Cristina Baruzzi is Partner at Sterling’s Milan office. She started as General Counsel at Prada, then moved to Valentino. Subsequently, she became Global Human Resources Director at Prada Group, before rejoining Valentino Group as Chief People Officer, where she founded the Valentino Accademia.

Maura Basili is the Chairman of Camera Buyer Italia (CBI) since September 2023, marking her as the first woman to lead the association. She also co-founded CBI in 2000. With over 30 years of experience as a management consultant and former entrepreneur in the industry, she has extensively collaborated with leading international luxury brands. In her current role, she is strategically repositioning the development of the association and the role of luxury wholesale within the fashion system.

With over two decades of experience as Fashion Business Advisor, Matteo Del Cherico has worked with new and established brands, shaping their strategies and collections. In 2021, he founded MDC Showroom — an independent space created to support new talents through a concrete, selective, and long-term approach. Blending strategic vision, creative sensibility, and direct knowledge of production, today MDC Showroom holds a credible position within the international fashion system.

Edoardo Di Luzio is the CEO of Underscore District, an accelerator founded in 2021 that focuses on advancing Italian fashion and design brands. Di Luzio has a solid financial background, having cut his teeth in top investment banks both in Italy and abroad before diving into the fashion scene. Currently, Underscore District has invested in three notable projects: WOK Store, concept stores based in Milan; GR10K, a leader in gorpcore; and Magliano, founded in 2016 by Luca Magliano.

Leila Palermo founded Next Agency in 2010 as a boutique consultancy built on intuition, storytelling, and a tailored approach to communication. Today, the agency operates at the intersection of image, communication, and new media, guiding brands through launches, repositionings, and global growth. With a sharp eye for rising talent, Next Agency has gained expertise in scouting and launching new projects like Marco Rambaldi, Act N°1, Setchu, Francesco Murano, and Institution by Galib Gassanoff.

Ida Palombella is Partner at Deloitte Legal and Global Co-Leader for Fashion & Luxury at Deloitte. She also leads the IP and Tech practice for Deloitte Legal Italy. With over 20 years of experience in the fashion and luxury industry, she began her career as in-house counsel at Valentino. Since 2021, she has been teaching Fashion Law as an adjunct professor at the Università Cattolica in Milan and frequently speaks at Italian and international fashion and luxury events.

Giacomo Piazza is the Co-Founder and Director of 247, an investment and strategic platform established in 2008. With years of experience in the fashion business, he has managed portfolios for leading brands while also scouting and consulting for talents like Duran Lantink, Peter Do, ShuShu/Tong, RANRA, Chopova Lowena, Rhude, ANDREĀDAMO, and Collina Strada. Under his leadership, 247 has grown into a global platform, managing over 1500 clients and achieving a sales volume exceeding 200 million.

Milena Prisco is a Partner in Corporate, M&A and Head of ESG at Pavia e Ansaldo Law Firm. She specializes in acquisitions, capital transactions, and joint ventures, with a focus on digital marketing, AI, health and fashion tech. In the ESG field, she advises listed companies and SMEs on corporate governance, benefit corporation status, and investment fund policies. She also teaches in various master’s programmes and contributes to publications on corporate law, venture capital, and ESG.