Francesco Martusciello – CEO
Full of omnivorous curiosity, he was able to transform his passions in different jobs. His scientific sake, based on his Chemistry studies, was integrated over time with business management concerning the food industry, and digital communication competences, acquired through a Master at IULM (Milan). He is the founder of ‘Grotta del Sole’ – innovative winery business of the Campania Region – and landmark for 25 years of the recovery of native vines of the area. In 1999, he founds an e-commerce company, the com2com.com – in partnership with Omnitel. Enthusiast of Netnography and Societing, he gave birth to Storytelling Meridiano, small agency operating in the field of digital communication. He is one of the founders of Rural Hub: his new path is Social Innovation in rural contexts.
Contact: francesco@ruralhub.it
Alex Giordano – President and Scientific Director
An Eclectic. As as a child, he plays with any communication technology (fax, photocopier, radio, modem); in 2000, he co-founds along with Mirko Pallera, the organization Ninja Marketing: the first blog/observatory concerned with unconventional marketing and social media.
Member of the IADAS (Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences of New York), author – with Mirko Pallera and Bernard Cova – of the book “Unconventional Marketing: viral, guerrilla, tribal and the 10 principles of postmodern marketing” (published by Il Sole 24 Ore), he currently deals with digital ethnography and anthropology; professor of Brand Reputation Management at the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”. From 2005 to 2010 he is strategic planner of the Digital Media Company NINJALAB, working on projects for companies such as: Google, RAI, MTV, Cantine Antinori, Saiwa, Diesel, Heineken, Barilla, Tim, Mulino Bianco, Vodafone and others. Advisory Board Member of the research project “Responsible Business in the Blogsphere” at the Center for Corporate Values of the Copenhagen Business School; Professor of Web Communication and Marketing at the Istituto Diplomatico of the MAE; scientific director of the International Forum on Marketing and Mediterranean Management (Ita-Fra research project, Euromed-Bocconi).
He is involved in the research group ‘’Societing’’ for creating an application model of Digital Etnography, bound to be used as basic methodology for Social Innovation projects.
Contact alex@ruralhub.it
Agostino Riitano – Project Manager
Agostino Riitano, cultural project manager since 2004; he deals with social innovation and urban regeneration through the enhancement of cultural heritage. In 2003, he founds Officine Efesti (association promoting contemporary arts in the Euro-Mediterranean area and pole of creative productions). Art director, since 2006, of Eruzioni Festival, Barock, Festival delle Culture Giovani and Trasparenze Festival: all projects dedicated to the creolisation of expressive languages in the contemporary urban cultures. In 2010, in Bassano del Grappa, he co-founds C.Re.S.Co – Coordination of Realities of the Contemporary Scene. As follow up of an international cooperation project (Italo-Serbian), in Novi Sad, along with the Teatro dei Venti, he co-founds the Teatar Libero contemporary performing art company.
Between 2011 and 2013 he experiences a glocal approach to the development of Mediterranean smart cities working along with L’Altra Napoli Onlus on a project involving the Rione Sanità in the city of Naples. He is general manager of ‘’Societing’’, independent research center working on social innovation. He collaborates with university departments and Italian and foreign institutes of culture.
Contact: agostino@ruralhub.it
Gennaro Fontanarosa – Chief Communication Officer
Born and raised in the province of Naples: that’s where he got his temperament from, along with his intense love for simplicity and traditional culture. Since 2011, he works with an informal research group of the Accademia Mediterranea di Societing – of which he is editor & media executive; he also deals with the design of educational events. He graduated in Communication Sciences at the University of Salerno with a thesis on Societing and the potential use of the web for promoting social innovation processes. Curious man and compulsive reader, Social Innovation lover, he is trying to make of his work the mission of his life.
Contact: gennaro@ruralhub.it
Michele Sica – Researcer – Farmer 2.0
Born in Salerno in 1986. He spent his first 19 years in the shadow of the ancient chestnut trees surrounding the small town of Calvanico. As a teenager, he actively participates to the social life of his town: he co-founds the magazine “Futuraga” – published by the association “Amici di Calvanico”. In those same years he is elected Vice-President of the Association, with responsibility for the Organizational Leadership of the event “Festa del Boscaiolo” – 2007-2009. After a post-baccalaureate Tuscan period, he studies Marketing and Institutional Communication at the University of Salerno. In 2011, he graduates with a thesis in Philosophy of Language; at the same time, he enrolls in a Master in Rome in Non Conventional Marketing + Social Media Marketing. In August 2011, he participates to the 2nd edition of the Societing Summer School and participates to a Digital Ethnography Weekend (Augmented). Since June 2011, he deals with Web Marketing: SEO, SEM and Social Media Marketing for the Rome-based company I-Node. At the same time, he starts a fruitful collaboration with the Proloco of Caselle in Pittari in Cilento. Thus came to life, in 2012, the project called #Campdigrano: a week of rural literacy and social innovation. In the same year, as part of the third Societing Summer School, he is creator and curator of a study: ‘’Glocal Solutions: O ‘Catuozzo’’ – an ancient method of coal. By the end of the year 2012, he quits his Web Marketing job to return to Calvanico and attend a full-time project of contemporary rural action, called ‘OpenBosco’.
Contact: michele@ruralhub.it
