CEO of Solenica (solar energy startup)/Board Member, Global Shapers Rome, World Economic Forum/Mentor, Startup Weekend Rome

Diva’s Meridian Social Innovation Fellowship project, LOVE, ROMA will establish free Wi-Fi access across the city to engage citizens, including many immigrants, to foster social inclusion and economic recovery. The project was put on hold due to changes in the local government. In the meantime, Diva – together with the Rome hub of WEF’s Global Shapers community – opened Beyond the Walls of Rome, a photojournalism exhibition to explore how art can play a substantial part in enhancing social inclusion and foster integration.

Project Summary

Delayed due to changes in local government, LOVE, ROME’s ambitious programs include a concrete plan to distribute free Wi-Fi across the entire city, including downtown and the suburbs. The group also hopes to create an online portal where locals can engage with one another and with the Municipality directly. This website will open new channels of communication with the city’s administration, empowering its citizens to propose activities and projects that respond to local needs.

Goals

We are currently working to help the Municipality of Rome become the most inclusive administration in Italy. Ours is an inclusive way to approach problem-solving that does not relegate the voices of existing minorities to silence, but rather includes them in the process.

Achievements

While coping with setbacks for the LOVE, ROME project, Diva is working hard on a second project to achieve her goals for the Italian cultural hub. The Beyond the Walls of Rome photojournalism exhibition explored art's role in enhancing social inclusion and fostering integration. This contest challenged all citizens to pick up a camera and tell the story of Rome’s peripheral neighborhoods. Over 1000 photographs and 100 stories were submitted. An international panel has selected 14 winning stories which will be featured at MACRO, the Museum of Contemporary Art Rome.