The fifth edition of the competition promoted by Fondazione Sodalitas has officially concluded.
Sustainable business ideas, social innovation, technologies for well-being, and projects capable of generating a positive impact on local communities are among the key themes at the heart of the fifth edition of “My Business, My Future”, the competition promoted by Fondazione Sodalitas to support younger generations in developing entrepreneurial and sustainability skills that are increasingly in demand in today’s job market.
The 2025/2026 edition involved approximately 3,000 students from 28 secondary schools and, for the first time since the project was launched, from four Higher Technical Institutes (ITS) across the provinces of Varese, Milan, Monza and Brianza, Sondrio, Genoa, and Turin. Through more than 100 workshops and activities, participants developed over 500 sustainable and innovative startup projects.
The program is based on a learning-by-doing approach: students work in teams to develop their own business ideas, experimenting with typical corporate tools and methodologies, from defining the business model to developing the business plan.
Students were guided by volunteer managers from Fondazione Sodalitas, Brianza Solidale, Gruppo Volontari per il Sociale, Merlino, and VSP – Volontari Senior Professionali, who supported them in developing essential transversal skills needed to face the challenges of sustainable transition.
The projects developed addressed key issues for the future of communities and the economy, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, technological innovation, local development, responsible fashion, and quality of life.
The competition was made possible thanks to contributions from companies associated with Fondazione Sodalitas — BPER Banca, Fondazione Bracco, Fondazione Ergo, Hogan Lovells, Intesa Sanpaolo, RINA, SIAS, and Sky Italia — together with a network of local partners, including the Varese Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria Varese, Confcooperative, Elmec, EOLO, SMC Automation, and LIUC University.
The expansion of the project throughout Lombardy is also part of the program “Get Ready! The Business of Growing Up”, an initiative selected by Con i Bambini as part of the Fund for Combating Child Educational Poverty and co-financed by JPMorgan Chase.
The 25 winning projects were awarded today during the final event held at the Ville Ponti Conference Centre in Varese, in the presence of representatives from institutions, partner companies, and the educational community.
“This year, for the first time, the ‘My Business, My Future’ program opened its doors to Higher Technical Institutes (ITS): a step that reflects our belief that investing in young people means embracing the entire educational pathway,” said Alberto Pirelli, President of Fondazione Sodalitas.
“The talent of younger generations is cultivated through concrete experiences and direct contact with the business world. For this reason, Fondazione Sodalitas works to build a strong bridge between the education system and businesses, bringing students closer to real sustainability and innovation challenges. This is the contribution companies can make to the country and, at the same time, the most effective way to build the human capital they need to remain competitive.”
“Investing in young people’s energy and talent is a strategic choice to ensure the competitiveness of the territory. For this reason, the Chamber of Commerce confirms its full support for the initiative, considering it a key element of its ‘New Generations’ development strategy. In this way, we want to ensure that young people can invest in their life projects here in our region.
We are not only encouraging dialogue between schools and businesses, helping retain young people in our province, but also implementing concrete actions. We support the Sodalitas initiative, which perfectly complements the activities of our New Business Point.
We organize initiatives such as New Business Focus Day and GenZ Young Foreigners, helping young people acquire the skills needed to navigate effectively in the world of self-employment and employment.
Supporting this project for the fifth consecutive year, opening our offices for the finals, and awarding recognition to two emerging startups is our way of showing young people that their ideas have real value and that we are here to support them and help bring them to life,” emphasized Mauro Vitiello, President of the Varese Chamber of Commerce.
“Our students want to proactively shape their future and demand a school system capable of renewing itself. For this reason, we are moving beyond purely theoretical lessons and adopting strong laboratory-based and experiential teaching methods that connect abstract concepts with real-world problems and transform knowledge into immediately applicable practical skills.
This transformation is based on the European EntreComp framework, which guides us in developing key skills among young people, including creativity, ethical and sustainable thinking, motivation and perseverance, as well as the fundamental ability to work as a team.
Along this path of growth, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Fondazione Sodalitas: thanks to the invaluable work carried out through ‘My Business, My Future’ and the support of volunteer managers, the dialogue between schools and businesses becomes a reality, offering our students the opportunity to test themselves in the field and create real startups focused on innovation and social sustainability,” stated Giuseppe Carcano, Director of the Varese Regional School Office.
