Francesco is CEO and co-founder of the first virtual business incubator between Italy and Silicon Valley that will be launched in March 2011. In 2010 he worked for M31, one of the most important business incubator in Italy as Business Development Director of its Silicon Valley branch, M31 USA. Formerly, he has been working both for the US Market Access of San Jose, a first rate international start-ups incubator in Silicon Valley, as business developer, and for the Angels' Forum of Palo Alto, a leading business angel network in California, as financial analyst. In March 2010 he was awarded with his team of VRMedia, at Stanford University, with the Mind The Bridge prize, as the most innovative high tech startup in Italy.Previously, among others, he succeeded in working as research fellow in School of Advanced Studies Sant'Anna of Pisa (2009); as analyst IBM Global Business Services (2008) on market planning and IP management projects; as business strategy analyst in Accenture Business Consulting (2006), where he was involved in several projects concerning marketing and strategy analysis for the banking & insurance industry, and in the development of new financial products; he also worked in Prometeia (2005), a financial firm where he supported the development of innovative financial products and the creation of risk management tools for the banking industry. Francesco earned a BA in Management & Finance magna cum laude in 2003 and a MA in Finance magna cum laude in 2005, both from the University of Padova. In 2008, he got a Master in Innovation Management cum laude at the School Sant'Anna of Pisa. Currently; in 2010 he earned a Certificate in Technology Entrepreneurship at the Santa Clara University (CA), supported by the Fulbright BEST Program Grant.


In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)