Valeria is co-founder and ideator of Venezia Autentica. She is an entrepreneur, social innovator, tech(4Good) enthusiast, marketer, and community builder. An entrepreneur from an early age, she believes in the power of community and goodness. Driven to act and improve the world she sees around herself, she has been seeking to make an impact and empower communities for the past 10 years.
Convinced that ethical businesses can be powerful motors of positive impact, she envisioned, Venezia Autentica, a people-powered way to save Venice and the Venetians in early 2015. She met Seba her partner in life and business in Venice, in the summer of 2014.
You can read more about Valeria here
Why did I co-founded Venezia Autentica?
“I set foot in Venice for the first time in august 2014 and immediately felt seduced. I was going through a rough patch and few hours in the city were enough to sough me. The beauty, the art and culture which are present everywhere in Venice enchanted me, but it is the long conversations I had with two local artisans, on my second day, which finished to make me fall in love. Through repeating visits and increasing time spent with locals, I started to understand more of the local dynamics and to feel increasingly upset about the impact of mass tourism on the life of the venetians. One day, I was walking on the Strada Nuova and saw a group of locals proudly carrying a gigantic venetian flag. I was surrounded with huge guided groups on one side and these young guys proud of their identity on the other. Then it struck me. I understood that what’s happening in Venice was not ok and that something had to be done, and fast, to ensure a decent future to the venetians. I also understood that people like me, visitors, could help. I reached to my phone and immediatly called Seba. That was the inception of Venezia Autentica.”