Madonna di Campiglio, Italy – Get ready for the first satellite version of SKInnovation!
From December 10–12, 2025, the first Italian edition of SKInnovation, Europe’s leading startup and innovation gathering on skis, will exclusively take place in the breathtaking alpine setting of Madonna di Campiglio.
After a decade of success in the Austrian Alps, SKInnovation goes international, expanding its winning format to Italy.
With an intimate audience spanning corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and innovation enthusiasts, the event creates a dynamic platform for cross-sector collaboration, fresh business opportunities, and boundary-pushing ideas.
Get the latest updates and exclusive deals for SKInnovation ITALY here:
Attractively curated speaker lineup and diverse formats guarantee you’ll meet the right people at the right time!
Networking meets skiing in a one-of-a-kind experience. Ride the gondola, make new connections, and enjoy the slopes with inspiring people.
Startups and Investors have the chance to meet in the gondola, taking the elevator pitch to the next level.
Managing Partner e Chief of Open Innovation Ecosystems @ GELLIFY
Adjunct Professor @ Politecnico di Milano GSoM and Bologna Business School
Special Roles:
Advisory Board @ PolitecnicoDiMilano DMECC
Founding Board @ Bologna Business School
Advisory Board @ Umbria Business School
BoD @ INDUSTRIO VENTURES, AGROFOOD BIC, FORWARD FACTORY, STYLEIT (startup accelerators)
BoD @ Miraitek40, Buddyfit (startups)
Scientific Committee @ European Innovation Council, Italian Tech Week, Jacobacci 4e, Tecniche Nuove
Managing Partner e Chief of Open Innovation Ecosystems @ GELLIFY
Adjunct Professor @ Politecnico di Milano GSoM and Bologna Business School
Board Member of FESI, the European Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry
Chief Innovation Evangelist of BIP Consulting – TEDx Speaker
Founder and CEO of MindChainge
Innovation Expert
CEO e Founder di FNDX & Gellify
Vice President Telco, Media, and Gaming at Microsoft
Entrepreneur & Author, The Circular Business Revolution
Rifugio Stoppani Dolomites Lodge – 2.500 m
The Stoppani Dolomites Lodge, located at 2,500 meters in the heart of the Brenta Dolomites, blends the authenticity of an alpine refuge with modern comforts. Built in 1893 and recently renovated, it is accessible via the lifts from Passo Campo Carlo Magno.
The main stage for Talks & Panels: Networking is the keywords with an authentic alpine experience in full high-altitude.
Boch Restaurant – 2.085 m
At the intermediate station of Grostè, at 2,085 meters, lies this alpine lodge with a young and welcoming atmosphere, offering carefully prepared cuisine featuring traditional local dishes as well as Mediterranean classics.
The vibrant heart of Talks & Startups: Experience is the keyword, welcoming guests with a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Managing Partner e Chief of Open Innovation Ecosystems @ GELLIFY
Adjunct Professor @ Politecnico di Milano GSoM and Bologna Business School
Managing Partner e Chief of Open Innovation Ecosystems @ GELLIFY, Purple Innovation Factory that blends future visions, software and human genius. Responsible to design and manage initiatives for strategic partnership and co-investment.
Adjunct Professor @ Politecnico di Milano GSoM, Bologna Business School and University of Bologna, in innovation & technology management themes.
25 years professional experience in technology organizations, a professional journey in Aerospace field in ALENIA DIFESA (LEONARDO) and in Home Appliances Business, in Whirpool Corporation and Electrolux Group. Managerial positions in R&D & Industrial Operations, at global level. Former Head of Electrolux Global Innovation Hub.
Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in Politecnico di Milano; Executive Master in Technologies & Innovation Management in Bologna Business School.
Special Roles:
Advisory Board @ PolitecnicoDiMilano DMECC
Founding Board @ Bologna Business School
Advisory Board @ Umbria Business School
BoD @ INDUSTRIO VENTURES, AGROFOOD BIC, FORWARD FACTORY, STYLEIT (startup accelerators)
BoD @ Miraitek40, Buddyfit (startups)
Scientific Committee @ European Innovation Council, Italian Tech Week, Jacobacci 4e, Tecniche Nuove
Awards: Most Powerful Women FORTUNE Italia, Inspiring Fifty, Unstoppable Women StartupItalia, Alumni Award Politecnico di Milano, Young Manager FEDERMANAGER Award, Digital & Innovation Manager FEDERMANAGER Award
Board Member of FESI, the European Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry.
European national, born in Tegernsee, Bavaria, and raised in close connection with the mountains.
56 years old, married, father of two adult daughters.
Holds a degree in Sports Economics.
Spent 25 years at ORTOVOX, until November 2024.
Over the past 13 years, served as Managing Director, steering the company’s transformation from a niche player to a recognized outdoor brand.
Since February 2025, serving as Director of the European Outdoor Group, representing the voice of the entire outdoor industry.
Chief Innovation Evangelist at Bip
Ivan Ortenzi is Chief Innovation Evangelist at Bip and a leading expert in strategy, innovation, and sustainability. With a background in management consulting and corporate innovation, he collaborates with executives to shape impactful innovation models and navigate emerging trends.
He is a lecturer at major Italian business schools and the founder of the Master in Innovation Management at 24Ore Business School. He holds executive degrees in Corporate Sustainability (London Business School) and Open Innovation (ESADE).
Ortenzi is also an author, keynote speaker, and host of the Future Proof Podcast, where he explores innovation, strategy, and AI. He was named one of the 80 Digital Board Ready Members for Italian listed and private companies.
Life Explorer
Antartic Mindset
Explorer, engineer, and speaker, Chiara Montanari was the first Italian woman to lead an Antarctic expedition, with over 15 years of experience managing polar missions. She has taken part in five international expeditions, representing Italy, France, and Belgium, and has directed some of the most extreme research bases on the planet, including Concordia Station, located 4,000 meters above sea level, with temperatures ranging from −50°C to −80°C.
Beyond polar expeditions, she has worked as a researcher in Organization Theory at the Politecnico di Milano and at the Center for the Epistemology of Complexity at the University of Bergamo. She has held managerial roles across various sectors, including digital broadcasting, innovation, and scientific research.
The union of academic experience and field leadership led her to develop Antarctic Mindset, an approach to thriving amid uncertainty and navigating complexity through adaptability, collaboration, and strategic thinking.
CEO and founder of MindChainge
This is Prof. Dr. Hans-Willi Schroiff, a Marketing and Market Research academic and practitioner with more than 30 years of academic and business experience.
A former Corporate Vice President at Henkel KGaA, I am the CEO and founder of MindChainge – a management consulting firm supporting clients successfully on conceptual branding issues and consumer-centric new product development.
I am teaching „New Product Development“ courses at the University of Cologne and at the European Business School (EBS) in Oestrich-Winkel (Germany). I am a faculty member of the School of Business and Economics at RWTH Aachen (Germany).
I live in Neuss, Germany, with my wife Marion, a painting artist. Besides enjoying our six grandchildren, I have remained an avid and dedicated guitar player touring in Germany with my trailblazing R&B Band „Mind The Gap„.
CEO & Founder of FNDX & Gellify
Fabio Nalucci is an entrepreneur and investor with a strong passion for innovation. In 2018, he founded GELLIFY, an innovation platform designed to support large companies in their digital transformation journey and the adoption of emerging technologies. In 2022, Fabio founded FNDX, a company that provides advisory services to a variety of regulated and unregulated funds in identifying the most attractive startups to invest in. Two years after its founding, FNDX is leading the investment strategy for VC funds with €250 million in AUM.
In his private life, he enjoys various sports, including skiing, kite surfing, tennis, cycling, and car and go-kart racing. He is passionate about cars, motorcycles, travel, and wine.
Vice President Telco, Media & Gaming in Microsoft
Silvia Candiani has built her career in the field she has always specialized in: Media and Telecommunications. She began her professional journey at McKinsey as a Media & Telco consultant, then moved to Vodafone, where she led Consumer Marketing for the Italian market.
She joined Microsoft in 2011, taking on roles of increasing responsibility until she was appointed CEO of Microsoft Italy in 2017, a position she held for nearly six years, until 2023. Since April 2023, she has been leading the global teamfocused on the digital transformation of the Telco industry.
Under her leadership in Italy, Microsoft established strategic partnerships with key players such as Poste Italiane, Reale Mutua, Vodafone, Nexi, and UniCredit, expanded its partner ecosystem, and launched the Ambizione Italia investment plan in 2020—which brought the first Italian Data Center Region and major initiatives for digital skills development across the country.
She holds a degree in Economics from Bocconi University in Milan and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau.
Entrepreneur & Author, The Circular Business Revolution
Dr. Manuel Braun is author of the book „The Circular Business Revolution“ and follows the ambition to drive change at interface of sustainability and innovation. He is a seasoned expert in this field and has helped to build Systemiq, a international think tank and advisory firm, partnering with pioneering organizations, investors and entrepreneurs. Previously, Manuel spent 8 years at McKinsey & Company, where he led product development and design projects across industries. He also serves as a senior lecturer at the Technical University of Munich and IMD Lausanne, contributing to executive education and research in sustainable innovation and business transformation.
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