Massimo Arrigoni joins MTB board

I'm excited to report that Massimo Arrigoni (AKA SuperMassi) has joined the MTB Board of Directors.

An entrepreneur at heart, already sitting on the board of BAIA (Business Association Italy America) and now leading the development of MailUp in the US, Massimo is an outstanding addition to the MTB team.

As his nickname suggests, Massi tends to over deliver in everything he does. One example for all: with 4 children under his belt (figuratively speaking), Massi is still the record holder among the (un)famous group of Italian fathers in the Bay Area.

See here for his full (real) bio.

With a 2012 full of exciting new developments ahead of us, I am thrilled to be able to count on the support of a professional and a friend of the caliber of Massi.

Welcome SuperMassi!

We Love OpenHouses!

2011 has definitely been a great year for networking events. With more than 10 openhouse parties, +40 startups have presented their ideas in front of more than 450 people. The perfect occasion for sharing their projects, improving their presentation skills and getting feedbacks. Andrea from Hyperfair, Francesco from Spreaker, Antonio from Beintoo, Lorenzo from Treedom and Elisabetta from Quipu have been among the first to participate, followed then by many others.

Since its start, Openhouse has been a periodic event for startups and our community.

Here a quick 2011's rewind:

Since June, our friends from Istituto de Impresa came twice to visit us during their Silicon Valley Study tour trip. The first time at the beginning of summer and then again last november during the One Market Opening Party organized with SOMAcentral. A great event where we had the pleasure to take part in a firechat with Pierluigi Zappacosta (Founder & exCEO of Logitech, today Venture Partner @ Noventi VC).

If you missed it, here below some highlights:

In July we hosted an outstanding presentation from Fadi Bishara, about "The Startup Genome Project and the Marmer Stages". A group of senior managers visiting the Silicon Valley with the American Chamber of Commerce and some folks from Google Italy also came to enjoy the party.

Below a recap of the event:

In August (after the visit from Le Iene) also RAI TV joined us to record our August Openhouse , interviewing participants and shooting some footage. During this event, we had an inspiring guest speaker: Hartmut Esslinger - Industrial Designer and Inventor and Founder of Frog Design.

We 're pretty sure that all the attendees still remember his presentation "Managing Creativity in Business - Right vs. Left Brain -The ultimate challenge of young entrepreneurs".

If you weren't amongst the lucky ones who were be there you can either have a look of this presentation or watch the following video:

Here you can also find the video that RAI has released.

Again in August, our friends from Silicon Valley Study Tour came to visit Pier 38. Students from Startup School had their great occasion to present their projects.

In September during our "changing time" we had the last, well deserved Goodbye Party in Pier 38, the historical, vibrant icon for startups. Loris Degioanni, founder of Cacetech (acquired by Riverbed) had his introduction speech and we also hosted a photography exhibition from ArtForLove.

Here's Loris' speech:

Last but not the least, in October in the occasion of our move to our new location at One market plaza, we hosted a group of Executives from the industrial associations Confindustria Venezia and Padova. Below are pics taken by our great friend and photographer Paolo Bonaccorsi from B-Crome during the event.

Finally this Friday, January 13th we are hosting our first Openhouse of 2012. A group of Italian entrepreneurs from A.SVI.COM will join us for another great networking opportunity.

We are planning many other events throughout 2012. So.. stay tuned and be ready to meet and mingle with us!

Startup School 2012, a New Adventure Awaits

After the success of the previous editions, Mind the Bridge is now receiving applications for the 2012 Startup School, which will take place in San Francisco from March 5th to March 23rd.

Having a precise business idea is not a requirement; all you need is a strong desire to create a technology startup company and a good English proficiency. The deadline is January 31, 2012.

The startup school program includes theoretic learning lessons taught by Silicon Valley personalities on the typical aspects a startup needs to take into account to scale its business.

Don’t worry, you won’t spend all your day taking notes. Our program also includes a practical learning workshop with team work, visits to Silicon Valley high tech companies, incubators and Universities. A full immersion in the life of a startup.

To learn more about the program, take a look at the Curriculum. And if you’re curious to know what our alumni have experienced, browse through our previous editions.

HOW TO APPLY

Send an email to startupschool@mindthebridge.org with your CV and business idea (optional) attached. A good level of English proficiency is required. After completing the application, you will be invited to take an English Test which is one of our main criteria for evaluating applicants.

COST

The tuition cost is $1,800. If you are under 30, Mind the Bridge Foundation could support up to 40% of the tuition cost, based on merit. The cost is not refundable and it doesn't include transportation and accommodation.

ACCOMMODATION

Mind the Bridge offers the availability of shared corporate apartments starting at $1,800 per month per person. Living with your peers is an important component of the school.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Apply by January 31, 2012. Limited availability.

The program will be only activated with a minimum number of 12 students.

Here you can find more information about the program.

Highlights from 2011