ELLE Active 2025

The future is not awaited, it is invented. And to build a society where everyone can enjoy equal opportunities, it is necessary to look ahead with vision and determination. Women&Tech ETS® is participating in the 2025 edition of Elle Active, Elle’s major forum on work and women empowerment, scheduled for November 8 and 9 at the Catholic University of Milan and online, which celebrates its tenth anniversary with the theme NEXT: perspectives, possibilities, and concrete proposals to fully enhance women’s talent and provide space for the professionals of the near future.

Women&Tech ETS® will be featured on Sunday, November 9 at 3:00 PM in a masterclass with the emblematic title: "Next is now: the best way to predict the future is to invent it". An invitation to transform vision into action, facing the challenges of the present with courage and innovation to shape the tomorrow we desire.

The meeting will feature women leaders who, through their professional experiences in different but complementary sectors, embody this proactive approach to innovation: Maria Ameli, Head of Wealth Advisory at Banca Generali, Maria Grazia Bizzarri, Chief Human Resources & Facility Officer at ItaliaOnline S.p.A., Valentina Goglio, Senior Manager at Management Academy POLIMI Graduate School of Management, Maria Francesca Madrigrano, Local Division Manager Measurement & Analytics and Factory General Manager at ABB Italy, Gianna Martinengo, Founder & CEO of Didael KTS and President of Women&Tech® ETS, and Giulia Suarato, Researcher at CNR-IEIIT, Institute of Electronics and Information and Telecommunications Engineering of the National Research Council.

The members of Women&Tech® ETS will also be key participants in the mentoring sessions scheduled during the forum (Saturday 8 from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM), offering young professionals a valuable exchange of knowledge, experiences, and advice. Mentoring represents a fundamental lever for female empowerment and to promote intergenerational dialogue, creating bridges between the established skills of senior professionals and the innovative perspectives of new generations.

This year, 12 members of Women&Tech® will offer their experience in one-to-one meetings, providing concrete support on topics such as career progression, work-life balance, the development of strategic skills, and entry into high-tech sectors. Among the mentors: Valentina Goglio (POLIMI), Gabriella Arba and Giorgia Arus (Banca Generali), Beata Brozek (Skills For Health), Alessia Faiola and Alessandra Naso (Dassault Systèmes), Francesca Fossi (Fastweb + Vodafone), Monica Magnoni (Rocket Sharing Company), Daniela Maira, Alessandra Rossella Mercuri (Italiaonline), Stefania Pesola (TeamSystem), and Beatrice Roberti (ABB Italia).

Mentoring, particularly in its intergenerational and "reverse" dimension (reverse mentoring), allows for breaking down age barriers and creating a virtuous circle of mutual growth: young professionals bring advanced digital skills, a flexible mindset, and innovative problem-solving approaches, while senior mentors offer strategic vision, consolidated experience, and the ability to navigate organizational complexities.

This two-way exchange is essential to building the future of work: a future that values generational, gender, and thought diversity as drivers of innovation and sustainable growth. As highlighted by research on women in the technology sector, the dialogue between generations allows for the identification of concrete actions to create ecosystems where each generation can bring its unique contribution, fostering the personal and professional growth of all.

Because, as the theme of ELLE Active 2025 reminds us, there can be no positive development of society that does not fully value the talent of women.

Women&Tech® ETS – Women and Technology Association, for 16 years has been dedicated to enhancing female talent in scientific research, technology, and innovation, promoting projects and actions aimed at combating stereotypes and gender discrimination and contributing to guiding young people towards the jobs of the future.

The event is free. For information and registration: live.hearst.it/elle-active