Sofia is a veteran journalist and editor who started her career as an intern for Women’s Wear Daily and Footwear News in Los Angeles and Milan. After completing an MA in Journalism, she moved to Rome to cover the Vatican for The Boston Globe and went on to write about Italy’s economy, political arena and luxury and retail industry, as a staff reporter for Dow Jones Newswires and contributor to the Wall Street Journal. She returned to fashion in 2011, first as a fashion critic, and later as the founder of bacoluxury.com, a social impact project supporting artisans and artisan craft.With a concentration in sustainable fashion, fashion tech, haute couture and inclusion, she now works as a content consultant for luxury goods companies and regularly contributes to Vogue Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and Women’s Wear Daily.

Allison Hoeltzel Savini is a consultant in the leather goods industry, with extensive expertise in product development and management.  Having started her career working with brands such as Stuart Weitzman, Sonia Rykiel, and Alfred Dunhill, she founded her own brand Officina del Poggio in 2014 and continues to consult with brands such as Furla and Schiaparelli.  Allison continues to research and focus on sustainable practices, collaborating with organisations such as 24Bottles, The Sustainable Angle, the No More Plastic foundation, and model and sustainable fashion ambassador Arizona Muse.  She graduated from Butler University with a Bachelor of Science in Arts Administration and from Southern Methodist University with a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts Administration.

Nato a Cortina d’Ampezzo nel 1965, si laurea in Economia e Commercio a Trieste nel 1989 e completa il percorso formativo frequentando e conseguendo il Master PROFINGEST in Gestione d’Impresa a Bologna.Maestro di sci e amante della montagna e delle attività outdoor in genere, dal 1999 collabora con Patagonia rivestendo attualmente il ruolo di Country Manager Italy. Patagonia è senza dubbio l’azienda ideale dove coniugare business e passioni personali, in un ambiente attento a valori fondamentali quali tutela dell’ambiente e impegno sociale.

‍

Born in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1965, Fabio is a ski instructor and lover of the mountains and outdoor activities. He graduated with a degree in Economics and Business in Trieste in 1989, and completed his training in  PROFINGEST. He obtained his  Master's in Business Management in Bologna and has been working with Patagonia since 1999. He currently serves as Country Manager for Patagonia in Italy. Patagonia is undoubtedly the ideal company to combine business and personal passions, in an environment that is attentive to fundamental values such as environmental protection and social commitment.

Philippa has 2 Master’s degrees in fashion sustainability and is Eco-Age’s textiles, materials and policy expert. Originally from a design background, a longstanding curiosity of the impact of materials directs her consultancy work and she finds great enjoyment developing solutions mitigate the industry's environmental and social impact through innovative, alternative, and regenerative material selection. She has spent over a year researching in South Asia, visiting a range of producers, from tiny, rural natural dyers and hand weavers to huge industrial manufacturers making garments for global fashion brands. Nowadays, she supports businesses depart from the linear economy, uphold ethical practices in supply chains, and keeping up to date with relevant policy changes, helping to lobby governments to ensure proposed policies are holistic and effective in driving change in the industry.

‍

Dr. Yuly Fuentes-Medel is now working in the Massachusetts Institute of technology as Program Manager of Fiber technologies and founder of Value of Science. She created DESCIENCE, a global collective of designers, scientists & technologists, connecting the world of science and Design as one. She was selected as Human of the year by motherhood Magazine on 2018 and received the 2015 Boston Business Magazine “Woman to Watch” Award. She graduated with a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Postdoctoral trained in the MIT Sloan School in Technology Innovation & entrepreneurship. Yuly is energetically involved in fostering international innovation ecosystem and careers diversity. Currently serving as President of the board of the Chile-Massachusetts Alliance to support international exchange of investment, technological business, talent and social impact, Past board member at FIT Lab,NY and Board Member of Aji Challenge a Chilean accelerator that foster the success of technological companies in global markets. As a member of Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (WEST) she received a Volunteer Giving back award. Also member of the innovation committee at MIT enterprise forum in Cambridge, reviewer from MIT Legatum Center and advisor to MIT Delta students start up companies. During her time as a Ph.D. student, she pioneered the co-organization of the International workshop called “Small Brains Big Ideas” Biomedical Insights from Invertebrate Neuroscience Research, held in Santiago, Chile.

Born in London, Indian by origin, a nomad in spirit, Bav Tailor is the founder and conscious creative of her eponymous conscious luxury holistic sphere. Built around a 360°Conscious Manifesto, Bav Tailor is a member of Positive Luxury , awarded with the Butterfly Mark for a company-wide commitment to sustainability.

Ph.D, Associate Professor, he is currently the Coordinator of Knitwear design Lab – Knitlab of the Fashion Design Degree at the Politecnico di Milano. He worked at Donna Karan NY as Assistant Account Executive International for the DKNY women's line in Italy.

Founder and Scientific Coordinator of the website/blog www.knitlb.org, he was involved as Visiting Scholar to Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology of Bangalore (India), as Lecturing in some University (China, Brazil, Perù, Australia), as consultant for SENAI Design program in Brazil. He is Instituto Italo-Latino Americano – IILA expert collaborator in the Pymes Forum for cooperation projects on textile and fashion.

He is a member of the editorial board of “Lupetti. Editori di Comunicazione ". In 2020 he received the Honorable Mention at the XXVI Compasso d'Oro for the "DigiKnit" research.

He is Director of the Master in Fashion Direction: Product Sustainability Management at MFI (Milano Fashion Institute Consortium) and member of LeNS - International Learning Network on Sustainability.

‍

An expert in textile value chain, Giusy has superior technical knowledge within the raw material market sector, as well as precise marketing and communication skills. In 2007, Bettoni created C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy), the international eco-hub based in Milan.

‍

Rome-born Rebecca Prunali is founder and CEO of Talia Collective, the first editorial marketplace that educates its customers on sustainability alongside its curation of conscious luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle products. 

After graduating with a law degree in 2013 from The University of Roma Tre where she specialized in human rights, Rebecca moved to the UK where she spent five years working in the philanthropy department for NGOs The British Red Cross and Terrence Higgins Trust. Having discovered the incredible impact that being able to meaningfully communicate important messages had, Rebecca enrolled at the London College of Communication in 2017 to study for an MA in PR and Communication with an emphasis on sustainability in the fast-fashion industry. 

Extensive research trying to find brands that were ethically and consciously minded, led Rebecca to the realization that she was searching for something that didn’t exist: an easy-to-navigate destination that not only promoted independent brands in a fun and aspirational way, but which had also vetted them and provided transparency on their processes. 

She identified that brands needed assistance in clearly communicating their sustainable criteria and practices and she felt it was important to dispel the notion that conscious consumption had to be extreme if it was to make a difference. Rebecca left her full-time PR job in 2019 to focus her efforts on establishing her brand. In September 2020, TaliaCollective.com was launched to immediate interest from brands and editors who were impressed by its engaging articles and beautifully curated product.

‍

Isrid van Geuns (1968) is living and working in Amsterdam. She has been employed as a design- and product manager for many years and was involved in several successful enterprises in the fashion and retail industry. In 2009 she founded her company ISRID Agency, a concept and platform in which she connects and advises companies, brands and talent and activates projects in the fashion and luxury industry. Isrid is a trend and intelligence researcher, talent developer and global talent finder specialized in the fashion and luxury business, also providing a series of courses and master classes at different educations in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome to raise the bar for sustainability and digital transformation in the industry.

‍

Harvey James is a freelance journalist focusing on tech, fashion and culture. Over his five year professional career, he has written for HIGHSNOBIETY, Metro UK, Fashion Minority Alliance, Slate Magazine, Soho House, WIRED UK, VICE UK, FashionBeans and British GQ on topics such a digital influencing, interns, B-Corps, regenerative farming and community.

‍