Why teach entrepreneurship: an interview with Giancarlo Rocchietti and Barbara Graffino from Enter Academy

It can’t really be labelled as a school, but it’s more than just a training program. Enter Academy is a non-profit foundation that aims to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. Supported by Club degli Investitori, one of Europe’s leading business angel networks, this new organization offers universities an original approach to entrepreneurship culture: first, a free learning experience, the Camp, with four days spent alongside people who have actually built a business. Then, the opportunity to join a community, the Club, where mentors provide guidance and support. Giancarlo Rocchietti, Founder and President of the Club degli Investitori, and Barbara Graffino, entrepreneur, are the main promoters of the foundation. We asked them to share more about the reasons behind the initiative, the goals they have in mind, and the brand identity project curated by Bellissimo.

Giancarlo, why this foundation? What inspired you to start it?
Over the years, with Club degli Investitori, we’ve met thousands of students and researchers at universities across Italy. They represent Italian ingenuity and creativity, but many feel they don’t have the means to start a business. We want to inspire and educate thousands of young people from universities across the country to embrace entrepreneurship.

People often highlight the difficulty of starting a business in Italy, especially for young people. Do you think that’s true? If you could change something, what would it be?
Bureaucracy and lack of funding are a good excuse for those who aren’t willing to put themselves out there. If I were Minister of Education, I’d make entrepreneurship classes mandatory for every university student.

What advice would you give a young person who wants to launch their own business?
Think big, start small, and —once your product works— scale up readily.

Barbara, what would your advice be?
Try, try, try. You need passion and the ability to throw your heart over every obstacle.

What will Enter Academy offer that’s unique?
First and foremost, a chance to meet people who have actually built businesses. We’ll have entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and fields —from the tech and digital segments to traditional family businesses— sharing real, concrete stories. But the academy isn’t just a course: participants in our Camp will be able to enter a community, continuing their growth journey through mentoring, events, and plenty of other opportunities.

What’s your goal?
To create opportunities for young people. Starting a business is one of them, but before that, entrepreneurship is a mindset: a way of approaching the job market. It gives you direction. We try to provide support, a sense of purpose, guidance, and —most importantly— connections.

What needs to happen for you to consider Enter Academy a success in a few years?
If we can show that there’s a real link between the Enter Academy experience and students’ career paths, that it has an impact on their professional growth. We have set clear, measurable goals related to the audience we want to reach. The many applications received for the first Camp are already a very encouraging sign. We truly hope that concrete pathways will emerge for the young people involved — and that the community will grow and generate further positive momentum.

You turned to Bellissimo to create your brand. What did you appreciate most about the project?
What I find in Bellissimo is that there is always a lot of creativity, but a kind of “scientific creativity.” By that I mean that achieving the final result requires a great deal of study and in-depth research. The team that worked with us dedicated time to us, sat beside us, and brought out the best in us. The result is not just a visual identity, but something much deeper.

Discover the Enter Academy project here

Published: Feb 06, 2026