About Us
Italia360 is dedicated to empowering ambitious first-generation and Italian-heritage entrepreneurs, equipping them with the mentorship, resources, and community needed to turn their ideas into successful businesses.
Our Values
We want to bridge the critical gap between concept and market readiness, providing hands-on guidance from industry leaders and personalized strategies to accelerate growth.
Generational
Building the next generation of leaders
1
Networking
Offer structured support to students lacking generational transfer or family networks
2
Inclusivity
Support newcomers and diverse entrepreneurs
3
Equality
Foster strong personal and professional networks
4
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Mandarino
President
John is the Executive Director of LiUNA. His extensive leadership experience helps guide the board across all departments, providing strategic oversight and forging new partnerships that are vital to expanding the mission of Italia360.
John Lettieri
Chair
John is the CEO of Hero Certified Burgers. As a seasoned entrepreneur and operator, John supports the program with decades of experience in building brands and scaling food service ventures across Canada.
Sandro Giannini
Chair
Sandro is the Director of Franchise & Retail Markets at RBC. With his experience, Sandro leverages his knowledge in finance to support Italia360’s scalability, ensuring the program can thrive in the long term.
Mario Lofranco
Chair
Mario is a Corporate Lawyer at Baker McKenzie LLP. He brings legal expertise to Italia360 and a strong commitment to supporting future entrepreneurs and community building.
Mario Lofranco
Chair
Mario is a Corporate Lawyer at Baker McKenzie LLP. He brings legal expertise to Italia360 and a strong commitment to supporting future entrepreneurs and community building.
Julia Pia
Director of Operations
Julia is the 2024 Italia360 winner as Founder/CEO of Ment Projects. As a program alum with operational expertise, Julia leads program coordination with our partners and manages Italia360's daily operations.
Erika Giuggio
Director of Partnerships
Erika specializes in Business Optimization at Schooley Mitchell. Erika leads sponsorship strategy for Italia360 that enable program growth and provide value to our entrepreneurial community.
COMMITTEE
Taran Murbah
Bookkeeper
As the founder of Optimum Bookkeeping Inc., Taran supports Italia360 by organizing financial data and promoting sound financial decision-making.
Chiara Di Fonzo
Operations Coordinator
As a Medical Sciences student at Western University and Italia360 alum, Chiara is passionate about Italia360 and their growth through daily operations and events support.
Sara Mandarino
Social Media Coordinator
As a Graphics Communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University, Sara supports Italia360's social media content for community outreach and engagement.
About Us
Italia360 is dedicated to empowering ambitious first-generation and Italian-heritage entrepreneurs, equipping them with the mentorship, resources, and community needed to turn their ideas into successful businesses.
Our Values
We want to bridge the critical gap between concept and market readiness, providing hands-on guidance from industry leaders and personalized strategies to accelerate growth.
Generational
Building the next generation of leaders
1
Networking
Offer structured support to students lacking generational transfer or family networks
2
Inclusivity
Support newcomers and diverse entrepreneurs
3
Equality
Foster strong personal and professional networks
4
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Mandarino
President
John is the Executive Director of LiUNA. His extensive leadership experience helps guide the board across all departments, providing strategic oversight and forging new partnerships that are vital to expanding the mission of Italia360.
John Lettieri
Chair
John is the CEO of Hero Certified Burgers. As a seasoned entrepreneur and operator, John supports the program with decades of experience in building brands and scaling food service ventures across Canada.
Sandro Giannini
Chair
Sandro is the Director of Franchise & Retail Markets at RBC. With his experience, Sandro leverages his knowledge in finance to support Italia360’s scalability, ensuring the program can thrive in the long term.
Mario Lofranco
Chair
Mario is a Corporate Lawyer at Baker McKenzie LLP. He brings legal expertise to Italia360 and a strong commitment to supporting future entrepreneurs and community building.
Julia Pia
Director of Operations
Julia is the 2024 Italia360 winner as Founder/CEO of Ment Projects. As a program alum with operational expertise, Julia leads program coordination with our partners and manages Italia360's daily operations.
Erika Giuggio
Director of Partnerships
Erika specializes in Business Optimization at Schooley Mitchell. Erika leads sponsorship strategy for Italia360 that enable program growth and provide value to our entrepreneurial community.
COMMITTEE
Taran Murbah
Bookkeeper
As the founder of Optimum Bookkeeping Inc., Taran supports Italia360 by organizing financial data and promoting sound financial decision-making.
Chiara Di Fonzo
Operations Coordinator
As a Medical Sciences student at Western University and Italia360 alum, Chiara is passionate about Italia360 and their growth through daily operations and events support.
Sara Mandarino
Social Media Coordinator
As a Graphics Communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University, Sara supports Italia360's social media content for community outreach and engagement.
About Us
Italia360 is dedicated to empowering ambitious first-generation and Italian-heritage entrepreneurs, equipping them with the mentorship, resources, and community needed to turn their ideas into successful businesses.
Our Values
We want to bridge the critical gap between concept and market readiness, providing hands-on guidance from industry leaders and personalized strategies to accelerate growth.
Generational
Building the next generation of leaders
1
Networking
Offer structured support to students lacking generational transfer or family networks
2
Inclusivity
Support newcomers and diverse entrepreneurs
3
Equality
Foster strong personal and professional networks
4
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Mandarino
President
John is the Executive Director of LiUNA. His extensive leadership experience helps guide the board across all departments, providing strategic oversight and forging new partnerships that are vital to expanding the mission of Italia360.
John Lettieri
Chair
John is the CEO of Hero Certified Burgers. As a seasoned entrepreneur and operator, John supports the program with decades of experience in building brands and scaling food service ventures across Canada.
Sandro Giannini
Chair
Sandro is the Director of Franchise & Retail Markets at RBC. With his experience, Sandro leverages his knowledge in finance to support Italia360’s scalability, ensuring the program can thrive in the long term.
Mario Lofranco
Chair
Mario is a Corporate Lawyer at Baker McKenzie LLP. He brings legal expertise to Italia360 and a strong commitment to supporting future entrepreneurs and community building.
Julia Pia
Director of Operations
Julia is the 2024 Italia360 winner as Founder/CEO of Ment Projects. As a program alum with operational expertise, Julia leads program coordination with our partners and manages Italia360's daily operations.
Erika Giuggio
Director of Partnerships
Erika specializes in Business Optimization at Schooley Mitchell. Erika leads sponsorship strategy for Italia360 that enable program growth and provide value to our entrepreneurial community.
COMMITTEE
Taran Murbah
Bookkeeper
As the founder of Optimum Bookkeeping Inc., Taran supports Italia360 by organizing financial data and promoting sound financial decision-making.
Chiara Di Fonzo
Operations Coordinator
As a Medical Sciences student at Western University and Italia360 alum, Chiara is passionate about Italia360 and their growth through daily operations and events support.