About
About a tight knit team with a passion.
A management consulting firm, providing business advices to startups and young enterprises. We operate at the intersection of fashion and technology industries.
As Fashion Technology Accelerator Milan, we are part of an international network.
In 2012, the first FTA office was opened in Redwood City, in the heart of Silicon Valley, founded by a group of fashion and technology entrepreneurs with 25 years of experience in the industry.
In 2013, after a year of rapid growth, we decided to expand globally, setting up two additional offices, in Milan and Seoul respectively.
In 2018, we have been selected by Hatcher + as their global partner to invest in fashion technology startups.
In Milan, we collaborate closely with FTA Silicon Valley. This enables us to bring in international expertise regarding investments, fundraising, and technology. On the other hand, FTA Seoul provides expertise in accessing emerging markets. Being highly industry-specific and having an international reach, we can provide the best acceleration consulting for fashion tech startups, assisting our clients in all aspects of achieving growth and valorization of their companies.
Paolo has been a member of the boards of investment companies, banks, and fund management companies. A former Executive Manager of important Italian banks, including Banco di Napoli and Banco di Sicilia, in addition to CEO of Diners Club Europe, Paolo is the Founder and CEO of Captha, which provides training in the banking and financing sector, and Novenero, a corporate finance advisory company. He has a degree in Economics from the University of Siena.
Former Gucci Board member. Advisor and investor in fashion and technology start-ups. Executive at Gucci, Fiat, and PA Consulting Group in New York, Turin and London. Enrico holds an MBA from the University of Stirling in Scotland (UK) and a PhD in Business Science from Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, in England (UK)
Giusy has 10 years experience in the investment and startups area. She has been Investment Manager at Italian Angels for Growth, business angels network with 14M€ invested. Previously, she was innovation specialist at in Intesa Sanpaolo bank, running a program which supports business development of tech start-ups. Earlier, she had working experience in the United States working first as Researcher at the Kauffman Foundation then at the Mind the Bridge as coordinator of the incubation program in San Francisco. She has also been involved in consultancy projects to develop entrepreneurial ecosystem in different countries. She is lecturer at the major Italian Fashion Schools such as Istituto Marangoni and Domus Academy.
Marco has in-depth expertise in data analysis and project management, having worked with companies from early-stage startups to medium sized international businesses. He has been the Project Manager for an Italian business plan competition (Start Cup Milano Lombardia) dedicated to early stage startups and has experience in management consulting, primarily working on data analysis and business development with SMEs and startups. He is a lecturer at fashion institutions such as Domus Academy and Istituto Marangoni. He is also the co-founder of Activators Pavia, an association of tech and business enthusiasts promoting innovation at all levels.
Francesco has 12+ years of experience in sales and marketing, focusing especially on sportswear and streetwear. He is the founder and Senior Digital Strategist of the web lifestyle project strettoblaster.com and has been the Managing Director of the Italian branch of Marc Ecko for 6 years. He has also worked as Country Manager for New Era Cap, and for Nike’s branding activities.
Our Advisory Board
Fashion Technology Accelerator has built its advisor board consisting of executive profiles who are experts in the fashion, technology and entrepreneurship sectors.
The board also states the important relationship between FTA and the corporate world.
The board will be able to provide greater skills, capabilities and critical eye during the operations of recruiting and selection of promising new startups.
Born in 1971, after his university education and the international experience Ercole joins Reda, which is now at the fourth generation, and from 2005 he took the responsibility upon himself becoming the new ceo of the wool factory. During the early years he held different positions: from production to marketing, from new business to design where he has learnt all the details of this job. Strongly attached to his region, like Reda’s woollen fabrics, he would like to improve the idea of an ethical factory, strongly connected to the quality of the product and, at the same time, to the respect of the human relationships, of the environment and, last but not the least, of the tradition. All these elements let Reda’s brand strengthen its position in the world market, becoming today synonymous of luxury and made in Italy.
Gabriele Tazzari leads Research & Development at YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP. He is in charge of product evolution strategy and innovation adoption, focusing particularly on product design and personalisation, apps, mobility, rapid prototyping techniques and technology organisation. Tazzari began his professional career at Nexus as Area Manager and in 2000 joined YOOX S.p.A. as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the then nascent business. As CTO, Gabriele built and grew the Technology capacities leading a team of several hundred technologists, setting the baseline of the global e-commerce platform covering Europe, US, Japan and China. From 2011, he started focusing on Innovation as Governance and Innovation Director, working on software performance, scalability, automation and governance models to support the fast-paced growth of software applications and infrastructures. He took on his current role in 2015 and joined the Advisory Board of Fashion Technology Accelerator Milano in January 2018. Tazzari graduated in electronic engineering from Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna.
Giuseppe Miroglio is the President of the Miroglio Group. He has been the CEO of the group from December 2006 to July 2013. He is also the President of Miroglio Textile, Vice-President of Miroglio Fashion and of the Joint Venture Ayaydin-Miroglio. He has started his career in Miroglio in 1997 in London, supervising the activities of Miroglio Fashion UK. During this period he has personally contributed to the development of the sales network of Miroglio, strengthening business ties with the most important department stores of the UK. Two years later, he has become part of the Board of Directors of Miroglio S.p.A. In 1999, he has started the development of the retail activities of Elena Mirò, one of the most prominent brands of the group. In 2003, he has become the Managing Director of Miroglio Fashion, focusing his attention on the brand strategy of the company brands’. He is currently a shareholder and part of the Board of H-Farm, RCR Cristalleria Italiana, Egea and APRO. He was born on the 4th of April in 1972 in Turin and he has graduated in Business at the Cattolica University in Milan.
Widely known as H., she is a well-recognised brand advisor and strategic consultant, bringing out the best of companies’ key assets, shaping them to better fit the present and future. She starts her career in the financial world passing through the fundraising and non-profit sectors, then landing in the luxury industry. She also worked as Head of Operations for the luxury concierge company Quintessentially and as PR in companies worldwide.
Marco Palmieri starts his career in IT while still an engineering student and at the age of twenty he founds Mediacom, a company specializing in optical and computer systems applied to process controls. In 1987 he starts Piquadro and, after ten years’ production on behalf of prestigious Italian brands, he decides to dedicate himself to leatherware by creating the Piquadro brand and launching it on the Italian market. In 2007 he oversees the placement of Piquadro shares on the Italian Stock Exchange, where they are still listed. In 2016 he signs the acquisition of the Florentine leather goods brand The Bridge, creating a Group of around 100 million euros in turnover. Marco Palmieri’s great sensitivity for the discovery of new talents drives him to create in 2005 Piqubo S.p.A, an investment company that is mainly involved in financing new entrepreneurial activities. With the same purpose, in 2017 Palmieri launches Piquadro MyStartup Funding Program, an open innovation project which promotes innovation and enterprise by rewarding the best business ideas in the area of technology applied to the luggage and fashion accessories industry and rewards the best business idea with 100,000 euros and an acceleration path in Silicon Valley.
Stefano is CEO and co-founder of Milano Investment Partners SGR, the first venture growth / expansion capital fund focused on Italian scale-up companie. He is co-founder and former CEO of U-Start, a consulting firm offering services to private investors, family offices, HNWI and corporates. The company create club deals through private investors. Stefano is also advisor of many startup around Europe and collaborates with various Early Stage VC Funds in Italy, UK, Switzerland and Germany. He has also dealt with strategy consulting and international marketing with a specific focus on the digital and renewable energy sectors. He has created the widest accelerator network in Africa during his collaboration with ALTIS.
