NxG Award 2022 - Finalist - Micaela Illy
Micaela Illy
Micaela is 4th Generation, Illy Caffe
Project Name: "EatsReady"
Year initiated: 2018
Project description: EatsReady is the first Italian startup to venture in the meal vouchers space in Italy, born out of the ambition of creating equal value for all market participants alike by leveraging technology and an innovative business model.
How does your project provide a solution to a problem or satisfy a specific need?
1. From paper / electronic meal vouchers -- painless administration and more sustainable
2. Fair pricing 50% commission reduction to restaurants
3. Transparency for all market participants
4. UX - from double payment to one-click payments
How do you create customer value?
Companies - better UX, easier administration, one click, instant emission of meal voucherRestaurants - reduced payment times, reduced commission, higher ticket value, digital adiminstationEmployees - loyalty scheme, improved user experience with one-click payment
How is your project innovative?
first fully digital meal voucher platform (more than 6 differnet native apps underlying)- disruptive pricing model
What is the most valuable mistake that you have made, and what did you learn from it?
ENDLEESSSS MISTAKES! And that is the whole point, we learn by doing, so the biggest lesson in our startup adventure is that with the right spirit you can overcome every obstacle, but only if you accept and learn from your failures - every failure is a lesson, which means if used well it is actually a progression and not a regression.
How being from a family business has impacted you as a person, and which influence this has in turn had on your project?
Well, first of all, it is highly likely that the entrepreneurial and risk-taking spirit stems from the family business. Most importantly though, our family business taught me the value of ethics in business and the stakeholder model, building purpose in our entrepreneurial adventures rather than pursuing short-term returns.