Hi, I'm Maria
I'm a Designer who speaks design & business. I host a show and help teams deal with uncertainty to work better together.
L&D Corporate Trainings @ggutt
Augmenting Human Capabilitlies backed by a network of collaborators.Backed by a broad experience in the corporate and startup world to to boost Creativity, Critical Thinking and Co-Creation [with AI].
I host a podcast, gguttalks on everything business and design: creativity, co-creation, product, customer experience, leadership, entrepreneurship & AI.
Over 85 guests
Over 30 countries
Reached 150.000 downloads
I've had the chance to collaborate with Fortune 500 companies, Big 4 and startups, offering facilitation, trainings and design work.
AC Milan
Adobe
Amazon
Barclays
Bayer
Bvlgari
Cognizant
Deloitte
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Founder Institute
Grab
IKEA
Le Point
Luxottica
McKinsey
MSC Cruises
Pepsico
Prada
Publicis
PWC
RedBull
& more
+ dozens of startups
Worked physically in Italy, South Korea, Estonia, Cyprus, Qatar, France, Kenya, UK and virtual work for organizations in India, USA, Australia, Singapore & more.
Over 150 Tech Founders
Over 1000 Business + Design Students
Over 250 Consultants & Professionals (Business, Lawyers, Marketeers, Engineers)
Over 60 Nationalities
About
15 years of experience in design, product, service and CX, facilitator, trainer and educator.I have a background in design: service, product and interior. I moved away from design 'as we know it' to delve deeper into the why of things.Having worked in/with different sizes of organizations across multiple industries, I do understand various organizational cultures and processes and have a track record for both creative innovation and practical implementation, using design as a strategic tool.I trust my 'ggutt' which I got conscious about in my late twenties. This is where gguttt (and gguttalks) comes.My endeavour at Deloitte Digital got me into large scale challenges and processes. I worked on significant projects focusing on digital transformation and customer experience (CX) for well-known brands. From workshops to trainings, projects, pitches, and events with different capabilities, it was a great experience.While working full-time, I started and co-ran the Founder Institute in Milan, getting it running in 1.5 months. I was later one of the co-leaders of the Italy chapter when the outbreak of the pandemic began.I worked with the Adobe XD product team, supporting enterprise customers through workshops, premium trainings, consulting, and direct product research and feedback. Ended when the Figma potential acquision surfaced.I also worked as a freelancer in interior and graphic design and developed 2 products that didn't go anywhere while teaching in Foundation Studies in a Faculty of Architecture and Design.I support startups via various networks and accelerators globally such as Loyal VC, SeedStars, StartupBootcamp, Fashion Technology Accelerator... and teach in Business and Design programs in two universities in Milan.Fluent in 4 languages, lived in 3 countries. I played drums for 10 years and I don't eat onions.I truly believe that people can always find synergies, no matter where they come from. I know how awful wars are and this helped me better deal with uncertainty that I try to convey in my work.
Hands-on executive advisory
Middle ground between traditional advising and hiring a full-time executive.
I act as a second brain for the founder offering strategic insights based on real-time information.
I get involved in the day-to-day decision-making processes based on a deep understanding of the company's context.
Speaking, Mentoring & more
A mix of On-site and Online
Speaking
Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone -DesignTech | The Empathy Equation: Prompting Humans & AI
Founder Institute Bali | 7 Rules for Pitching, Startup Funding and Investing
Adobe Global | Unteach Design to Teach Design
IxDA Interaction Design Association Conference | Boredom is a Requirement
Innovation Café - Doha | Delivering an Impactful Pitch
IIT Bombay | Asia’s Largest Business Model Competition - Prototyping for Startups
Domus Academy - Milan | Experience Design | Entrepreneurship through Design
Adobe Global | Your Zipper is Open, India Launch private event
Adobe at Dentsu - APAC - EMEA - Americas - Remote Collaboration & Facilitation
MotoDays - Rome | Design for Uncertainty
Il Sole 24 Ore School of Business - Milan | Innovation Management
Level39 - London | The Future of Impact Investing in Tech
Founder Institute - Milan & Italy | Vision & Validation | Customer Development
Digital Design Days - Milan | The impact of Design at Build your Future
Blast Project - Rome | Design Won't Save the World
Mentoring
Loyal VC Fund Startup Advisor | Global
Seedstars Summit & Special Programs Hub 71 & Seedstars | Globa, LATAM, Abu Dhabi
Scale 7 & Fashion Technology Accelerator | Fashion & Design Business Hackathon - Doha
StartupBootcamp FashionTech Acceleration Selection & Program - (Now StyleIt) | Milan
Fashion Technology Accelerator - Acceleration and Special Programs | Milan, Europe, Seoul
Scale 7 - Pre-Incubation Program - | Doha
European Innovation Academy | Turin
Founder Institute | Milan, Italy, Bali
Judging
Member of the Commission for Master Thesis - Domus Academy (and Regent University London for double degrees) | Milan
Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) - Startup Competition
Future Lions Student Competition - Domus Academy | Milan
Mobility Startup Competition - Roma Moto Days | Rome
Startup Selection for a Program in Milan - KOCCA Accelerator | Seoul
Startup Battle - Blast Project | Rome
Moderating, Panelist
Panel Chair, Social Entrepreneurship: Making the SDGs a Reality – Horasis | Global Conference
Resilient Angel and Venture Investing webinar | Loyal VC
Making the Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur - Founder Institute | Milan & Italy
How to Raise Money from Italian Investors - Founder Institute | Milan & Italy
Panelist, StartMag - Libro Bianco on Fintech and Digital Payments | Milan
Panelist, StartupBusiness - Startups & Design | Milan
Publications
