Running a business in contemporary gelato

Born in Brianza and trained in Banking and Finance at Bocconi, Alessandro Trezza left a career in private banking to devote himself to food and wine. With Monia and Fabio Solighetto he developed L’Albero dei Gelati, from Brianza to Brazil and Brooklyn. The project puts farmers, seasonality, inclusion and waste reduction at its heart, and also experiments with edible tapioca containers. In New York he also works in Italian restaurants and natural wines.

Simone De Feo is an Italian master gelato maker and baker, founder and soul of the celebrated Cremeria Capolinea in Reggio Emilia. A former IT professional with a passion for gastronomy, in his thirties he decided to leave computers for the art of gelato: in 2010, with his partner Monica Fantuzzi, he opened the Cremeria Capolinea. His approach combines the scientific rigour of his earlier training with an ethical, meticulous search for raw materials: no semi-finished products or artificial colourings, a short supply chain, organic fruit, and nuts and cocoa roasted in-house. Alongside gelato he has developed an outstanding production of sourdough panettoni and colombe, now considered among the best in Italy. Since 2017 his gelateria has consistently held Gambero Rosso's Three Cones. Today De Feo pairs the workshop with teaching contemporary gelato making (including at ALMA) and is co-author of the book Gelati (Tommasi Editore).

Originally from Fano, Antonio Luzi graduated from Bocconi in 1997 and completed a master’s degree in Copenhagen. After working in banking, in 2006 he opened a gelateria in the Marche with his wife Paola. He trained at La Bottega del Gelato in Milan and has deepened his knowledge of gelato, chocolate, leavened products and wine tasting. A teacher at ALMA, he researches flavours linked to the Marche and a balance between intensity, lightness and structure.

Sicilian, a professional since 1979, Carlo Ottaviano writes the weekly taste page for Il Messaggero and covers the economics of the food and wine sector. He contributes to La Cucina Italiana and edits the column on books about food and farming culture for the monthly Leggere:Tutti. In the sector he has, among other things, directed Vie del Gusto, Il Gambero Rosso and the annual Food&Book festival in Montecatini. He is author or co-author of Olio nostrum (2016), Mani in pasta (2018), I luoghi e i racconti più strani della Sicilia (2019) and of many contributions to essays and anthologies. His awards include the Foreign Press in Italy prize as best populariser in 2020 and the Italian Academy of Cuisine's best food-and-wine journalist in 2019. Before specialising in agri-food, he worked in newspapers and television in Catania, Rome and Milan, almost always in management roles, and in corporate communication.