Don’t let the past define us, look to our shared future - Claudia Cavalluzzo

No meeting with a new business acquaintance can end before they ask me the question “where is your accent from?” Or “Your accent is peculiar, difficult to place…where is it from?”

Claudia Cavalluzzo, Director Converge

And I don’t mind the question, I think accents tell a story. What does mine say? I hope it says that I am a warm-blooded Italian national who has travelled the world and lived aboard for a third of my life. My accent is now heavily influenced by Scotland and its colourful slang, having lived here for almost 10 years. I have learnt the true meaning of ‘messages’, ‘piece’ and ‘scunnered’.

Living abroad widens horizons, brings new perspectives and makes the world feel a lot smaller (in a good way). Deciding to live in your home country, whether it’s for studying, working or simply exploring new ways of living and thinking, is something I share with so many expats in Scotland, almost half a million people, which represents 10% of the population.

Often people associate foreignness with entrepreneurialism. And I agree with that. It is in the very instincts of an expat to look for improvement, new opportunities and challenges which naturally makes them more curious, inventive and risk-taking.

Whilst I’m not saying that locals are less entrepreneurial - that’s definitely not the case in Scotland, with its history of discoveries and inventions - it is definitely true that the percentage of entrepreneurs in this country that were born overseas is substantial. And I love that, despite all our differences, we all have in common a love for Scotland, its people and tradition and its collaborative culture.

At Converge, Scotland’s largest company creation programme dedicated to the University network, we have always seen a steady stream of international students and staff coming up with brilliant ideas, wanting to test their commercial viability.

From our very first edition in 2011 till the latest Covid-19 dominated programme in 2020, international participants represent almost half of the total pool.

This year not only were all our top winners’ female, they are also of international origin.

It is because of the work that we do, supporting the best and brightest aspiring academic entrepreneurs to springboard their businesses, but it is also because of our inclusive, diverse and welcoming attitude.

When looking more closely at our statistics, we are also lucky to attract several applicants from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. In fact, this year, 30% of the overall applicants (260) and 18% of programme participants were from a BAME background. This is well above the average BAME representation in Scottish Universities, calculated at around 9%.

And diversity, of every nature; gender, race, background, thought, makes everything more interesting, fun and ultimately more successful, in business as well in our personal lives.

However, I also believe that our background only tells a side of the story, the one that is behind us and is not necessarily defining what lies ahead. Opportunities to create, invent and succeed are at everyone’s grasp, and we should not let our past define us to the extent that it prevents us from seeing a different future.

Whilst I don’t mind the question about where I come from, I’d much prefer the one that asks where I’m heading.

Claudia Cavalluzzo, Director, Converge