Social:

This week, I spent a lot of time wrapping up assignments for my classes and my internship. We had a really relaxing week here in Milan. On Monday I spent some time with my friends in the apartment and did some grocery shopping. I worked remotely this day. On Tuesday, the class visited Circularity, a company that some of our peers are interning at. After Circularity, I went to the canals in Navigli and got some gelato! On Tuesday night, my friends and I went to get Aperitivo in Navigli. We shared a board with olives, cheese, and mini sandwiches. It was really nice to sit with my friends by the water and share a nice afternoon snack and chat. On Wednesday, after class, I grabbed lunch at the cafe down the street with some peers. We talked about our final group project. After the cafe, I came back to my apartment to change before heading to work. Before getting on the metro for work, I stopped at a cafe to grab a cappuccino and a croissant. At the office I had a really productive day! After work, I came back to my apartment and had a remote work meeting via zoom. After the meeting, I cooked dinner with my friends in the apartment kitchen. After dinner, I did some homework and  was not really feeling well so I just relaxed. On Thursday morning I still wasn’t feeling well, so I relaxed for the next few days. Over the weekend, I walked around and found some really cool shops.

School:

For class on Tuesday, we took a trip to Circularity. They gave us a presentation about their business. It was really interesting to hear about circularity and nice to visit the workplace of some of my peers! At Circularity we all ate lunch. On Wednesday, in Professor Swain’s class, we talked about the concept of “efficiency” and what that means in the U.S. we also talked about leadership. After our discussions, we met with our presentation groups. After class, I went to Cafe Carducci with my teammates for my group paper. At lunch we hung out and discussed our paper and how we would like to structure it. On Thursday, I wasn’t in class because I was feeling sick. Overall, class this week was really hands-on and fun.

Internship:

I had a really busy, but rewarding week for my internship! On Monday, I worked on a presentation for work remotely. The presentation included an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape. I also did a lot of research about global VC funding and sector growth for the industry. On Wednesday, I went into the office and finished up my presentation and edited more scholarly articles for my boss. After work of Wednesday, we had a zoom meeting with the two entrepreneurs from Milan. We presented our research and discussed plans for the coming week. It is crazy to me that my time at Phloema is almost over! I have loved working with Pietro, Davide, Marcello, and my Lehigh co-workers.

Social:

This week I spent a lot of time hanging out in Milan with my friends. On Sunday night I had aperativo in Navigli with some friends from my high school. On Monday I went into the office, and after work, my coworker and I went to grab lunch at the corner sandwich shop. After work, I spent the rest of the evening doing homework and relaxing. On Tuesday, I went to class and then spent some time at my apartment with friends. At night, we walked around the neighborhood and hung out at some local restaurants. On Wednesday evening we went to explore Chinatown. After class on Thursday, I went to the Mudec museum, the Pinocoteca de Brera, and explored the fashion district. I also had my first cannoli in Italy! The next morning, my friends and I left for the bus station at 7am to go to Geneva, Switzerland. The bus ride to Geneva was spectacular— we drove through the alps and stopped in a few towns along the way. Driving through Mont Blanc was definitely a highlight. We crossed the border from Italy to France, then from France to Switzerland. I am fascinated by the terrain at the intersection of Italy, France, and Switzerland. I spent this past weekend in Geneva, exploring the old town, swimming in lake Geneva, and eating delicious food. There was a big food festival along the lake all weekend. On Friday, we arrived in Geneva at noon. We got lunch at a little cafe, and practiced our French! After lunch, we spent the rest of the day at the Bains des Paquis, which was a beach on Lake Geneva. At the beach, there were beautiful Swans and their ducklings swimming amongst the people.  Geneva was so beautiful. After swimming, we got dinner at the Jardin Anglais. We had a picnic there and enjoyed awesome food and drinks. On Saturday, we walked around Old Geneva, but then got too hot and retuned back to the Bains des Paquis. After the beach, we went on the Ferris wheel, where we saw Geneva from a birds eye view. The next morning, we woke up to watch the sunrise over Lake Geneva. Then, we went on a boat trip around the lake. I loved my trip to Geneva, and hope that I can explore more of Switzerland in the years to come.

Internship:

My internship has been going well so far and I have been enjoying the work. I also really like my coworkers. This week, we have an update call with Marcello, Pietro, and Davide. So far, they are happy with our work and we are enjoying the project. I went into the office on Monday, where I worked on a presentation for Pietro and Davide. I am currently doing market research and learning about the competitive landscape for AI in Agriculture. It has been really interesting working with two entrepreneurs from Italy. As a startup in the U.S, it is much easier to get funding than it is in Italy. I have learned to appreciate the opportunities that we have in the U.S. from an entrepreneurial stand point.

School:

In Prof. Gupta’s class on Tuesday, we had a really interesting discussion about the changing viewpoint of corporate social responsibility. We also talked about the shift in the focus of corporations from an altruistic perspective and a business perspective. On Wednesday in Prof. Swain’s class, we continued our discussion about culture, and talked about trust. It was really interesting to the differences in trust in Italy and the U.S. On Thursday in Prof. Gupta’s class, we discussed a case study on Apple. The discussion was extremely thought provoking, and made me think deeply about the cruel working conditions that many big corporations take advantage of. The discussions from Prof. Gupta’s class have made me more aware of the choices I make on a daily basis, and how they feed into the ethics of a corporation.

Social:

I started off this week in beautiful Rome. On Sunday, I visited the Spanish Gardens and the Colosseum. Both the Spanish gardens and the colosseum were absolutely fantastic. Rome is definitely one of the most incredible places I have ever visited. The city was lively, filled with good food, and historic structures. On Sunday night, my friends and I had dinner at La Carbonara. It was definitely one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Carbonara is a dish that originated in Rome during World War II. At La Carbonara, we obviously ate their carbonara. We left Rome on Monday morning. During the week, I spent a lot of time walking around Milan with friends and doing work. On Thursday, we had the day off from class. We decided to spend the day shopping around Milan and exploring design week. This week, there were design exhibits all around Milan in a bunch of different venues across the design districts. We walked through a lot of shops and eventually ended up by the Milan Duomo. Since it was such a sunny and beautiful day, we decided to climb to the top of the Duomo. Walking up the Duomo was an incredible experience. The detail that went into the structure is unbelievable. Every banister and steeple had intricate and unique carvings and designs. I have never seen something so delicate and detailed. We spent a while at the top looking out at the city of Milan and the Alps in the distance. On Saturday, we all took the train to Cinque Terre, a string of coastal towns. The train ride to Monterosso was beautiful as we rode along the coast. In Cinque Terre, we laid out on the beach and swam in the crystal clear water. I also ate the best pesto ever. We took the train back to Milan that same day. This week has been filled with a lot of traveling and a lot of great experiences. I am so thankful for every day that I get to spend in beautiful Italy with my friends!

 

Internship:

My internship has been really interesting so far and I am really enjoying the work. This week, I made a presentation for the entrepreneurs that we are working with. I did some market research and explored their competitive landscape. On Wednesday, we showed the entrepreneurs the presentation and had an internship update meeting. Pietro and Davide, the entrepreneurs, are in their late 20’s and are trying to start a company. Through Phloema, we were assigned to their project. After our meeting with Marcello, Pietro, and Davide, we all went to get dinner. We walked straight from work to a restaurant down the road. Dinner was so much fun. We got to get to know Pietro and Davide a bit better and had a great time chatting and eating. So far, Davide and Pietro are happy with the work we have been doing for them, which is great! I really like the work culture here in Italy, because I feel like we are not just co-workers, but also friends. I am really excited to see where this project will take us. 

 

School:

On Tuesday, we had class with Prof. Gupta at 9:00 am. During the class, we had extremely interesting conversations about various controversial topics. I really liked how everyone was engaged in the conversation, and how the classroom felt like a safe space to discuss these complex topics. The topic of corporate social responsibility has become super interesting o me, and now I find myself making connections back to class material during my everyday life. One of my favorite parts about the class so far is the Wall Street Journal posts. It is so interesting to read everyone’s reactions to the various articles. I hope that after this class, reading the wall street journal and forming reactions to the news is a habit that I carry with me. I am also really enjoying the discussion style of the class. In Prof. Swain’s class, we are continuing our discussion of culture in Italy and how cultural differences may present themselves during our internships. I am really enjoying my classes here because the subject matter is extremely applicable to our daily lives, and for our futures in business.