About us: team, values and approach

Who we are and what we do

Working closely with third-sector organizations and public administrations, we noticed a duality: on one side, deep expertise in their fields; on the other, a repetitive operational load that takes time away from the real service — the reason the client exists in the first place.

Open Innova was born from this observation: we offer innovative IT and management services to organizations, public bodies, and companies. Our goal is to build and nurture a network through which creative ideas and technological solutions are shared to meet common needs.

1. Management consulting

We help organizations redesign processes and operating models. We immerse ourselves in the client’s context, map stakeholders (internal and external), and co-design strategies and solutions, drawing on the experience of comparable realities. Our work helps to:

  • reduce repetitive work that does not generate value
  • streamline flows through collaborative ecosystems
  • prepare the organization for change, not just announce it

2. Tailor-made software, secure by design

We build bespoke platforms the way a tailor builds a suit: starting from the organization’s specific processes and developing solutions that truly fit. Every platform is designed with:

  • secure architectures aligned with the most up-to-date best practices
  • APIs and integration with existing systems
  • scalability and robustness designed to support growth
  • user experience designed for real users, not theoretical personas

Our values

Collaboration

The best innovation emerges from collaboration. We work with our clients as partners, not as consultants observing from the outside.

Openness

We believe in transparency, in the conscious sharing of ideas, and in the permeability of organizational boundaries. It is the heart of Open Innovation.

Continuous innovation

Innovation is not a one-off project. It is a continuous process of adaptation, where learning and course-correcting are part of the work.

Sustainability

We care about innovation that creates lasting value — for organizations, for their partners, for the people involved.

The team

Giovanni Rende

Co-founder and Sole Director

Giovanni brings strategic vision to Open Innova, along with consulting experience with third-sector entities and a deep knowledge of the Italian context.

Daniele Nucciarelli

Co-founder | Cloud Infrastructure Lead

Daniele is a software architect and full-stack developer, specialized in scalable backends, secure architectures, and complex systems. He cares deeply about code quality, best practices, rigorous testing, and solid infrastructure.

Areas of expertise:

  • distributed software architectures and microservices
  • backend and database design
  • DevOps and infrastructure-as-code
  • automation and continuous integration

Daniele leads the technical vision of Open Innova and makes sure every platform we build is reliable, secure, and ready to grow.

Emanuele Persichini

Co-founder | Full Stack Developer

Emanuele is a full-stack developer with deep experience on both the frontend and backend sides. With a background in mathematics and cybersecurity, he brings efficiency, order, and elegance to our products.

Areas of expertise:

  • cryptography and application security
  • backend and database design
  • reactive frontend development
  • user experience and interaction design

Emanuele makes sure the software we build is powerful, intuitive, and pleasant to use.

Our story

Founded in 2026, Open Innova was born from a simple observation: Italian organizations have the potential to innovate their processes, but they often do so in isolation.

Henry Chesbrough’s Open Innovation model (UC Berkeley) is well known in the literature, but rarely grounded in the Italian context. From that opportunity — and from a shared journey across projects with third-sector entities — Giovanni, Daniele, and Emanuele decided to found Open Innova to bridge the gap.

Today we work alongside organizations across different sectors — third sector, care services, associations, public administration — helping them build reusable, robust approaches tailored to their specific contexts.

Our vision

An Italy in which businesses, nonprofits, and public administrations innovate openly, collaborating with startups, universities, and partners beyond their own boundaries.

We want to help make our country a reference point for Open Innovation in Europe.

Want to learn more? Contact us for a first conversation.