Giuliano Picchi

Giuliano Picchi is a cultural manager and creative economy specialist with expertise in cultural leadership, entrepreneurship, and academic research on art systems and markets, including their business models and gatekeeping dynamics. He holds certifications in Cultural Diplomacy and International Cooperation from ISPI Milan and in Intellectual Property from WIPO in Geneva, a Master's degree in Economics and Management of Arts and Culture from Ca' Foscari University in Venice, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Sapienza University in Rome.   

Giuliano founded the international NGO UNITA – United Talents for the Future, focusing on experimental multidisciplinary projects that support creative careers and promote research on the broader socio-economic impact of cultural and creative activities. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Scenography Today, an online magazine that promotes mobility and excellence in the scenic arts.   

At MIT, he serves as a Cultural Entrepreneur in Residence in the MITdesignX program, where his work focuses on micro-entrepreneurship for students and professionals from creative disciplines. He is a fellow at Harvard University in the Cultural Agents group, where he explores the measurability of creative practices’ impact on health, education, and civic engagement.  

 In urbanism, his research interests center on the relationship between cultural assets and the performance of other urban systems. He inquires how arts and creative products can lead to behavior changes and serve as a bridge, enabling citizens to contribute their insights and preferences to co-design and co-governance applications and to the datasets that inform future generative AI models shaping the city.