 2022 at the Superyacht Design Festival, organized in Milan by Boat International Media Company.
* Industria (industriousness) and cultura (cultivation): the 2 concomitant faces of value creation
* Italian #design is not "Made in Italy". What makes on object Italian? What does "Italian" add to it?
* The origin of Italy's distinction. From an incomplete industrialization to a ...
* Industria (industriousness) and cultura (cultivation): the 2 concomitant faces of value creation
* Italian #design is not "Made in Italy". What makes on object Italian? What does "Italian" add to it?
* The origin of Italy's distinction. From an incomplete industrialization to a ...
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July 21, 2022 • 29 mins
A conversation between Luca Cottini (PhD) and Alberto Milani (entrepreneur & creator of the jewelry & lifestyle luxury brand Alberto Milani "a love affair with Italy", president of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of New York, and co-founder of Piazza Italia Market)
* A leader in jewelry. The path to entrepreneurship (1:10)
* Between tradition and innovation. What's in a jewel? (3:00)
* How does the Italian obsession for beauty t...
* A leader in jewelry. The path to entrepreneurship (1:10)
* Between tradition and innovation. What's in a jewel? (3:00)
* How does the Italian obsession for beauty t...
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July 1, 2022 • 13 mins
The epic of boating (A presentation by Luca Cottini, PhD)
* The joy of a boat ride. From Dante to the 21st century
* #boating as a #storytelling metaphor and a long-lasting craft
* Four generations of #boat making. The Riva story from Sarnico to the world. From racing to luxury
* The vision of a bold entrepreneur. The synthesis of wood craft and American engine technology
* Carlo Riva's transformation of the boat into an object of lifes...
* The joy of a boat ride. From Dante to the 21st century
* #boating as a #storytelling metaphor and a long-lasting craft
* Four generations of #boat making. The Riva story from Sarnico to the world. From racing to luxury
* The vision of a bold entrepreneur. The synthesis of wood craft and American engine technology
* Carlo Riva's transformation of the boat into an object of lifes...
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