The event was expertly catered for by Little Naples Pizzeria in Ivanhoe who spoiled guests with traditional Neapolitan pizza, cured meats, salad, Calamari, handcrafted cannoli and much more.

ALTO events aren’t just about quality Italian food - although the spread is nothing short of spectacular every time - but rather exclusive talks with industry leaders who come from the Italian-Australian community.

The three guest speakers on the night were Dr Sandro Demaio, Catherine Cervasio and Mark Simari.

Demaio is a public health expert who is currently the CEO of VicHealth, Cervasio is the founder of skincare brand Aromababy and Simari is the co-founder of Paragon and current chairman of Careteq limited.

ALTO president Adrian D’Aprano welcomed everyone to the event before passing the mic to MC, optometrist and ALTO member, John De Francesco.

De Francesco began by giving everyone present his own eye wellness advice for those who are constantly staring at a screen as part of their work - “the 20-20 rule”. De Francesco says that every twenty minutes, people should look away from their screen and stare at something twenty metres away to mitigate the harmful effects screens have on our eyes. He also recommends regular eye tests and Omega-3 supplements.

From left to right: Catherine Cervasio, Dr Sandro Demaio, Mark Simari and MC John De Francesco

The guest speakers were first asked to speak about their roots and connection to Italy.

Simari’s father and mother emigrated to Australia from Calabria and Sicily respectively. “I get the best and the worst of both,” he joked.

Demaio is of mixed heritage, with an Australian mother and a Calabrian father. His nonno came to Australia during World War II and was interred at a prisoner of war camp while his nonna remained in Italy. “They didn’t see each other for ten years,” he shared.

Cervasio also has an Australian mother and an Italian father from Avellino, Campania. “We got brought up with a wide community of Italians, everybody came from the same village,” she recalled.

When asked about VicHealth’s current focus, Demaio referenced the health implications that can arise from economic factors.

“We know that young people in particular have been hit really hard by the pandemic,” he began.

“The cost of living has doubled food insecurity [while] kids are dropping out of organised sport.

“A lot of our focus has been on supporting those sectors recover [and] getting participation back up and making sure that income isn’t a barrier to those opportunities for young people.

“The other big challenge that we’re facing at the moment, which I’ve been very vocal about, is the rise of e-cigarettes.”

Cervasio was then asked about her business’ attitude towards the wellness of the environment, causing her to bring up how Aromababy tackles waste. “When you make olive oil, the waste can be up to 85 per cent,” she said, referencing an ingredient the company uses.

“My research was to look at ways … to stabilise the waste. How could we extract some goodness out of it? How can we use it in cosmetics or beauty products?

“I think there’s an enormous opportunity … [But] I think we have a long way to go.”

Simari was asked to share his view on the role technological innovation plays in healthcare, particularly in the context of senior healthcare. “Technology has been lagging, both in aged care and assisted living,” he said.

“There’s change coming, which is great. Technology is going to play a massive role [in things like] fall detection, working towards fall prevention, vital signs monitoring and medication management.

“I can’t tell you how many elderly people fall in the bathroom in their home, and people don’t know about it for days on end.

“It’s a really sad way to go, and so part of what we do … is try and make a difference in that space and use technology … to create a safer environment in the home.”

The experts then shared their views on a range of other topics such as working from home, managing people and strategies for avoiding burnout from work.

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