Prada to Host Third ‘Shaping a Future’ Conference in New York

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PRADA SHAPES: Prada Group said Wednesday it will host the “Shaping a Sustainable Future Society” conference in New York on Nov. 8 at the group’s headquarters in Manhattan, which are known as The Piano Factory.

The event will be held in partnership with Yale School of Management and Politecnico di Milano School of Management. This will be the third edition of the Italian company’s cultural conversations under the “Shaping a Future” moniker, and it will explore topics such as freedom, equality and justice within the workplace, in addition to the impact of ethical assessments in people’s choices and behavior.

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The list of speakers has yet to be disclosed, but Prada said they would include personalities from the academic community and institutions, as well as the art and business worlds.

“The complexity of the current political and social environment requires an increasingly sophisticated conversation, defining tangible action around diversity and inclusion,” the company said. “The Prada Group feels the necessity to contribute to this cultural process of development.”

To engage in the conversation, the conference will be live streamed through the group’s web site and a dedicated #shapingasustainablesociety hashtag has been launched.

Prada held its first conference on sustainability, called “Shaping a Creative Future,” in 2017. Focusing on the relation between sustainability and innovation, the conference, moderated by the two universities, comprised conversations, debates and discussions with the likes of Anna Zegna, president of Fondazione Zegna; Carlo Capasa, president of the Italian Camera della Moda; Sergio Rossi president Andrea Morante, and former Luxottica chief executive officer and current executive chairman of Eataly Andrea Guerra.

In 2018, the “Shaping a Sustainable Digital Future” event was held at the brand’s Milan Fondazione headquarters. The discussions hinged on the role of artificial intelligence and technology and their impact on society and employment. It attracted speakers including Andrew Keen, executive director of the Silicon Valley innovation salon FutureCast; Rachel Coldicutt, ceo of Doteveryone, a U.K.-based think tank, and Andrea Illy, chairman of Illycaffé and of Fondazione Altagamma, among others.

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