A Wish Come True? My Own Company
In speaking with Irene Giani, her desire to be an entrepreneur is evident, as are her commitment to absorbing professional skills and experiences and her passion for the beauty industry. But perhaps what is really striking is her enthusiasm in launching a startup, which is not only a business choice but also a lifetime choice, if you consider all the years that are required to drive its growth. After all, the Bocconi alumna chose to pursue a Master of Science in Marketing Management precisely because "I wanted to closely follow products and services to bring them to the end consumer, understanding who my customer is and how to best highlight the DNA of each product division," explains Ms Giani. She is CEO of Deeva.it, a company specialized in the provision of home beauty services founded in April 2023 together with Yan Cataldo, now present in Turin and Milan.
For her, entrepreneurship is a passion but also a strong propensity that runs in the family blood. "My mother had a perfumery and beauty center and I would go to clients' homes with her. My father still works as an entrepreneur. It is therefore not surprising that I have always had a great desire to work, to get involved," says Irene Giani, smiling. "Since the second year of my undergraduate degree at Bocconi I started working as a computer science tutor at the university. Then, in the first year of my graduate degree I did an internship at Facile.it, where I stayed for about seven years. I was able to be part of its entire trajectory from startup to unicorn. At the end of my career at Facile.it, I was working as head of a business unit specialized in selling insurance, which I had created myself.”
So today’s female entrepreneur was hired full-time by the price-comparison online platform while she was still writing the thesis for her Master of Science in Marketing Management. As added value of that long period at the online company, she carries with her both her IT and digital business skills and the experience of having interacted with senior interlocutors in the insurance industry, met in commercial contexts and at negotiating tables.
Her enthusiasm, however, does not overshadow the intellectual honesty of telling today’s students that “working while studying involves a lot of stress. Even though I wanted to finish my studies on time, I wanted to gain professional experience right away. But those who don’t have this drive should not feel behind. I finished my academic career early, which however remains a time in which you absorb so many different stimuli. Ideas that help you orient your career.”
The new company of the alumna from Novara was born with the support of a startup firm that validates business ideas coming from markets where they are already implemented and are successful. However, "before deciding to found Deeva.it, I not only made my business, professional and life assessments, but I also sought advice from other entrepreneurs and potential future clients," the alumna adds. "Today I still ask clients for comment on the usefulness of our services, and often feedback arrives very promptly, like those of working mothers or that wife who explained to me the importance of body care for her disabled husband, not only from an organizational and management point of view but above all for what it represents for a person who was used to grooming their personal appearance by themselves."
Today the beauty-at-home startup has also patented a shampoo basin and created its own ecosystem of professionals to accompanying them in their growth, for example through training courses, tax assistance and discussion sessions. “The added value of a startup, something which enables its progressive market consolidation, remains precisely that of understanding the needs of professionals and end consumers in the sector it operates, thus surrounding itself with a solid and valuable network,” concludes the female business founder.
