Education Is the Key
Her love for handicraftsover the years came from being close to her grandmother who was a seamstress. They would spend a lot of time together and she began to sew and embroider with her. Her passion has remained, increasing progressively before leading her to hold sewing and embroidery courses despite her completely different career. Then, at some point, her love for handcrafted goods was combined with the desire to create something of her own and this interest spilled over: Roberta Ligossi decided that she wanted to create her own company, what would become Ta-Daan, a European content e-commerce dedicated to contemporary handicrafts. But before its foundation in 2020, a crucial step was attending the Master in Arts Management and Administration (MAMA) at SDA Bocconi.
"I strongly believe that moments of doubt and uncertainty about the future often end up coinciding with new periods of education. Our struggles are what propel us to learn, to acquire new skills or to develop existing ones. They represent a drive to face challenges,” says Ligossi. She first obtained a Bachelor in philosophy from the University of Milan and after that a Master of Science in Management from Brunel University in London.
"I started working as a recruiter in the world of human resources for L'Oréal Italia and then at GC Governance Consulting, a boutique specializing in head hunting," recalls the young entrepreneur. She then started her studies at Bocconi and, in the meantime, became more aware of wanting to turn towards entrepreneurship. "There were two key moments in making this decision during MAMA: a trip organized by the university to discover the Tel Aviv startup ecosystem and a guest speaker from the Cologni Foundation during a class. In Israel, I opened my eyes to how to do business, for example how to prepare a pitch or organize fundraising. Then, thanks to the Cologni Foundation – that deals with the promotion of high-end Made in Italy craftsmanship – a light bulb went on for me: I wanted to launch my company in the world of handcrafted goods," she continues. She co-founded Ta-Daan with Costanza Tomba, Sara Pianori and Valeria Zanirato.
The e-commerce content site was founded as a digital magazine focused on contemporary craftsmanship. In 2023 it evolved as a digital commerce platform, but always maintaining a strong storytelling focus that goes beyond simple products, painting a full picture of both who the artisans behind the handicrafts are and what the production process is. "Launching Ta-Daan in 2020 – close to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic – was not easy. But from the beginning I had rolled up my sleeves, including in my search for co-founders," Ligossi points out. "Using the skills I had acquired as a recruiter, I looked for them among the Homo Faber ambassadors, the 105 young leaders at the exhibition-event organized by the Cologni Foundation on international artisan excellence, coming from art and design schools." This is why Ligossi met Tomba in Venice, who was later joined by Pianori and Zanirato.
Did she experience any personal fears or doubts? "Yes, I have, but my reaction is to activate my own personal antidote: curiosity," says the granddaughter of the seamstress-entrepreneur from Piacenza. Curiosity is a useful reaction for her when faced with struggles. "Let's try and see what happens," she says to herself. "It may be my personality, or it may be my background in philosophy, but I stay positive." This is her personal advice to today's young women students, ready to build their own personal model of a professional career.
