Building on her background in research and as CEO of a biotech start-up, Chiara Giovenzana – a member of Aspen Institute Italia’s “Italian talent abroad” group – is now working on launching a new project called Startup Homes. In the interview that follows, she explains how this network of houses will provide a shared working and networking space for globetrotting startuppers to help break down barriers and foster the emergence of innovative ideas.
What is Startup Homes and how did the idea come about?
The idea of creating a network of houses for young entrepreneurs grew out of having firsthand experience with the needs of Silicon Valley startuppers last summer in Palo Alto. Sharing a large space like a villa with a dozen people can not only be cheaper than renting an apartment but also become a great vehicle for work. It’s an environment in which the potential of entrepreneurs living and working together can blossom, even to point of investors coming on board. And it’s natural that when you find yourself sitting at a table eating breakfast together, barriers come down, enabling the best ideas and excellent business opportunities to emerge.
Does this experience translate outside of Silicon Valley?
Definitely. The idea is to extend it to other existing houses in the United States and then expand the network by establishing homes in new locations: besides San Diego, San Francisco and New York, I’m thinking of Berlin, Barcelona, and there’s no reason why there shouldn’t also be one in Italy. There are considerable potential gains: startup homes can not only offer hotel-standard accommodation for entrepreneurs and investors, but can also serve as both incubators and venues for events and business meetings. For example, our villa in Palo Alto – which is just the first of the project’s houses – hosts an event a week, ranging from the big Singularity University party, to invitation-only dinners like the one held for members of the Atlantic Council think tank.
What has been the response to your project from startuppers? Do you think an initiative like this could take off in Italy?
The response has been enthusiastic, so much so that at the moment we have a waiting list for membership. This network of houses will allow even those looking to establish a startup outside Silicon Valley, a breeding ground for innovative companies, to have a place to work and base themselves for a time in the United States, while tapping into the contacts and opportunities offered by the network. Startup Homes is ultimately an idea which sits well within the share economy model that is catching on throughout the world, and which I think could take off even in Italy. In fact, there are encouraging signs on the startup front in our country.
You’ve gone from being a researcher to an entrepreneur. What made you change career direction?
I studied medical biotechnology in Modena and got my doctorate in molecular biology and biotechnology in Ferrara. After a number of experiences as a researcher in Europe and the United States, I was convinced I was on the way to becoming a “lab rat” for life. But a Fulbright BEST scholarship brought me over to Silicon Valley to attend courses in technology entrepreneurship for six months. When I got back home, the idea of setting up a business seemed too exciting a prospect to pass up. The opportunity came from the University of Basel, where I had done my post-doctorate studies. They wanted to create a company called Cellec Biotek to commercialize a patent for a bioreactor, a device used to produce biological substances, and they thought I was the right person to head it up. Now, even though it involves making frequent trips, I’ve come back to Silicon Valley for the new Startup Homes project, because in the end, it’s only from here that a network of places for world players in innovation to live and interact can get off the ground.
