Surfing and Hot Air Balloons: in times of crisis staying curious is essential

After the destabilising effect of two traumatic events like the pandemic and war in Europe, today more than ever it is essential that we change our way of thinking, of interpreting reality, by adopting a New Awareness. Digital technologies can and must be instruments of a Cultural Revolution which, from teleworking to the use of social media and through to environmental impact, also changes our individual and social behaviour. Freeing ourselves from burdensome stereotypes that diminish our potential, connecting the dots by following the eccentric paths of Lateral Thinking: to be able to do this we must stay curious. Discovering and weaving together inspirational stories from yesterday and today, opening our minds and picturing ourselves as the protagonists of tomorrow, will help us to do so.

Roberto Bonzio, "Curious Journalist", after a career as an editor (Gazzettino, Giorno, Reuters agency), he left his salary and permanent job behind for a project between Italy and Silicon Valley that investigates the secrets of Italian talent. With over 250 storytelling events attended by more than 30,000 people across Italy and abroad, a theatre show, seminars and special events, a book (Egea 2015, preface by Gian Antonio Stella), 19 inspirational trips for professionals from every sector to meet talented compatriots in the Californian Bay Area, and hundreds of pieces of online content and videos, "Italiani di Frontiera" has given birth to an international community of innovators committed to contributing their ideas and reflections on the Italy of tomorrow to a new platform. A TEDx Speaker, for his work he has been named Alumnus of the Year by the Ca' Foscari University and received a plaque from the MostraLido association following a storytelling session he held during the Venice Film Festival in 2020, something he repeated in 2021.