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Carlotta is an international partnership expert, keynote speaker, business consultant and career coach. After leaving her Italian hometown at 19, Carlotta started her international journey in Scotland via Silicon Valley, NYC and Sweden before entering the London corporate tech scene working for companies such as Oracle and Shopify. Outside her corporate role, Carlotta is a Board Member and an enthusiastic mentor for women-centric networks. She also works as a Tech Career Coach for School16, a NYC-based startup that helps people from all over the world get into tech, regardless of their background. An advocate for social mobility and equal opportunities, she can often be found on stages to guide and inspire people in their journeys of growth.

I met so many incredibly kind people in my career, and it’s thanks to all of them I’ve been able to achieve everything I’ve achieved so far. If I had to choose one person, I would name Sally Pera who at the time was the CEO of ACG Silicon Valley - and one of my very first career and life mentors. Her kindness, empathy and generosity allowed me to learn so much in a very short period of time. She opened doors I didn't even know existed and she believed in me from the very first moment she met me, giving me the confidence and courage to pursue my dreams unapologetically. Over the years and despite the distance, the respect and affection we had for each other allowed us to stay in touch with Sally travelling across the Ocean to join some pivotal moments in my life, such as my UK graduation and wedding. My relationship with Sally is to me the true definition of Empowered Women Empower Women.

They’d be Yusra Mardini, Nadia Nadim and Maya Angelou (sorry it’ll have to be 3!). I have so many questions for all of them! Yusra and Nadia to me embody the definition of resilience, determination - truly being unstoppable. The way Yusra used her physical and inner strength to save herself and many others in a hopeless situation is nothing less than exceptional. Nadia is originally from Afghanistan, where she fled from when she was 11 following the traumatic execution of her dad by the Taliban. She speaks 9+ languages and now lives and works as a professional footballer - and trained surgeon - in Denmark. Besides her inspiring skills, to me she is proof that mindset and inner resilience are pivotal to navigate challenges and achieve your dreams. And finally - Maya Angelou embodies the kind of attitude I aim at maintaining throughout my life with one of her quotes being my main mantra: When you learn, teach. When you get, give.

Do the ground work to understand the overall ecosystem you’re trying to get into and how the full landscape comes together. Having a bird-eye view of the industry you’re interested in can really make you understand where the opportunities are and how to position yourself in the best way to access them. If you’re unsure of where to start from, find a mentor who can dedicate some time to share their guidance and advice with you. You can do this by reaching out to individuals within your existing network (personal or professional), try contacting individuals who you aspire to learn from (you never know whether they’ll say yes until you ask them!) - or join one of the many community networks in the field you’re looking to access as a member or as a mentee.

Stay focused and talk with people. Take time to understand what you’re trying to achieve and tell as many people as you possibly can. It’s ok to slow down and to re-focus whilst asking trusted individuals for their help and guidance.

A book everyone should read: GRIT by Angela Duckworth for some real guidance on what it takes to become resilient and to always aim high.
A movie(s) everyone should watch: The Truman Show (to be reminded of the importance of living an authentic life and do what makes you truly happy!) and Parasite (for some incredible depiction of society’s extreme opposites through effective visual metaphors - incredibly captivating and heartbreaking at the same time).