Celebrating a Decade of Romulus: 2018 Annual Summit in Rome
Depending on context, ten years can be everything or nothing. It can be an entire lifespan, or perhaps the start of something great, something lasting.
Earlier this month, in the heart of Rome in grand fashion, we reflected on and celebrated our ten-year anniversary in good company of our friends, entrepreneurs, and investors — the Romulus ecosystem — that has propelled us along the way. We quite literally ran around Rome on a (very competitive) scavenger hunt with our entrepreneurs (arguably won by #TeamPenne), ate at some of the best restaurants not only in Rome but in the world, and took in all that the city has to offer. Rome served as an inspirational backdrop to our annual Global Summit, providing real opportunity for engagement, relationship building, and the sharing of ideas.
So what does Krishna drinking a watermelon granita off of Ben’s head really have to do with anything, you ask? That’s up for debate. But the conversations that happened over gelato, through the cobbled streets, and in dimly lit lounges overlooking the city served as an opportunity for authentic engagement on topics including fundraising tactics, regional strategies and rationale for global expansion, and the ever-present bemoaning of hiring challenges.
By holding this celebration in Rome, we lived many of our values; we remained authentic to our culture, we espoused a global perspective, and we surrounded ourselves by the remains of an empire engineered to last. Even the room in which we held the Summit oozed inspiration with traditional Roman style in each detail.
Between informative, formal entrepreneur presentations, there were more informal opportunities to take advantage of the high-quality group of people that were gathered — to ask questions, problem solve, engage, and push one another to be audacious in the pursuit of victory. With over fifty attendees from 15+ countries, the Summit was truly a global affair, and the Romulus ethos invigorated each conversation and new idea. The Summit culminated in a group dinner at the one of the world’s greatest restaurants: La Pergola, with its 3 Michelin stars thanks to Chef Heinz Beck’s creativity and the inimitable view of Rome below us.
Our 10th anniversary Global Summit set the tone for the rest of the year and we have seen many entrepreneurs carry the momentum into quick wins in the days since the Summit. Whether it was the pizzeria in Trastavere or the Michelin stars, Rome served us all a reminder of what it takes to be great, and what it takes to last. We’re proud of what we have created over the last ten years and are even more excited about what’s to come in the next ten.
