Welcome to Episode 2115, where we present a session recording from the wine2wine Business Forum 2023. Today’s episode is entitled “Female entrepreneurship and finance: why women don't talk about money” and features Luisa Ortu, Matilde Poggi, Laura Donadoni  Italian Wine Podcast is proud to be a media partner of wine2wine Business Forum and is pleased to present this series of market-focus sessions, recorded in Verona in November 2023. wine2wine Business Forum is an international wine business event held annually in Verona, Italy since 2014. The event is a key reference point for wine producers and wine professionals from around the world, providing an opportunity to network, develop and expand their wine business worldwide. About the session: Statistics tell us that in Italy almost one in two women do not have their own bank account, and the female employment rate is lower than in many other European countries. This session aims to give insights and tools to women in wine who want to have access to credit to set up their own business, to finance their business, or simply to invest in the world of wine or in themselves. About the hosts: Italian writer, professional journalist and wine educator Laura Donadoni lives in California, where she founded La Com Wine Agency - a communications agency focused on wine promotion that operates throughout the US - and The Italian Wine Girl - a blog and social community with over seventy thousand subscribers. Laura is also the only Italian female member of the prestigious International Circle of Wine Writers in London. She collaborates with several trade publications, has four books published with national and international publishers to her credit - in Italian and English - and hosts several podcast series, including Lady Vino, among the ten most listened-to wine podcasts on Spotify.  Matilde Poggi works as a winemaker in Cavaion Veronese (Verona), in the DOC Bardolino production area. Her first harvest was in 1984. From 2013 to 2022 she served as President of FIVI, Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti. Since 2022 he has been President of CEVI, Confederazione Europea Vignaioli Indipendenti, an organization accredited to the European Commission. Luisa Ortu is an expert in Innovation and Internationalization. She lives between Florence and France, where she has lived continuously for three years and cultivated her passion for wine. Luisa is co-owner of a small wine property in Saint-Emilion - Chateau Edmus - along with 30 other Wine Angels: an experience if not unique at least rare in the wine world. She has been working for more than 15 years for the European Enterprise Europe Network, co-funded by the European Commission, and helps SMEs and startups from all sectors develop their business in Italy and abroad, and find funding to realize their innovation projects. Find more about wine2wine Business Forum: https://wine2wine.net/  _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin! Thanks for tuning in! Listen to more stories from the Italian Wine Community here on Italian Wine Podcast!