FAU Business Inspires Italian Institute to Launch First-ever Business Pitch Competition

A transformative collaboration between Florida Atlantic University (FAU) College of Business and the Instituto Superiore Carlo Dell’Acqua in Milan, Italy has led to the creation of the institute’s first-ever Business Pitch Competition. Italian visiting faculty credit FAU’s immersive student programs and entrepreneurship-focused initiatives for inspiring the event.

In 2022 and 2023, the College hosted cohorts of Italian professors for week-long immersive job-shadowing experiences funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Job Mobility program. This program, with an annual €4.2 billion budget supporting global educational exchanges, saw Florida Atlantic become the first U.S. university to participate. During their time at FAU, the visiting faculty observed the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship annual Business Pitch Competition. This exposure sparked the idea of bringing a similar initiative to their home country and adapting the competition to their own academic guidelines and local business context.

The inaugural Dell’Acqua Business Pitch Competition, held in 2024, was co-funded by Erasmus+ and Inapp Vet and led by professors Marco Minora and Simona Bortolozzo, both participants in the FAU exchange. The competition challenged students to collaborate on an original marketing mix project and to create a dynamic 30-second advertising video for local companies. Students presented in English and Italian, showcasing their linguistic proficiency, creative thinking, and practical marketing expertise.

The event featured prominent local entrepreneurs, corporate representatives, and special guests, including the College’s Director of Business Communications Joseph Compomizzi, D.Sc., creator of the initial project plan for collaboration between the two schools and who also served as a judge.

“I was honored to be a judge for the competition in Italy to provide feedback on the student corporate presentations as a communications expert,” said Compomizzi. “To witness the impression made on the local CEOs, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders about the Dell’Acqua Business Plan Competition and the students’ knowledge in marketing principles, English language acquisition, and professional presentation techniques made me proud of the fruits of our Erasmus initiative. The subject matter and methodologies that faculty who visited and learned from FAU were clearly demonstrated by the students and received complimentary comments by the attending professionals and civic leaders.”

The winning team of students was awarded Samsung Chromebooks and celebrated in the local press. The competing teams also gained additional visibility by participating in an industry convention for local entrepreneurs, connecting with local, national, and even international Italian companies.

The success of the 2024 event has already prompted plans for a follow-up competition in 2025. Professor Minora described the institute's inaugural event as a dual success, providing students with practical experience while opening Dell’Acqua up to the “world of local entrepreneurship.”

FAU's partnership with the Instituto Superiore Carlo Dell’Acqua exemplifies the impact of cross-cultural connections and demonstrates how sharing educational practices can break new ground, inspire innovation, and prepare students for a globalized future in business.

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