Matteo Alessi was born in Verbania, Italy, not far from the Alessi factory near Lake Orta. He studied for a Masters degree in Economics before joining watch company Breil in the International Marketing department. He joined Alessi, the family company in 2004 and is currently Managing Director of

Alessi UK.

 

Matteo’s highlights from Alessi’s Autumn/Winter 2006 collection are Australian designer Abi Alice’s “Resonance” centrepiece, and the new variations on Richard Sapper’s 1986 “Cintura di Orione” collection. His favourite designs in Alessi’s history, however, have more personal significance. The “Bombe” set

was designed by his grandfather Carlo Alessi in 1945, and the “Programma 8” definitive range of modular stoneware and accessories launched in the seventies was designed by Franco Sargiani, the same architect that designed his parents’ house.

As a young textile designer who had no experience with product design, the catalyst began in 1996 with a studio sale of her textiles where she sold out of photographic coasters she had produced using images from a recent trip abroad. Back then, Ella began to revolutionise the designs of products that had been overlooked for years; tablemats, coasters, roller blinds and tableware all became blank canvases for her innovative use of photographs featuring themes from nature and the world around us.

 

2005 saw the launch of her first shop-front office on Cheshire Street, in East London, and a new e-commerce website www.elladoran.co.uk. Where she sells own brand products and bespoke roller blinds, which are snapped up by the most discerning clients.

 

This year the company has been re-commissioned to produce a second children’s book ‘Colour’, and further capsule giftware ranges for the Tate Enterprises, and has recently worked with London Transport on their All Zones – ‘Routemaster Rocks’, a range of products that celebrate the iconic red London bus.

 

The most recent partnership for Ella is with John Lewis, and the success of the products she has designed has already resulted in her being short-listed for the Laurent Perrier Eureka 2006 award this September.

 

Jack Lang is a serial entrepreneur and business angel with high-tech and internet companies based in Cambridge, where he is Entrepreneur in Residence, Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, an affiliated Lecturer and member of the Computer Science Faculty Board at the Computer Laboratory (where he teaches E-Commerce) and a by-fellow of Emmanuel College.

 

His latest venture is as co-Founder of Artimi, which is making the next generation of ultra wide band wireless chips. Previously he was founder of Netchannel Ltd, an early Interactive TV company which was acquired by ntl: where he became Chief Technologist. Before that founder of Electronic Share Information Ltd, one of the first online brokerages, acquired by E*Trade Inc. He is author of "The High Tech Entrepreneurs Handbook" (FT.Com/Prentice Hall 2001). He has other interests in molecular gastronomy and fireworks.