Women Lead Florence

Cristina Bibbiani

Cristina Bibbiani has been passionately teaching Italian language and culture since 2009. She holds a combined BA and MA in German and English Languages, Literature, and Linguistics. Additionally, she possesses an MA in Italian Studies, emphasizing the teaching and promotion of the Italian language and culture from Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia. Cristina also earned an MA for teaching Italian as a second language from DITALS Università di Siena.

She has extensive teaching experience from her work with American and International Study Abroad Programs in Florence, such as UCEAP and CET. Cristina has also taught at Gonzaga University in Florence, California State in Florence, and the University for Foreigners in Siena. Her studies and teaching expertise encompass linguistics, learning disabilities, and intercultural studies. Cristina has also contributed her knowledge to Immigrant and Refugee Associations, participating in special integration projects for adults and children.

In addition to her linguistic accomplishments, Cristina is a specialist in the History of Art, focusing on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Since 2016, she has been an official Tour Guide, combining her love for art history and culture in her tours.

Session Overview

"The Historical Female Figures of Florence" is a walking tour curated and designed by Cristina Bibbiani. This 90-minute tour will take you from the Gonzaga-in-Florence (GIF) campus to the banks of the Arno River, stopping at historical sights along the way to learn about the influential women that helped shape the history of Florence. Hear the stories of bravery, passion, and courage from a true Italian historian with passion for recognizing the women that helped shape the culture of this vibrant city.

Woman of Wisdom: Sarah Kinsella

Sarah currently serves as Head of Marketing for a private equity-backed life sciences distributor, where she is leading the transition from a traditional, sales-led model to a modern, marketing- and eCommerce-driven growth engine. As a member of the executive leadership team, she partners closely with the CEO and private equity stakeholders to drive enterprise growth, improve customer acquisition efficiency, and position the organization for long-term success.

Daniela Ballard, U.S. Consul General in Florence

U.S. Consul General in Florence Daniela Ballard joined the Department of State in 2004. She has served overseas in Pakistan, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic and domestically in the Economic Bureau, the Bureau of International Organizations, and at the Foreign Service Institute. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Office Director of the European Bureau’s Office of European Union and Regional Affairs, providing economic policy analysis and advice. She also served as a foreign policy fellow in the Office of Senator Christopher Coons.

Prior to joining the Department of State, Daniela was an investment banker in New York and San Francisco working for Salomon Smith Barney and Bank of America Securities. Daniela received a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College in 2019. She is also a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she received an MBA in Finance and holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Economics.

Carlotta Ferrari, Director, Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau

She is forty-four years old; she graduated in Political Science from the University of Florence. After a career in the world of organizing events in an important DMC, Carlotta became director of the Firenze Convention Bureau in 2010. She immediately launched a new territorial marketing strategy, transforming the company from a public company into a private consortium with over 300 partners, prestigious local sponsors and the strong political and economic support of the institutions. In particular, the Municipality of Florence of which, since 2014, the Convention Bureau has become an official partner. In 2015 Carlotta launched a new division, devoted to the Destination Wedding Industry: Tuscany for Weddings, which is still today the most important aggregative project in the sector.

Destination Florence was born in 2017, devoted to leisure tourism, which definitively transformed the Convention Bureau into Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau.

From 2013 to 2017 Carlotta was Vice President of Federcongressi&eventi, the Italian association representing the MICE sector and in this context, together with the most important trade associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio-Federalberghi, Confesercenti), she created the Italian Convention Bureau, the first network of national companies in the sector, becoming its President as of 2015. CB Italia is the operational arm of Enit for the promotion of the MICE offer in the world and has over 3500 companies in the sector.

Session Description

Set in Florence, a city that has shaped culture, commerce, and diplomacy for centuries, this panel brings together two women leading at the intersection of local influence and global impact. Carlotta Ferrari, Director of Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Daniela Ballard, U.S. Consul General in Florence, will share insights from their leadership journeys navigating complex systems, public responsibility, and international relationships.

Through conversation, the panel explores how women lead with vision, integrity, and relational intelligence in roles shaped by history, power, and global connectivity. Attendees will gain perspective on balancing tradition and innovation, building trust across diverse stakeholders, and exercising leadership that is both strategic and human-centered in an increasingly interconnected world.

Denise Regina Percequillo Hossom

Denise Regina Percequillo Hossom is a Professor of Philosophy at Gonzaga University in Florence, with interests in environmental ethics, history and philosophy of the biological sciences, normative and applied ethics, and feminist epistemologies. She completed her PhD at University of California, Davis in Philosophy, with a designated emphasis in Science and Technology Studies (STS) and spent time as a visiting PhD candidate at the University of Exeter, Egenis Research Centre for the Study of the Life Sciences. Her interdisciplinary research interrogates classificatory concepts used in science and public policy targeting human and nonhuman animal relations, such as “wild”, “domestic”, “feral”, and “tame”. A focal case study examines “wild horse problems” in both national and transnational contexts, analyzing conflicts over how humans and horses coexist and interact in purportedly “wild” or “domestic” environments.

Coming from a Brazilian, Italian, and American family, Denise grew up in a multicultural and multilingual household and is committed to fostering cross-cultural relations in and out of the classroom. As a lifetime equestrian with a background working in agriculture, she has also spent time working with horses across the Western US, Australia, Brazil, and Italy, and is passionate about animal welfare, environmental justice, and food justice. She sees teaching in Florence as an opportunity to share this inspiring environment with students, connecting lived experiences with philosophical questions about human nature and ethics.

Session Description

Part One: Participants will be asked to reflect on what the concepts of Care, Vulnerability, and Dependency Relations (Dependence, Independence, and Interdependence) mean to them as individuals, inviting them to write down some of their thoughts. Next, we will share and discuss some of those conceptions to see our collective view on the concepts, including both positive ("good") and negative ("bad") experiences where these concepts shaped us as women in leadership contexts.

Part Two: Participants will be presented with a brief introduction to key literature in Relational Ethics and the Ethics of Care, including handouts with concept summaries from the literature in philosophy and an additional resources section for those who want to keep reading on the subject later). Participants will then be asked to think of how we can move from our understanding of these concepts to articulating principles we would want to apply in practice. I.e. If, as leaders, we want to encourage interdependence in teams, what practices support that kind of relation in a positive way? Do we get to something like principles of good faith in communication to build mutual trust and empowerment, empathic care in balance with respect for autonomy, etc.

Itwastheyear1950whenMarcelloGori,togetherwithhisbrother-in-law SilvanoCasini,acceptedthetaskofteachingwarorphanstheartofleatherandleatherprocessinginwhatwastheNovitiateoftheFranciscanFriars,insidetheConventofSantaCroce.ThuswasborntheScuoladelCuoio,stronglybasedontheconceptofloveforone'sneighborand,aboveall,ontheawarenessthatexperiencemustalwaysbeshared.

When her father past away in 2004, Francesca Gori, supported by her sisters, Barbara and Laura, decided to start a new collection of hand-stitched one-of-a-kind handbags, in memory of her father.
Francesca wanted to make something different so, with bright colors and special jewels from all over the world, she started to design her bags that are still unique pieces.

The permanent collection of the “jewel handbags” embroidered by hand by Francesca for the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Foundation was inspired by the antique books of traditional Italian embroidery.

https://scuoladelcuoio.it/en/

Albiera Antinori - President, Antinori Wines

Albiera Antinori is the President and 26th-generation leader of Marchesi Antinori, one of the world’s most historic family-owned wine estates, rooted in Florence and operating continuously since 1385. Raised among vineyards and harvests, Albiera brings a deeply personal understanding of stewardship, legacy, and innovation to her leadership, guiding the Antinori family’s global portfolio with vision, care, and a commitment to excellence. As the first woman to lead the centuries-old Antinori dynasty, she embodies a leadership style grounded in collaboration, sustainability, and respect for both people and place. Conference participants will have the rare opportunity to hear from Albiera in an intimate keynote conversation held at the Antinori winery itself, offering a private audience in a setting that reflects her family’s history, values, and enduring impact. This private audience at the Antinori winery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness leadership, legacy, and place come together through the voice of a remarkable woman.

Learn more about Antinori Wines