About Me

"I didn’t start my career in design. I started with a piano.

As a child growing up in Italy, I stumbled across a piano and fell completely in love. That moment set me on a path to study classical music for over a decade, eventually enrolling at the conservatory in my hometown with dreams of becoming a concert pianist. I studied for ten years and got very good. But just as I completed my studies, an accident injured my left hand, and just like that, my music career ended.

What followed was a long and winding path—one that shaped how I think, lead, and create today.

I studied architecture at La Sapienza in Rome, where I began to understand space, structure, and systems. That experience introduced me to the world of design in a more structured, formal way—and that led me to computer graphics. I began building 3D models of architectural interiors, which eventually brought me to Switzerland, where I helped an architecture firm visualize their projects through early 3D software. That was the beginning of my fascination with technology.

Life took another turn when I returned to Italy and took over my family’s business—a packaging company my father had built. I ran it for thirteen years as CEO, learning the ins and outs of operations, logistics, and leadership. But the creative part of me never stopped asking for more. I realized then that I wasn’t built to be a businessman. I’m a creator at heart.

That realization gave me the courage to close the company and start completely over.

Inspired by my love of 3D and storytelling—and the moment I first saw Toy Story—I moved to Canada and enrolled at Vancouver Film School, one of the top animation schools in the world. I was in my mid-thirties, but ready to begin again. The program was intense and transformative. After graduating, I returned to Italy and submitted my short film to animation festivals around the country. It was accepted into many, won a few, and helped me land my first job as an animator on a 3D feature film.

That job launched the next chapter of my life, one that would eventually lead me to Microsoft, Amazon, and eBay—and to two decades of experience designing systems, leading teams, and creating tools that bring design and engineering closer together.

Whether I was building the Avatar Animation Team for Xbox Kinect, scaling design systems for Amazon Devices and Alexa, or overhauling design operations at eBay, one thing stayed constant: I’m always drawn to work that blends creativity, structure, and impact. I love building things that work beautifully at scale, and I believe in the power of tools, processes, and systems to unlock better thinking across entire organizations.

I’ve worked on AI projects long before AI was a buzzword—from early motion and voice recognition challenges with Kinect to modern design ops tooling powered by automation. I consider AI to be a transformative element in design, providing innovative possibilities that, when harnessed responsibly, can elevate both form and function.

Underneath it all, I’m still the kid who fell in love with a piano.

Music taught me about rhythm, flow, and craft. Architecture taught me about systems. Business taught me how to lead. And design gave me a way to bring it all together.

That’s the story I carry with me into every team, every project, and every problem I try to solve. "