Support for 20 students thanks to the Friends of Bocconi’s American Fund

On October 24th in New York, at its first Benefit Gala, Friends of Bocconi, the charitable organization that promotes community and philanthropy activities for Bocconi alumni and friends in the US, was proud to announce that thanks to the generosity of donors and gala participants, its American Fund has reached more than one million dollars which will support 20 students, allowing each full exemption from academic tuition and fees.

Hosted by SAG Award-winning actress Beatrice Grannò, known for her role in HBO's “The White Lotus”, the Benefit Gala was dedicated to transforming the future of higher education through scholarships. The evening brought together Francesco Billari, Rector of Bocconi University; Riccardo Taranto, Managing Director of Bocconi University; Stefano Caselli, Dean of SDA Bocconi Business School; Antonella Carù, Dean for Development and Alumni relations; Maria Francesca Carli, President of Friends of Bocconi; Roberta Parodi and Stefanie Kasselakis Kyles, Friends of Bocconi board members; global business leaders; Bocconi alumni and key philanthropists, in support of the American Fund.

Speaking at the event, Francesco Billari, Rector of Bocconi University, emphasized that “Education is a social ladder, always. The positive repercussions of broadening access to university education are many. But what makes the difference, in education, from one social ladder to another one, is the distance between the point you start from and the one you arrive at. Bocconi, among the universities and with some other prestigious institutions, is a super-power elevator that brings you from the bottom to the top in much less than a lifetime. For all the young people looking for a way to change their lives and the whole world, we need to do something. Bocconi was born by an act of philanthropy, by its founder, Ferdinando Bocconi, in an act of love for his son, who passed away at a very young age. Ferdinando Bocconi decided to include from this very point in our statute that “the university would accept donations for scholarships “only if they would be aimed at students for merit and based on economical need”. It was 1902 – it's now 2024, and we are still fostering his vision, his dream, and his original act of love. I really thank all donors that - during this Benefit Gala – have participated actively and have showed students who need support that they have it –in the name of those little seeds planted for the future-- waiting to blossom, in the name of inclusivity, equity and diversity.”

Honorees of the evening included:

-  Diego Piacentini honored for consistently demonstrating talented leadership throughout his illustrious and richly varied professional life and for supporting, together with his wife, Monica, significant scholarships at Bocconi that have transformed the educational and life experiences of 88 Bocconi students. Diego remarked in his video message: “I'm very pleased to receive this award because Bocconi University has been one of the finest contributions to my professional career, but also to my personal life. Thanks to Bocconi and many other elements, I've been fortunate enough to work at very successful companies such as Amazon and I know that education is fundamental. We need to continue to invest in the future of our students, and to give back to these same institutions that made us who we are.”

- Silvia Candiani, Vice President of Telco & Media at Microsoft and President of Bocconi Alumni Community, Silvia has been celebrated for inspiring women to enter and thrive in the tech industry and in international careers, for maintaining a longstanding relationship with the University and energizing Bocconi Alumni around the world. Silvia underlined: “I endorse Bocconi’s programs to increase access to the valuable education it offers. I applaud the thoughtful and well-designed efforts of Bocconi leadership donor support for scholarships. As president of the Bocconi Alumni Community, I am deeply proud of the support that our members worldwide give to perspective deserving students through scholarships.”

- Emilia Fazzalari and Wyc Grousbeck, co-founders of the Grousbeck Fazzalari Foundation, honored for their extraordinary commitment to education and philanthropy, through their charitable foundation Giving Grousbeck Fazzalari Foundation for boldness and clarity of purpose in their wide-ranging philanthropy and for refusing to allow circumstantial limitations to stand in the way of achievement by establishing need-based scholarships at Bocconi for talented young women from Calabria. During the Gala, Emilia declared: “We want to inspire girls to dream big and help put them on a path where their dreams can become a reality and we chose to launch the project in Calabria to celebrate my family’s origins. We are putting forth over one million euros in Fondo Filantropico Italiano with the goal of awarding ten or more scholarships per year, including Bocconi University’s students. We want the girls to know that if they work hard and get good grades their dream is possible and there is a way.”