L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS T h i s a s p e c t h a s a l s o b e e n h i g h l i g h t e d i n many of the events orga- nized by Sistema Italia, such as the Italian Space Day held on December 18. So, cinema, econo- my, but also space. Exactly. The Italian Space Day is one of the events we promoted in collaboration w i t h t h e I t a l i a n C u l t u r a l I n s t i t u t e t o p r e s e n t t h e r e s e a r c h a n d b u s i n e s s opportunities available in Southern California in the aerospace sector. We had the p l e a s u r e t o h o s t L a u r i e Leshin, the Director of JPL NASA, Virgin Galactic's Vice President Bandla, and Pro- fessor Iess from the Univer- sità La Sapienza. It was a highly stimulating experi- ence, that followed a signifi- cant economic and commer- cial promotional event, with the visit to Los Angeles of a delegation from 19 Italian aerospace companies led by the President of the Italian S p a c e A g e n c y , T e o d o r o Valente. In this context, there was another event, sup- ported by Sistema Italia, dedicated to Italian star- tups. What was its target audience, and what was the Consulate's role in it? The event was organized by the Los Angeles Office of t h e I t a l i a n T r a d e A g e n c y (ICE), which offered finan- cial support to ten Italian startups through an acceler- a t i o n p r o g r a m m e n a m e d G l o b a l S t a r t - U p P r o - gramme, created in collabo- ration with Plug and Play. The participating startups presented their ideas during a n e v e n i n g t h a t a t t r a c t e d both Italian entrepreneurs already active in the innova- tion sector, and investors l o o k i n g t o s u p p o r t n e w entrepreneurial projects. In this context, the Consulate worked to engage the exten- sive community of Italian researchers, scientists, and academics in Los Angeles and San Diego and to bridge two worlds that rarely inter- act. We aimed to create con- n e c t i o n s a n d n e t w o r k s t o build a more unified com- munity capable of enhanc- ing Italy's impact as a whole. L o o k i n g t o t h e y e a r ahead, what events are you particularly focused o n , a n d w h a t c a n y o u a l r e a d y t e l l u s a b o u t them? 2 0 2 4 h a s b e g u n u n d e r the best of auspices, with M a t t e o G a r r o n e ' s f i l m I o Capitano being nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film. Making it to the final five with this masterpiece from a true Italian talent is a l r e a d y a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y achievement, one that our country can be proud of. Throughout the year, we will offer the Los Angeles audience a diverse array of events and activities, includ- i n g t h e m a t i c e x h i b i t i o n s annually promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Coopera- tion, such as the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. This event always generates great enthusiasm and tradi- tionally takes place in the second half of November. Additionally, we will orga- nize days dedicated to Ital- ian excellence across various sectors, from Research and Made in Italy Day to Space D a y . A n o t h e r s i g n i f i c a n t event will be the Festa della Repubblica, which we will celebrate this year on June 3rd in an exclusive location. But the highlight everyone is e a g e r l y a n t i c i p a t i n g , a n d which will be the pinnacle e v e n t o f t h i s y e a r , i s t h e arrival of the training ship Amerigo Vespucci, docking at the Port of Los Angeles from July 1st to 6th. This will be an extraordinary and completely novel occasion for the city, awaited with great excitement. Can you tell us some- thing more about it? The Amerigo Vespucci is the oldest ship in the Italian Navy, embodying tradition, beauty, and innovation. It stands as the perfect symbol o f I t a l y a n d I t a l i a n n e s s , which we aim to share with the world. It set sail from Genoa on July 1, 2023, and will arrive in Los Angeles exactly one year later. We will celebrate its arrival with e v e n t s c u r r e n t l y b e i n g p l a n n e d i n c o o r d i n a t i o n with the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Min- i s t r y o f D e f e n s e , a n d a l l other relevant departments involved. The ship will be available for external view- ing, but onboard visits will also be arranged. For this occasion, we are also looking forward to the Frecce Tricolori's flyover in the skies of Los Angeles, an event not to be missed. It will be the zenith of our pro- gramming, and we are gen- uinely excited about this sig- nificant opportunity for Italy and all Italians. About her mission in LA, Consul General Valentini said: "My expectations were high, and they were not only met but exceeded. In Los Angeles, I found a dynamic environment and an extraordinary, supporting team" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 The Consul General with Katie Hobbs, Governor of Arizona, during her first visit to Phoenix, in March 2023 (Photo cour- tesy of the Consulate General of Italy, Los Angeles)

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