Our team

The team behind HowtUyoga was born from a cohabitation experience: five students gathered in one of the many apartments hosting university students in Bari, Apulia. Five experimenters who ended up under the same roof by sheer chance in a space that, in a very short time, has taken on a special connotation: halfway between a dorm and an improvised coworking space.
Ivano Bilenchi

Ivano Bilenchi

Research assistant at the Polytechnic University of Bari and enrolled in the master’s course in Computer Engineering: solitary, ironic and meditative, to him we owe the order and method which have guided the development of the project as well as insight on technical details such as the distribution of learning resources via the web.

Francesco Forina

Francesco Forina

Full-time Mechanical Engineering student specializing in automotive technologies, is naturally predisposed to the attention to detail, be it technical or linguistic. He contributed to the project by importing his knowledge in the field of coffee and related industry.

Francesco Paolo Lagrasta

Francesco Paolo Lagrasta

Graduate student in Energy Engineering, now attending the master’s course in Management Engineering: participatory and resourceful, he believes in contamination and involvement. He motivated the group and contributed widely to many areas of the projects, such as the Tanzanian context and cost analyses.

Luca Latini

Luca Latini

Enrolled in the bachelor’s degree course in Mechanical Engineering: organized, methodical and dutiful, he offered his knowledge regarding solar thermal and biomass plants, applying it to the inherent energy issues of the project.

Lorenzo Parrulli

Lorenzo Parrulli

Medicine and Surgery student, is the eclectic soul of the group: passionate about biology, botany and underwater fishing, he proposed the very first sketch of the idea behind HowtUyoga, and contributed research into the nutritive and medical properties of the suggested fungal species.

Our partners

SDSN logo

United Nations' Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has been operating since 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Lavazza logo

The Giuseppe and Pericle Lavazza Foundation

Established in 2004, the Lavazza Foundation aims to provide and support charitable initiatives across the world in health, social care and environmental protection particularly in coffee-producing countries in in collaboration with such organizations as ICP (International Coffee Partners) and Save the Children, among others.

Polytechnic University of Bari logo

Polytechnic University of Bari

The Polytechnic University of Bari is an Italian public University offering scientific and technological programmes. The Polytechnic forms perspective architects, engineers and industrial designers and issues a wide range of academic qualifications. It is one of the main research poles of southern Italy.

Our advisors

Prof. Barbara Scozzi
I strongly believe that empowering and mobilizing young people with different talents and backgrounds is essential to address the sustainability challenges. HowtYouga perfectly exemplifies my belief: five creative and brilliant students, with backgrounds as different as engineering, medicine and management, together were able to design - and are now trying to implement - an extremely interesting circular economy project, which contributes to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals. I had the pleasure and chance to coordinate their work: their enthusiasm and passion are catching; their ability to gather different talents, knowledge and skills are really amazing! Barbara Scozzi, associate professor of Business and Management Engineering, Politecnico di Bari (Italy)
Mario Cerutti
[ ... ] Lavazza deeply cares about inspiring and being inspired by young, talented students, through the sharing of reflections and future visions. [ ... ] I hope that the trip to Tanzania can be an important educational opportunity for them, and I trust that it will bring significant added value to the projects we support through the Lavazza Foundation. Mario Cerutti, Chief Institutional Relations and Sustainability Officer, President of the European Coffee Federation