Cara Milano...

Quando si capisce il valore delle cose? Purtroppo, spesso, quando non le si hanno piu`. E delle citta`? Quando si percepisce il valore di dove si vive?

Sono andata via da Milano, mia citta` per 25 dei miei allora 27 anni, nell` ottobre 2007, un`offerta di lavoro a Londra, "...parto ma sto via solo un paio d`anni, seguo un`opportunita` di lavoro..." poi tre anni, "ma torno!", non si rinuncia cosi` al marocchino e al corriere alla mattina, al tuo barista, al Duomo e all`"ape" in Corso Sempione..., a poter vedere i propri genitori e amici di una vita quando si vuole (i genitori!! quanto valgono? Non esiste valore per loro, troppo alto! Ripenso a come mi hanno salutata a Malpensa quel 5 Ottobre di 8 anni fa, sapevano molto piu` di quanto sapessi io...) poi un nuovo ruolo, poi incontro il mio vicino di casa a Notting Hill, ci spostiamo a Zurigo...and the rest is history.

Nuovo ruolo in una grande azienda, ci sposiamo, arrivano cost center nr 1 e cost center nr 2 (thanks Mrs Moneypenny), rispettivamente 3 anni e 7 mesi e, lo sappiamo, la prospettiva cambia e per ora Milano e` casa, anche se non quella dove vivo, ed e` un "energy top up" dove tornare una volta al mese. Chi l`avrebbe mai detto che sarei dovuta andare via per poterla apprezzare cosi` tanto?

Ma Lei, Lei rimane sempre nel cuore. Anzi. Sara` che il passato in qualche modo si idealizza, sara` che da lontano sembra ancora piu` bella.... Insomma noi italiani a volte abbiamo nel DNA quello che gli inglesi chiamano "whining", pagniucolare, lamentarsi di continuo ignorando i lati positivi della faccenda. E invece, specialmente quando si tratta di Milano, dobbiamo ricordarci che una citta` del genere non "capita", una citta` cosi bella, cosi europea, che nel giro di pochi decenni e` passata da "industriale e grigia" a capitale della moda, del design, della vita si` dolce ma produttiva, una citta` che ad oggi sta al passo con le altre grandi capitali europee, da Parigi a Francoforte a Vienna, una citta` cosi` la si crea giorno per giorno. Milano da` lezioni di vita alle cugine europee, fine e silenziosa.  

Il due maggio 2015, ventimila cittadini sono scesi nelle strade con lo slogan "Milano non si tocca", hanno dedicato la loro domenica a pulire la loro citta` dopo i danni dei No Expo all`apertura del 1 maggio 2015. Che esempio di civilta`, che orgoglio. Siamo il fiore all`occhiello di un` Europa che inizia a muovere solo adesso i primi veri passi. 

Quali altre citta` avrebbero dato questo esempio di umilita` e orgoglio? Da cittadina italiana ed europea, credo, nessuna. 

Ecco due articoli interessanti di repubblica e del corriere. Cara Milano, ci vediamo nel weekend, i miei bimbi, anche se meta` tedeschi e svizzeri di nascita, devono sentirsi a casa anche nelle tue strade. Riconoscere i tuoi tesori, il tuo ritmo e la tua storia. 

Il mio piccolo treenne durante la nostra ultima colazione al bar lo scorso ottobre, ha ordinato un "mini cappuccio e briosche please", mission accomplished?

M.

P.S. 32 reasons to never visit Milan - Milan in the middle of the future - FT: the city reinassance

Next World's Fair: Expo 2015, Milan

So what is an Expo? What can we expect from the next World Exhibition? A little bit of history first. On November 23, 2010, the event was officially announced by the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE). The BIE General Assembly in Paris decided in favour of the Milanese candidature on March 31, 2008. The Expo Committee later chose that the event will be held under the theme Feeding the planet, energy for life.

Expo 2015 is the next scheduled Universal Exposition after Expo 2012, and will be hosted by Milan, Italy, between 1 May and 31 October 2015. This will be the second time Milan hosts the exposition, the first being the Milan International of 1906.

`The Expo will explore the theme "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life" and is expected to attract over 20 million visitors to its 1.1 million square meters of exhibition area. Over the six-month period, Milan will become a global showcase where more than 140 participating countries will show the best of their technology that offers a concrete answer to a vital need: being able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the Planet and its equilibrium.` Read more here. 

As I am planning to visit the Expo with my family, I tried to understand whether this is an event that children can also enjoy and learn from. Turns out the organizers did plan in great detail on this too, here is what I have found:

Expo & Children: TheChildren`s Park

The Children’s Park is designed as a forest, housing eight installations, each inspired by the theme. Sabina Cantarelli has curated the Children`s Park project and creation.

Sabina, can you give us three reasons to visit?

Three main reasons to visit the park are the setting, the games and the interaction. Firstly, Expo Milano 2015 aims to offer children a place where they can learn and have fun at the same time. Secondly, the Children’s Park is packed full of games and activities to get children actively involved. Lastly, it provides a wonderful opportunity to develop relationships through the installations, where they are encouraged to interact with others.

What is your vision of the future?

The concept of the Children’s Park is that only through the knowledge of others and the environment and by working together can we solve some of the major challenges that the planet is facing. It’s a powerful message delivered in a powerful setting. (Content by expo2015.org)

Milan – Zurich with SBB:  Milan is only 280 km away from Zurich and from 2017 SBB and Trenitalia will launch the new fast train that will cover that distance in 2 hours. Until then, direct trains run daily every two hours from Zurich HB and will get you to Stazione Centrale in just under 4 hours. A quick cab ride will take you to the city center. Here more details to plan your trip. 

Expo Prices: Two adults one child, open ticket 69 €, one adult open ticket 32€.

Most sought after pavilions: Rumour has it that a few pavilions, with their exhibitions and events, will be a once in a life time must attend: United Arab Emirates, China, Italy, France, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, UK, Switzerland, Czech Republic.

What to do in Milan:

Over the years many friends and colleagues have asked me what to do and where to go while visiting Milan. Here is a quick snapshot of what I would recommend doing in my home town (yes, including the shopping!). 

And here an interesting article (in Italian) with a list if 10 `secret` beauties in the city. 

Enjoy and don`t forget to share your experience!

Milano in pillole

Over the years many friends and colleagues have asked me what to do and where to go while visiting Milan. Here is a quick snapshot of what I would recommend doing in my hometown.

Hotels and flats in Milan:

I suggest to stay close to the Duomo - the Cathedral area (via Dante, Duomo, Cairoli, S.Babila, Sempione), it's the main central pedestrian area and every other central area you want to get to is close either with trams or metro or with a short cab ride. For hotels and short flat rentals, www.airbnb.com and booking.com are the best bets.

If you are up for a treat, I can recommend the Magna pars suites, Hotel Château Monfort or Armani hotel.

Shopping in Milan

For a good shopping centre I suggest "La Rinascente" (think Selfridges in London) it’s by Duomo, at the end of via Dante. This is also a shopping area, there are many high street chains and high-end boutiques around Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and San Babila. Don`t forget to go for a quick walk in Via Montenapoleone (THE shopping street :), think New Bond street in London, so the likes of Gucci, Armani, Ralph Lauren, and so on will be all there.

Other shopping areas are Corso Vercelli, where you will find shoe makers that have hand-made tailored leather shoes for over 100 years - many politicians and show business crowds can be seen shopping nearby, and Corso Magenta, a less historical but interesting area where to go for an afternoon shopping stroll.

As for outlets, there is a big one an hour drive from Milan, it’s called Serravalle outlet, if you like high end outlets, you will totally enjoy this Italian brands-packed one! :)

The Area of Sant’ Ambrogio is quite nice for a stroll and so is Navigli (the Canal area designed by Leonardo da Vinci , packed with little cute bars) and Brera, quite posh artistic area with many good restaurants, bars and tons of interesting artsy shops.

Pinacoteca di Brera is also a very nice art gallery. The other must-visit in Milan belongs to Leonardo da Vinci, the Last Supper (L'ultima cena), to visit this you will need to book online months before ...the queue can be painfully long.

Also don`t miss a quick hike up the Duomo (or cheat and get the elevator!) for breathtaking views and the Torre Branca, the high tower in the middle of Parco Sempione.

Drinks and Food in Milan

Milano is quite famous for its “aperitivo”, a Milanese version of the happy hour, that means that it’s plenty of fashion bars and lounge bars that offer mouth watering buffets, very good quality food mostly, free if you have drinks. Here are my favourite ones:

In the area of Corso Sempione, Arco della Pace area- 'my area' ;-) 

• Living  (best for aperitivo, especially if you can sit outside facing the park and the arch, and don`t miss the Sauvignon Blanc Specogna from Friuli, our favourite!)
• Deseo  (great for Sunday morning brunch)
• Milano (via Procaccini, 37, nice aperitivo big bar if the weather lets you down this is a good place) 
• Bar Bianco (in the middle of the park Sempione, open only in summer)
• 10 Corso Como (very nice bar for a quick drink while you are around the shops, Corso Como 10 is also a famous shop itself)

Don`t forget to go for an evening stroll to the Navigli area and choose a nice bar that inspires you.

Public transport can be pretty efficient and famous are the historic trans of Milan, don’t miss a chance to ride them. Taxis are the other obvious choice to move around, remember to memorise the cab number or code you are given on the phone. The companies I use are 0039 026969, 0039 02 8585 or 0039 024040. 

As for food, a few restaurants I can highly recommend:

• Salsamenteria Verdiana
• Papermoon
• La Torre di Pisa
• Pane e Acqua
• Shambala
• 4cento
• La Taverna dei Golosi
• Osteria Cavallini
• Officina 12
• Da Giacomo Arengario (breathtaking views of the Duomo)
• Cracco
• Savini

Don’t forget to check out the Brera area too, there are so many cute restaurants there. If you are around the Duomo area at lunchtime be adventurous and try a “panzerotto di Luini”. Luini started off as a bakery and now makes the best panzerotto (small calzone) in town, people queue there every day of the week.

For sushi in Milan try Nu, Trussardi or Finger.

If you are looking for a family friendly restaurant I suggest Pollicino but generally, except the very posh places, most restaurants will be happy to have children and offer children menus and highchairs, especially for lunch or early dinners. Just let them know before you reserve.

In general, for any tips on family friendly places in Milan, and activities, have a look on mumadvisor.

Are you into theater, operas, ballet? Then don`t miss a night at Teatro alla Scala, a world-renowned opera house right behind the Duomo. 

Last but not least, if you are visiting between May and October 2015, don`t miss out on Expo 2015, the next world`s fair!

Divertiti!  

Crowdfunding, would it work for you?

While discussing the stock market over dinner recently, John Mackey, the Founder and CEO of Whole Foods said unequivocally: "I wish crowdfunding had been around when I started Whole Foods." (full article here) 

As I have not been living (sadly) on a desert island for the past few years, I have heard  and read many stories about crowdfunding, but what is it in actual facts and could it be something worth trying for the many future entrepreneurs out there? Could it work for a small start up? An online shop? How do I go about it?

The clinical definition given by Wikipedia is the following:

`Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, typically via the internet. One early-stage equity expert described it as “the practice of raising funds from two or more people over the internet towards a common Service, Project, Product, Investment, Cause, and Experience, or SPPICE.”

The crowdfunding model is fueled by three types of actors: the project initiator who proposes the idea and/or project to be funded; individuals or groups who support the idea; and a moderating organization (the "platform") that brings the parties together to launch the idea. In 2013, the crowdfunding industry grew to be over $5.1 billion worldwide.`

So in other words, anyone with an interesting idea and a good business plan could raise funds via one of the many online platforms. There are dozens of crowdfunding websites that have been popping up recently so it takes a little bit of research to understand which are the real communities that have funding successes under their belt.

ChanceBarnett, CEO of Crowdfunder, shares his advice:

There are 2 main models or types of crowdfunding. The first is what’s called donation-based funding. The birth of crowdfunding has come through this model, where funders donate via a collaborative goal based process in return for products, perks or rewards.

The second and more recent model is investment crowdfunding, where businesses seeking capital sell ownership stakes online in the form of equity or debt. In this model, individuals who fund become owners or shareholders and have a potential for financial return, unlike in the donation model.

Crowdfunding sites to choose from

Below is a list of crowdfunding sites that have different models and focuses. This list can help you find the right place for your crowdfunding goals and needs.

1. Kickstarter
Kickstarter is a site where creative projects raise donation-based funding. These projects can range from new creative products, like an art installation, to a cool watch, to pre-selling a music album. It’s not for businesses, causes, charities, or personal financing needs. Kickstarter is one of the earlier platforms, and has experienced strong growth and many break-out large campaigns in the last few years.

2. Indiegogo
While Kickstarter maintains a tighter focus and curates the creative projects approved on its site, Indiegogo approves donation-based fundraising campaigns for most anything — music, hobbyists, personal finance needs, charities and whatever else you could think of (except investment). 

3. Crowdfunder
Crowdfunder.com is the platform for raising investment (not rewards), and has a one of the largest and fastest growing network of investors. It was recently featured on Fox News as the new breed of crowdfunding due to the story about a $2 Billion exit of a crowdfunded company.

4. RocketHub
Rockethub powers donation-based funding for a wide variety of creative projects.

What’s unique about RocketHub is their FuelPad and LaunchPad programs that help campaign owners and potential promotion and marketing partners connect and collaborate for the success of a campaign.

5. Crowdrise
Crowdrise is a place for donation-based funding for Causes and Charity. They’ve attracted a community of do-gooders and and fund all kinds of inspiring causes and needs.

A unique Points System on Crowdrise helps track and reveal how much charitable impact members and organizations are making.

6. Tilt
Tilt (formerly CrowdTilt) is the rewards-based crowdfunding solution for groups and communities to pool their dollars and raise money together. As the company explains, a key differentiator of Tilt is the leaned-down or ”simplified” experience relative to other rewards-based platforms. The average campaign size on Tilt was $1,650 as of July 2014 – smaller than that of other rewards-based platforms.

7. appbackr
If you want to build the next new mobile app and are seeking donation-based funding to get things off the ground or growing, then check out appbackr and their niche community for mobile app development.

8. AngelList
If you’re a tech startup with a shiny lead investor already signed on, or looking for Silicon Valley momentum, then there are angels and institutions finding investments through AngelList.

9. Invested.in
You might want to create your own crowdfunding community to support donation-based fundraising for a specific group or niche in the market.

10. Quirky
If you’re an inventor, maker, or tinkerer of some kind then Quirky is a place to collaborate and crowdfund for donation-based funding with a community of other like-minded folks.

These 10 crowdfunding sites cover most campaign types or funding goals you might have. Whether you’re looking to fundraise or not, go check out the sites here that grab your attention and get involved in this collaborative community.

(source: forbes.com) 

For more names and the latest updated list of communities, take a look at: crowdfunding.com 

`Sibylle Stoeckli, a young industrial designer from Lausanne, successfully financed her Global Design Research field project thanks to wemakeit.ch. Her target of CHF10,000 was reached within 30 days and she is currently on a mission to compare the criteria of design sustainability from five continents.

“I would never have been able to finance this project otherwise,” she told swissinfo.ch in a phone call from Asia where she is completing the first leg of her research.`

Learn the full article and more about crowdfunding in Switzerland, `Swiss join the crowdfunding craze`

More success stories? `10 Crowdfunding success stories to love` 

So is your business plan ready yet?

M.