Absence of Younger Italian Americans in Legacy Organizations Drives Creation of Leadership Incubator on National Level

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The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations

Jan 25, 2024, 15:38 ET

Part think tank, part retreat, part celebration: Italian American Future Leaders — co-sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) — has tapped into young people's 21^st-century connection to culture.

SUNRISE, Fla., Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL), an influential fellowship and networking platform that's empowering and engaging younger generations (ages 21 – 35), held its 2nd national conference, "IAFL2," at Amerant Bank Arena.

View the IAFL wall here.

Younger generations take center stage at the IAFL2 Conference, which was held Jan. 12 – 15, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla., at Amerant Bank Arena. Thousands applied online to attend, but little more than 100 students and young professionals (ages 21 – 35) were accepted into the annual conference, which includes complimentary hotel stays, meals and entertainment.

The latest conference was comprised of nearly 200 fellows (first-time attendees), alumni (returning attendees), mentors and presenters, who, together, conducted rounds of group ideation, cultural analysis and networking sessions — all to develop initiatives and strategies that are either tailored toward younger generations, or that seek to drive inter-generational collaboration.

"This event flies in the face of the idea that younger Italian Americans don't want to engage their heritage," said IAFL Co-Founder and President John Viola. "In fact, they have a clearer vision, better ideas, and more passion than any prior generation. They just need a venue to be heard, with resources to take ideas into action, and at IAFL, we provide those conditions. I think the future of Italian America is very promising."

Planning for "IAFL3" in 2025 is already underway, and, on the local level, fellows and alumni — from California to New York — are launching new organizations and events on the local level to engage the next generation of the Italian American experience.

Nine committees comprised of alumni and mentors co-organized IAFL2; and a chair and vice chair, Patrick Campesi and Gianna Pileggi, have been appointed to help lead this bellwether platform.

"These young folks have the acumen, ambition and charisma to chart a new course for the Italian American culture that pays tribute to our past and ignites a future built on their vision, not mine — and that's the point," said IAFL Co-Founder and COPOMIAO President Basil Russo.

ABOUT IAFL

Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL), a new fellowship and networking platform, is empowering younger generations who wish to promote Italian American culture and elevate their standing in the community. https://www.iafuture.org

ABOUT COPOMIAO

Formed in 1975 and based in NYC, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) is a collective of 63 of the most influential, cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups in the nation. https://copomiao.org

SOURCE The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations