Graceanne LaCombe

Project Manager, Barilla Foundation and ALMA, the School of Italian Culinary Arts; Colorno, Italy

Born and raised in Louisiana, Graceanne came to Italy during the pandemic to pursue a Master’s degree of International Marketing Management at Università Cattolica in Milan. During her time in Milan, she started Books and Burgundy, a club that combined her two passions, literature and wine, and encouraged her colleagues to explore the liberty and creativity that could be found at the Italian table. Graceanne also worked remotely to help jumpstart a new project born after the pandemic: Going Rogue Farms, a regenerative, organic, and hand-tilling market-farm in Louisiana. She soon joined ALMA in the office of External Relations, specifically in their quest to broaden their presence in the United States, and as Project Coordinator for the 3-year E.U. funded LIFE project, LIFE Climate Smart Chefs, in which ALMA is an associated beneficiary and the Barilla Foundation is the coordinating beneficiary. During the last year of the project, Graceanne also joined forces with the Barilla Foundation as a Project Manager, for the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs project and other spin-off projects that involve the network of LIFE Climate Smart Chefs. Lastly, as a testament to her love and interest of the Italian cuisine, Graceanne maintains a column with Appetito Magazine, called Postcards from Parma, in which she writes on experiences she’s had moving from one boot (Louisiana) to another boot (Italy).