Alberto Onetti
Alberto Onetti
© 2025 Alberto Onetti
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Nosce Te Ipsum.
What?
Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.
— JOHN LENNON
WHO I AM
I am inherently curious and genetically drawn to challenges: the more complex they are, the more they intrigue me.
When given the choice between mastering something I already know and learning—even by failing—something new, I almost always choose the latter..
I’m constantly on the move, splitting my time between Europe and the U.S., building bridges—between different ecosystems, between business and innovation, between tradition and evolution, between the old and the new.
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I work with startups because I’ve been in their shoes
I have lived the startup journey firsthand, from the start all the way to the exit.
I know what it means to fail and rebuild, to ride the highs and weather the lows. I know that mix of adrenaline and fear that accompanies every choice.
It is there, in that creative chaos, that the truest ideas are born.
And it is there that I have chosen to stay.
WHAT DO I DO?
Many things, probably one too many.
Since 2009
I have been Chairman of Mind the Bridge, headquartered in California. Through Mind the Bridge, we work at the intersection of startups and corporations, driven by the belief that the growth and sustainability of countries depend on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation
In 2014
the European Commission selected me to lead Startup Europe Partnership (SEP), the first integrated open innovation platform designed to connect large corporations and startups.
Among my entrepreneurial ventures, I founded Funambol, a mobile cloud company headquartered in Silicon Valley with R&D centers in Europe. It was the first Italian startup to raise funding from Silicon Valley VCs (later exited to US software giant Point Wild).
I am Full Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at the Insubria University in Varese, and Adjunct Professor at IE Business School in Madrid (as mentioned, one too many : ).
I believe in giving back
That’s why I teach Entrepreneurship and Management at the
University of Insubria, sharing what I've along the way.
WHERE TO FIND ME?
FOLLOW ME
Chasing me?
Start here
Most likely in an airport lounge.
I’m frequently invited as a keynote speaker and panelist at international conferences, and I contribute to publications such as Sifted - Financial Times, EconomyUp,
and Crunchbase News.
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THE STORY OF MY LIFE
Despite the uncertainty, I still believe in the importance of having a plan.
As Peter Thiel puts it:
“Sometimes things work out without a plan. But there’s also a lot of failure. Winning without a plan is like hitting the jackpot—most people don’t. If you want to have as much control as possible, you need to plan.”
In my TEDx talk, I explored a fundamental question: Nosce te Ipsum—Know Yourself.
It led me to reflect—what’s the value of making plans in a world that changes so fast and so profoundly?
That said, don’t get too attached to your plans. Be ready to adapt, pivot, and embrace the unexpected. You might just find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Because in the end...
Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.
The answer
you'll find in the video
Our weekly appointment
with Innovation
For a couple of years, together with Giovanni Iozzia, every Saturday morning we comment on the main news about innovation, startups, and technology. The episodes are broadcasted via video streaming on LinkedIn and made available as podcast on the main platforms
LISTEN TO US ON
