Carolina Chiappero
Juventus Innovation Manager
16 Feb 2026Giorgio Chiellini joins us LIVE at the Juventus Stadium
Carolina Ciopero: Launching Juventus' 11-Startup Squad & New Partnerships
Juventus innovation manager Carolina Ciopero recaps the day: the club officially launched a cohort of 11 startups — six Italian, five from abroad — after two and a half years building the program, alongside two new collaborations: hosting an Italian sports tech accelerator at the stadium and partnering with the Players Fund on corporate venture to scale globally. She discusses starting from real problems and needs, testing and learning, learning to say no, and how startups will serve areas from Creator Lab translation and AI content to pitch, fan experience and brain training. She also reflects on balancing curiosity and risk-taking with the board and the club's legacy brand.
Juventus Program: Taking the Field with Startups and the Next Batch
The guest says the drive behind the program comes from the very top of the company and from being brave enough to try to change things. He explains that with the team now presented, "we take the field": work begins on pilots with the chosen startups, while assessment work identifies the verticals to tap into for the next batch. The goal is for the selected startups to become fully embedded in the company, and even a mismatch — right technology, wrong partner — would still be a learning.
Was It a Success? 'If You're Satisfied, You're Not Striving to Improve'
Asked whether the day went exactly as he wanted, the guest answers "never," saying that if you're satisfied you're not striving to improve, and that he has already identified several things to do differently, though there was lots of learning. He adds that the participants felt less like a group of people and more like a community, with several already offering to email him feedback on what could be improved.
What 'Team' Means: 11 Entities Scoring Alongside Juventus
The guest frames "team" as a mindset rather than just a narrative: it's a squad not because it has 11 players, but because it will be 11 entities with specific roles sharing one clear objective, working alongside Juventus to score and win. The hosts react positively and begin thanking him for his time as the interview wraps up.