Netwo: Hubbing Web 2.0 Initiatives in Italy
Categories: Web 2.0
Tags: italy, netwo, web2.0, yahoo
Now it is public: together with a diverse group of Italian consultants, professionals and web 2.0 experts I have founded Netwo.
The founders are Alberto D’Ottavi, Stefano Vitta, Lorenzo Viscanti, Luca Mascaro, Chiaroscuro and me
Netwo is an hub for web 2.0 startups to meet, discuss and grow through informal gatherings, lunches and virtual discussions.
Yesterday, the third event of this kind has been hosted by Massimo Martini (Yahoo CEO) in their wonderful pinky and fashion offices.
Why a such initiative in Italy? There is a bunch of important reasons:
- We believe Italy needs a push toward the growth and awareness of a new digital culture
- We believe web 2.0 startups need a place to periodically meet to stimulate discussion, partnerships and new initiatives
- We believe many of us (I’m working on the FaceTag research project for free) need a better comprehension of how to evolve our work to attract industrial entities and venture capitals and contacts with funds and money
- We feel the need of a name or brand that can collect smart heads and spread the notable work these people are doing on the market and broad public
- We feel that this work has to be done by us. Nobody will help us if we are not able to produce a real, deep, cultural change by ourself
Our final goal is helping us and our country to do a step (on the same line with some of my old posts).
To do this, we are involving some friends into this journey. Massimo Martini and Yahoo are among them. Yahoo has been a kind, friendly and honest host. Massimo has been the protagonist of our meeting simply for its vision and ability to be sincere, to answer our questions, to speak to this group being, for a day, part of it.
That’s why I wanna personally thanks again Massimo and Claudia Ronchi and their company.
Other friends will host us in the coming months and other experts will be involved into our journey.
Update:
- Massimo Martino on Yahoo Mobile (Video via Luca Conti)
In the same category:
March 31st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I’d like to express my fully appreciation to such kind of initiative. Italy’s great web potential need to be stimulated, cared…
I hope to meet you soon folks..
Roberto
March 31st, 2007 at 2:29 pm
bravo emanuele!
go on this way, Italy needs it
cristina
March 31st, 2007 at 3:22 pm
cool - good luck emanuelle
jakub
April 1st, 2007 at 10:21 am
Thank you all guys.
Roberto, if you want you can reach through skype (emanuelequintarelli)
Cheers,
Emanuele
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:42 am
Bella iniziativa, ma la foto del gruppetto radunato da Yahoo mi ha lasciato con una perplessita’: non siete riusciti a trovare NEANCHE UNA donna che abbia a che fare con Web 2.0 in Italia?
Ovviamente esistiamo - vedete i vari reportages sulla GirlGeeksDinner che si e’ svolta la stessa sera nella stessa citta’.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:09 am
Hi Deirdrè,
we are absolutely open to female participation but I’m not aware of initiatives (I mean products and services already launched or near the launch) promoted by girls in Italy.
I would be happy to know more about it. I’m sure every new initiative will be welcome.
Can you suggest some names?
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:38 am
All those guys in the Yahoo photo have products launched or launching? I was not aware of this, and look forward to seeing a list with links to their initiatives.
Re women, off the top of my head: Frieda Brioschi of Wikimedia. Tara of Passpack. You might also talk to the folks at TechneDonne - they probably know of more. Also ask Amanda for ideas from her GirlGeeksDinner guest list.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:48 am
Yes every participant is involved in some web 2.0 initiative (this is not true for journalists that visit us).
I personally know both Frieda and Tara, but Tara is located in SF and Frieda is not involved in a startup (to the best of my knowledge).
Again, if you are a girl (or a boy of course) and you are working on a web 2.0 initiative don’t hesitate to ping us!
P.S Deirdrè, as I wrote, I’m not the only one behind this group. Alberto, Stefano, Luca, Lorenzo and Chiaroscuro are all part of it. You don’t seem to have comments enabled on your blog. Could you please update your post citing these wonderful guys too?
Cheers
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:19 pm
The Tara I’m thinking of is in Rome.
Evidently I did not from your initial post understand the intended makeup and aims of the group, and still don’t, really. The members can only be people with Web 2.0 startups in the works? Seems to me it would be useful to include in the conversation those who have already been successful in Web 2.0, e.g. Wikipedia, whether or not they are official members of “the club”.
FWIW, another potential member company is TVBLOB, whose CEO Fabrizio Caffarelli took his previous Italian startup to Silicon Valley and sold it in 1995, long before Web 2.0 existed - you might find his experience valuable.
Sorry for the confusion about my site - it predates blogging software, so I’ve had to kludge on the comments - see the link at the bottom of http://www.beginningwithi.com/tech/girlgeeksdinneritalia.html for a place to leave your comments. I have added the missing founders, thanks.
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Hello,
Tara Kelly from PassPack (Rome) here… Alas, I’m not the very famous Tara Hunt from Citizen Agency (is she in SF?). It’s a common mistake. Cheers!
@Deirdrè - Thanks for thinking of me. And you’re right, Amanda certainly would be the perfect person to contact to get in contact with some powerful women.
@Emanuele - I’d love to chat. I think you already know my partner Nicola Mattina. My info is on PassPack’s contact page, or ask Nicola, or even Luca Mascaro - he’s in the rItalia chat with me.
Cheers to all - sounds like a good group getting formed here. Keep it going!
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Sorry, I gotta run.
Anyway Luca is part of the board of Netwo and Nicola was among us in Yahoo
Cheers,
Emanuele
April 5th, 2007 at 6:09 am
Emanuele,
Very interesting site, I found you via Linkedin, somehow we’re members. Please contact me offline, shoot me an email, there are several things I would like to discuss with you. We have some interesting opportunities, and I would love to get your thoughts on them. There may be some possible involvement for you.
Thanks!
Boyan
April 10th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Hi Emanuele, i’m very surprised and happy reading the news about this initiatives in Italy. I’ve spent lots of time and effort the last year speaking about web2.0 inside the company i work (actually 3 Italia). Look forward to have a chance to exchange some ideas and thoughts about your initiative and possibly collaborate. Anyway, good luck!
April 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Ciao Emanuele!
Greetings Andrey Golub from Business Networking Club of Milan, Milan-IN (http://www.milanin.com).
I’ve just been pointed to here by Stefano Vitta, we’re “social networking friends” with Stefano
btw, we’re also connected in the world on-line by the ages, I just do not know how I could miss your Blog. Shame on me!
Well, of course it’s just great that such an initiative was born in Italy, the place of “there is always another way to do it” in respect of the rest of the world
Congratulations and Good Luck!
I am sure to be happy to become involved in this project, being an IT representative (and so-founder) of a Social Networking 2.0 project, maybe it’s not so much Web 2.0, judge it youself,- http://www.milanin.com
however I’ll not use this occasion to promote Milan-IN, here I’d like just to ping myself since I’ve already given to Stefano my proposal to get involved.
Sincerelly yours,
Andrey Golub, IT/Web Manager- Business Club Milan-IN
http://www.milanin.com/members/andrey.golub/
http://www.milanin.com/members/andrey.golub/weblog/
April 13th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Hi Andrey,
of course I’m a member of MilanIn