About Alessio
Alessio began his entrepreneurial journey in his early 20s, becoming a serial entrepreneur, learning from each of his failure. In 2014, he founded his first company from his San Francisco apartment to empower FoodTech operators to drive transformation in the global food system through tech and entrepreneurship. This venture laid the foundation for founding Forward Fooding, the largest community of FoodTech innovators worldwide fostering collaboration across the ecosystem. Before turning a full-time entreprenuer, Alessio worked in the innovation division of a Fortune 500 beverage company and later led marketing and business development at a Bay Area tech startup accelerator. This experience solidified his mission to help tech companies create systemic change in food and agriculture. A passionate ecosystem builder, Alessio has led the Global Tech Advocates Network (FoodTech) since 2020 and has been an active member of Tech London Advocates (FoodTech) since 2016.
A global citizen, he has lived, studied, and worked in Italy, South Korea, Australia, the US, and now divides his time between the UK and Spain.
Selected (Ad)Ventures
(including some with no-so-happy ending)
Various (failed) Ventures
2012-today
During my highschool and University days, I started 'playing' with the idea of building ventures from sellign t-shirts signed by famous djs (I love my DJs) to designing and manufacturing bespoke stickers to personalise Apple products (Pimp@mela) - Through 'building' these ventures I've discovered and fostered my passion for entrepreneurship while learning to 'dream big and fail fast'.
Founded Crowdfooding
2013-2015
While living in San Francisco, Alessio founded Crowdfooding, the world’s first investment platform for innovative food ventures. Their mission was to create an online hub for food and beverage businesses to raise funds by engaging with a targeted audience of potential backers or investors. Despite having sucessfully launched this venture in the UK, the business model didn’t work, and after several attempts to find product-market fit with no luck they dissolved the business.
(co)Founded Forward Fooding
2015-Today
Alongside his first employee at Crowdfooding, who later became his business partner, they adapted the model to better serve the industry, leading to the creation of Forward Fooding. What began as the world's first collaborative platform for food and beverage industry quickly evolved into the largest platform for FoodTech innovators worldwide enabling collaboration opportunities and impact among all the ecosystem actors of the global AgriFoodTech industry.
More (Ad)Ventures to be announced soon...
Selection of Personal Achievements
Run a half-Iron Man
2023
In 2023, Alessio took a sabbatical and started his journey into triathlons. After completing a couple of Sprints and Olympics he decided to train for a half-Ironman (1,9 km swimming; 90 km cycling; 21,1 km running), alognside his brother, which they have then completed within the 6 hours mark.
Lived, studied and worked in four continents
2019 & 2011
As a global citizen, Alessio has lived, studied, and worked in Italy, South Korea, Australia, the United States among others. In 2009 he won a scholarship to studay at Korea Business School in Seoul for one semester before completing in BA. During his MSC he did study at University of Western Sydney for another semester before returning to Italy to complete his academic career. After taking a short corporate sting at a Fortune 500 beverage company, he moved to San Francisco in search for inspiration and to led the marketing and business development at a Bay Area tech startup accelerator. He then moved to London where he ended up establishing Forward Fooding in 2016 and building London's first FoodTech Innovation hub in 2018.
Some of conferences I've spoken to
TEDxDetroit
"Harnessing the Power of Youth and Curiosity"
Detroit Free Press
"A Shift In Thinking Will Change Detroit"
TechTown Detroit
"Solving Detroit's Problems with the Lean Startup Method"
