A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced by a MEET ITALY member to Expert Dojo, an accelerator in Santa Monica, where a few Italian start-ups are sharpening their skills in an effort to grow into global businesses. I was kindly invited to spend some time with these young entrepreneurs and share my experiences dealing professionally in the USA and help highlight what differences mark the two business cultures.

These start-ups were chosen via a program designated by the Italian Ministry for Economic Development and ICE (the Italian Trade Commission). The two institutions screen a maximum of 120 innovative Italian start-ups and help them grow in the international markets.  After a first period of training in Italy, the chosen entrepreneurs are then sent for a period of 3 months to develop their plans with accelerators located in different countries.