Testimonials

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Valeria is one of the best workshops facilitators I’ve ever worked with. She invents motivating, intelligent challenges full of sense, she delivers face to face or online with the same energy and kindness.”

Sebastien Bauer

Program director, Social Innovation & Change, Professor of Entrepreneurship, TBS Business School, Barcelona (Spain)

Working with Valeria is so pleasant. She is very profesional, passionated and full of energy and creativity! And most important: she is able to easily transmit all of it to the audience 👏👏👏. I am looking forward to working with you again..”

Pascal Bourbon

Affiliate Professor and Program director, TBS Business School, Barcelona (Spain)

Having Valeria as our mentor for the Zero Ashok Impact Replication project was both fun and useful. Being a social entrepreneur herself she is clear on how to shape your business model…She ably fine tunes your ideas to give them shape. Her ability to both add to ,and actually perk up your communication, is worth mentioning…Valeria takes her role seriously, keen to follow up ,participate in discussions, and most importantly makes work fun….. I like her work and working with her!

Meera Shenoy

Founder, Youth4Jobs, Hyderabad (India)

The is no doubt that Valeria is one of the most remarkable members of Catalyst 2030! Her proactivity, positive leadership and incredible capacity to build teams and facilitate them to achieve their goals, just makes her a role model for this global network of social entrepreneurs! It is a real pleasure to work with Valeria, her ability to connect with people, make them feel included and heard and get the best of each one of them is just inspiring. Her level of commitment is outstanding, and she has the great capacity to be involved in multiple initiatives of the network and succesfully help them achieve their objectives. Looking forward to keep working closely with Valeria! We are really lucky to have her as a Catalyst 2030 member, her contribution to this network has been impressive! 

Susana Del Mar Ramirez

Country Coordinator, Catalyst 2030, Global

During the time I worked with Valeria, she has approached my early stage start up with enthusiasm and encouragement. As with most micro business start up’s encouragement is a key factor in moving ahead especially in the planning stages. Valeria helped me set goals and made me accountable for them . I have frequently appreciated her because she keeps me accountable to my goals, challenging me when I didn’t meet them or helping me when I needed external insight to meet them. My business, Saisha Ayurveda is a skin care retail business that has a lot of clogs in the machine from supply chain management and regulations to marketing ,branding and packaging. Valeria has been a particularly good sounding board for me in terms of the marketing and branding and has helped me stay on track and avoiding any major bottlenecks. Valeria’s role to ensure ‘I am accountable’ for my actions and to challenge my thought process has moved my business from formulations to market ready products in a much quicker span of time than expected. The thought process she has trained me in has helped me manage my time to focus on achieveing my highly valuable goals. I now have the ability to create a clear direction and to be in control of my time to ensure Saisha Ayurveda’s success. Having improved my focus and direction, I am now enjoying the journey so much more. Thank you Valeria!

Namitha Muthukrishnan

Founder, Saisha Ayuverda, London (UK)

I was privileged to be part of the Tourism Allies Global Talent Impact Program as a Research and Ecosystem Analyst Intern. Valeria was an amazing supervisor who guided me through my research internship with a key interest in enabling me to grow both professionally and personally. Professionally, she took time to teach me new analytical and research skills and gave me an opportunity to own the process through co-creating my mandates and learning journey. Valeria was keen to enabling us, all the interns, to grow in areas we were interested in thus she gave me opportunities to hone my leadership skills through leading intern teams and owning the internship experience. One of my key takeaways from the Global Talent Impact is getting to experience the power of collaboration and collective intelligence as I worked together with other interns and Valeria on different projects.

She also was and is a great career mentor in the social impact/innovation sector who was ready to listen and guide. I worked on social innovation projects and sessions with her where I learnt a lot about sustainability, transformative change and the social impact world. I particularly appreciate this as she identified my passion in the sector and gave me the platform to learn and grow.

She was keen in creating a work environment that was fun, that built relationships and that was productive which made working quite interesting and lovely. I enjoyed chatting with Valeria about development, international experiences and life as she was passionate and ready to share her experiences and views of the world.Her passion for transformative change in the world is amazing and I am privileged to be associated with her. I plan to continuously keep engaging with Tourism Allies as I love what they stand for and I am grateful for the opportunity to keep enagaging.

Dawn Chemoiwa

Global Talent, Tourism Allies

I had an opportunity to work with Valeria when our program was selected by Zero Project for the impact transfer. The project lasted for 6 months. She was our mentor. She was so committed. We had fortnightly meetings to check on the progress. Her inputs on the business model, impact model, and transfer model were very good and worth mentioning. Finally, she helped improved our project presentation and the process that brought out the strength of the program and simplified the impact transfer process. We felt comfortable and enjoyed working with her on this project. We hope others benefit from her skills too.

Ramesh Duraikannan

Program manager - College Connect, Youth4Jobs Foundation, Hyderabad (India)

As part of the great privilege, we at Access Israel had this year, to be chosen as one of the ten selected projects by Ashoka’s Impact Transfer program, with our Mystery costumer project and to be one of the projects selected by Project Zero as an innovating leading project for replication, I received a huge gift that is Valeria.

From day one, Valeria, who was assigned to me as a mentor throughout the program, understood our project perfectly, asked questions that made me think and raised new ideas all the time that already improve the existing product, and all along saw the great potential and how it should be presented and replicated.

Our sessions were very professionals in a very pleasant, instructive, goal-oriented atmosphere and always with a smile! There is a big difference in managing such a complex process, and even more when it is remotely through zoom, when done with a person who on the one hand is professional and very busy but on the other hand, so pleasant, without a drop of condescension and always give the feeling that our time is equally important.

As it was my first opportunity to experience a program that incorporates diverse worlds of business development, thanks to Valeria, who helped me to finetune the impact strategy, replication and marketing strategy of our service I now feel I know how to look at the service we offer from other angles, how to ask the questions that will promote it and keep it relevant to the worlds we want to enter as well as an understanding of investor-entrepreneur relationship. We also worked on storytelling and pitch preparation for the Zero Conference in Vienna that helped me a lot to at the end perform in front of all these people.

I’m 100% sure my experience wouldn’t have been the same without Valeria!

Thank you so much again for all the support and help.
Lilach.

Lilach Segal

Project manager and Accessability consultant , Access Israel

Valeria is an energizer and an inspiring social entrepreneur. Valeria’s fascinating journey has led her to deal with challenging societal problems at a local and global level such as over-tourism, and as a brilliant entrepreneur she builds and creates projects and solutions, takes different strategies –policy changing, grassroot works with the people and flips every stone to promote a solution. I participated with Valeria in the Ashoka Mediterranean Visionary Program. Throughout the program, Valeria connected with people, led the teamwork, made sure to build organized programs, and connected very different and diverse people to common challenges. Today we are collaborating on a new project, a movement striving for co-existence between people around the Mediterranean and Europe regions. Valeria continues to promote the connection between the people and is constantly looking for more places to impact. She is undoubtedly one of the most exciting entrepreneurs and managers I have ever met.

Elik Almog

Co-founder and CEO, OtheReality, Israel

“Valeria is an attentive listener and an active group member. She immediately engages with helpful questions and takes responsibility for the outcomes of group activities. If you are to attend a workshop or any kind of training you wish for team members like her. In her role as a consultant, Valeria balances very well the need to go ahead and focus on the content as well as on the personal situation of her client. Especially, when external circumstances are challenging, she is open to change plans and puts herself in the shoes of her client. This is very helpful for me since circumstances and hence the project had to be adapted and changed. Valeria always refers back to the core mission and purpose and she makes one realise where to focus. Additionally, she is very supportive with creative ideas and thinking from different perspectives. She draws from her wide experiences as Social Entrepreneur as well as Marketing expert. I always leave our sessions with good intentions and a set of priorities and a big smile:)

Katja Teuchmann

Co-Founder , SafaTalents NPO, Vienna (Austria)

I worked with Valeria as she was my supervisor when I took part in Tourism Allies’ Global Talent Impact Program in the summer of 2022. She is highly organised and helped me carefully through every step of the internship programme while still allowing me independence to grow and learn.
During one of our first meetings we laid out goals and expectations which I thought was incredibly helpful because it enabled me to understand what the expectations were of me and how the organisation could help me achieve my goals also. I was able to be challenged but also supported, for example she was able to check in with me to see if felt comfortable with the tasks set whilst also allowing me creative freedom. The environment that was created was very safe and collaborative. I was able to learn new skills from her like teambuilding, how to hold meetings correctly and record minutes and agendas. These key skills I learnt I will take on in the future and thus I am very grateful to have this level of tailored mentorship.
Being more confident in my designing was one of the tasks that I had set myself going into this project from the very beginning and I’m so proud that I’ve managed to achieve this with Valeria’s help. Moreover, I hope to use my experience and growth in confidence with Tourism Allies to go forward and create a successful design and illustration career. I would enjoy working on a project like this again and it has definitely given me an insight into the world of sustainability and how I can contribute with my design work.
In regard to my future, I plan to stay engaged with the organisation after my internship ends. I’m so grateful that I am able to continue the relationship with the organisation because I love what they stand for and love working with the team. I can tell that the organisation really values the people that they work with and I really appreciate that. Finally, I really value contributing to something bigger than myself and the goals of the organisation and Valeria is something that is truly admirable.

Fi Hanson

Tourism Allies' Global Talent Impact Program Participant, Overtourism Solution, Remote

Valeria is a brilliant communicator and a creative mind. She is always ready to support your work and to look for solutions…she is unrestless! In particular, she supported my organization in structuring the yearly international event Making the Change Happens, bringing many insights on how to raise the effectiveness of communications, how to increase the positive impact for the community of Ascoli Piceno and certainly her sharp contributions raised the level of attention of the attendees and of our international network. 

Silvia Silvozzi

Partnership development & Program manager, Bottega del Terzo Settore, Ascoli Piceno (Italy)

Valeria is an inspiring person with a lot of positive energy. We attended together the Ashoka Visionary Programme in Athens and she had a very active role within the group, always ready to propose new ideas and assist others. In the focus groups that we worked together, I noticed her analytical thinking and her innovative spirit. She provided new perspectives and solutions that would be considered out of the box. Her communicative skills and her continuous energy motivated the whole group! 

Giannis Vikas

Social Entrepreneurship Development Officer, Athens Development and Destination Management Agency, Athens (Greece)

Valeria is a visionary leader and an inspiring mentor. I feel so lucky for the opportunity I had to learn from her and to support the mission of Venezia Autentica. Through my internship I was given incredible learning and growth opportunities, individualized mentorship, and opportunities to go above and beyond. I was challenged but also felt seen and supported, and felt like I could truly be myself at work. In one summer, we were able to accomplish so much more than we had originally outlined in the job description thanks to Valeria’s leadership and mentorship. She held me accountable, provided useful feedback, and pushed me to the best of my capabilities. Being able to learn from a creative and interdisciplinary entrepreneur like Valeria has inspired my own plans to pursue a career in sustainability and social innovation. 

Alice Romanov

Intern, Venezia Autentica (Italy)

Valeria is always ready to get involved into your project. She works on it as if it were her own. She has strong values in social awareness, helping other and a great work ethic. I have seen her build communities around social and cultural subject, she is really a great asset for your projects. Valeria has been a great asset during the creation of my film production company Film Searchers. Her help in communication and digital marketing lead me to save a lot of time in content creation for my website. Her business acumen and customer-first approach were crucial in identifying and defining my strategy and niche. I definitely recommend working with Valeria on your venture. She is always encouraging, ready to get involved and eager to give you relevant business advices. 

Amael Lounkokobi

Founder, Film Searchers (France)

“I was fortunate to be linked to the highly skilled Ashoka mentor Valeria Duflot as part of the Zero Project Impact transfer programme. Valeria is an excellent social entrepreneur and systems innovator, and her passion for making a positive impact is evident in everything she does. She is an exceptional communicator with great patience and empathy to support us in framing our scaling strategy and public speaking competencies. Valeria acted as both facilitator and coach during our sessions. She supported us in leveraging our skills and vulnerabilities to showcase the project’s innovative aspects to drive positive change. Working with Valeria was a pleasure, as she brought a unique blend of clarity, creativity, energy, and expertise to support us with our Impact Transfer Programme. I know Valeria will continue to make a meaningful impact in her work and inspire those around her to do the same.”

Sarah Gavra Boland

Assistive Technology Facilitator, Saint John of God Community Services Liffey Services (Irelan)

“Our paths crossed with Valeria in the summer of 2022. We have started conversations about spending my mandatory internship period for my master’s program with Tourism Allies. She was quite kind, understanding, and patient from the very beginning of the process. She was willing to assist in any way she could. She never compromised her professionalism while making things easy for everyone. So we made a great start, and I started working with her as a research intern in the fall of 2022.Working with Valeria is definitely an unusual and unique experience. She is a professional who cares about people, listens to their thoughts and wishes, and always tries to find the middle ground. She takes her job very seriously and cares about the people she works with. She is not just a professional who cares about work and what needs to be done but also about the well-being of the people she works with. It is an invaluable, hard-to-find feeling in today’s business world. She was always in close contact with the people she worked with from the very beginning of the process; everything was planned in such a way that the individual boundaries and spaces of the people were respected. She gives people space to develop, expand their imagination, be proud of their work, and be happy. She is a very supportive, encouraging, and positive leader.She is quite good at managing challenging processes, both personally and professionally. She is a unique mentor. It’s inspiring to chat with her and talk about work.In a professional sense, she has a lot to add to society, the future, the world, and individuals. Her ideas and vision are exciting and impressive. During my internship / volunteer period, she did not hesitate to transfer her knowledge and expertise, not only in the field of research but also in many interdisciplinary fields. I have learned things in many different fields beyond what I thought I could learn. Working with Valeria and assisting her in implementing her values and thoughts has added a lot to me and brought me joy. I am happy and proud to be a member of the community in which she is involved.”

Ezgi Nur Celik

Tourism Allies' Global Talent Impact Program Participant, Overtourism Solution, Remote

Valeria Duflot speaking in Greece
Valeria Duflot speaking in Greece

Thank you for the exceptional presentation! We need to plan ahead in order to preserve our city-system!

Member of the audience from a speech

 I really enjoyed your sessions on systems change and ecosystem mapping. You came across as a genuine educator. Your material resonated most with my team’s work.

Participant in an innovation program

Thank you for sharing your experience today. It was really inspiring!

Participant in a professional training

valeria duflot valeriaduflot.com 26
valeria duflot valeriaduflot.com 37

Thank you for these 2 days of workshops that really helped me progress. I have been able to learn new mechanisms that will help me in my future life and projects.

Louis

Student, Bachelor in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, TBS Business School

Thanks for these 2 days, it was a really interesting and relevant module. It will really help us with our project. You are a great teacher who knows how to capture and maintain our attention and make learning interesting and fun through projects and exchanges between peers. I have learnt a lot.

Chloe

Student, Bachelor in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, TBS Business School

Really interesting. Allows understanding how to really approach a problem rather than focusing on its symptoms. Of all that we have done [during this bachelor], according to me, these 2 days have been the most insightful on how to handle a social problem. Really pleasant and human facilitator. 2 really good days!

Do not change, you know how to keep the attention and it is very important!

Loved to work on real problems that exist and on problematics of today and tomorrow!

Very relevant! Clear explanations of several methods. As you are an entrepreneur and social innovator yourself, we were able to understand your methodology and will be able to use these techniques and tips in our future projects

The methodologies were really useful. Thank you!

The group exercises were very interesting!

Thanks a lot! I am now able to solve problems taking into account what is around them!

This was very interesting! It really helped me change my vision of social innovation and allowed me to better understand how a real project is being built!

It made us challenge ourselves and our thinking! Great!

I enjoyed thinking outside the box and being creative!

Very interesting! Really liked it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn How it Works!

Does Valeria PROVIDEs her services IN PERSON OR REMOTELY?

Both. It all depends on what's the most adapted to meet your objectives and the needs of your target audience.

Feel free to reach out to discuss how Valeria could help. You can also read some testimonials about her work to give yourself an idea of how it is to work with Valeria.

What are Valeria's working languages?

Valeria can provide services in French(Native), English(Bilingual) and Italian (fluent), with a preference for the English Language.

Feel free to reach out to discuss how Valeria could help. 

Can Valeria help start new ventures, ecosystems and other impactful initiatives?

Absolutely. As someone who has been constantly starting new initiatives and communities for the past 15 years, this is the primary focus in Valeria's on-demand leadership and venture-building roles. 

Is Valeria interested in non-profit board and comittee roles?

Yes. If this is the right fit, of course.

Tell her more about what you have in mind here.

Is Valeria open to collaborations?

Of course! You can learn more about Valeria's interests and philosophy here and discover some of the projects she is engaged in here.
Do feel free to send her a note to discuss what you have in mind.

Is Valeria available for short-term consulting projects?

Yes, Valeria is available for short-term consulting projects. Whether you need assistance with a specific challenge or require strategic advice, her consulting services can be tailored to meet your project's needs.

How does fractional leadership differ from traditional leadership roles?

Fractional leadership allows your organization to access high-level leadership expertise on a part-time basis. Valeria can serve in a fractional leadership capacity, providing strategic direction without the need for a full-time commitment.

ARE PROGRAMS STANDARDISED OR CUSTOM CRAFTED?

The content of Valeria's coaching programs is completely personalized to your needs. The format can be either set or custom-crafted.

Her workshops' content and formats are created based on or adapted to your objectives and that of your audience.

On the testimonials page, you can read feedback from coachees, mentees and students.

 

where is Valeria the most helpful?

Valeria is a great thought partner to help you imagine innovative solutions to your problems and devise your business, impact, marketing and communication strategies and models at all stages of your journey. Her focus is data-driven and user-centric.

By bringing a practical and transversal mind and diverse talents and experiences to your project, she can also help you understand how to implement strategies and lead their implementation as an on-demand innovation executive or ecosystem builder.

Her diverse expertise and experiences  are precious allies to help deliver on your objectives.

Read more about Valeria, her services or reach out to learn more.

Is group coaching or advising possible?

Yes, absolutely. Let Valeria know what you have in mind.

What are the advantages of interim leadership, and when is it suitable?

Interim leadership is beneficial when starting a new project or during transitional periods, such as leadership changes or organizational restructuring. Valeria can step in temporarily, turning vision into concrete projects or ensuring continuity, stability, and effective decision-making.

Is fractional leadership suitable for small or startup organizations?

Absolutely. Fractional leadership is adaptable to organizations of all sizes. Valeria's expertise can be particularly valuable for startups, providing strategic direction without the full commitment of a full-time executive.

DOes Valeria ENGAGE IN 1 ON 1 coaching or advising?

Absolutely. Valeria loves 1 on 1 coaching sessions!
You can take a look at mher coaching programs and reach out regarding specific advising needs.

Is it possible to engage Valeria as a consultant?

Yes. If the project is the right fit. Valeria's consulting style is a strategic and operational one. She does not create reports but help build projects and organisations,

Get in touch with her to explore how she could help you.

What is EIR, and how can it benefit my organization?

EIR stands for Entrepreneur in Residence. Valeria's EIR services involve providing experienced entrepreneurial leadership to your organization, bringing innovation, strategic insight, and problem-solving skills.

Can Valeria assist in specific areas of consulting related to innovation and impact?

Yes, Valeria specializes in consulting for innovation, impact, and ecosystem building. Whether you need guidance on strategy, project development, or team dynamics, her consulting services are tailored to your needs.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COACHING AND CONSULTING?

Coaching: When Valeria coaches you, her role is to enable you to solve problems or change things for the better.

Consulting: When she is your consultant, she comes as the "expert" who will solve your problem(s) for you.

How does coaching work?

Depending on your needs, established during your first call with Valeria, you will set up objectives and a frequency of video calls and potential other touchpoints to which you and Valeira will commit and towards which you will work to bring you closer to your objectives.

You can see three ways you work work together here.

All conversations and coaching work are strictly confidential.

Reach out to Valeria to start the conversation!

 

Can I hire Valeria to help with execution?

Yes, she can - if the help you need is part of the skills she excels at and something she feel like investing time in.
Otherwise, Valeria will be happy to recommend someone from her network when possible.

Please note that execution comes at an extra cost to all coaching and consulting programs.

During coaching, will we focus only on work matters or also explore personaL QUESTIONS?

This depends on you, your needs, objectives, focus, Valeria's ability to help and on how much time you will spend together.

You can find Valeria's coaching programs here.

Valeria is not a therapist, mental health professional or social worker and her support in the personal realm will be limited to being a thought partner and helping you challenge some thought processes and habits.

However, Valeria does not believe in the separation between the personal and professional selves. but rather that we are one person that evolves in several environments.

As you know, taking care of the personal self has a huge impact on professional performance. Similarly, leading a fulfilling and balanced professional life is key to your overall wellbeing.

Depending on your objectives, focus and how much time you will spend together, you will explore more or less complexity and touch on the leverages that will most advance you to get to your goals.

Can Valeria help in developing and implementing innovative strategies?

Yes, Valeria excels in developing and implementing innovative strategies. Her leadership approach is geared towards driving innovation, solving challenges, and ensuring positive outcomes for your organization and society as a whole.

How does Valeria support the growth and well-being of team members?

Valeria is dedicated to fostering a supportive and growth-oriented work environment. Her leadership style emphasizes the well-being and professional development of team members, creating a positive and productive atmosphere.

How does Valeria approach team-building in an interim leadership role?

Valeria fosters a collaborative and empowering environment. In interim leadership, she focuses on aligning teams, driving results, and supporting individual growth, creating a positive impact on both the organization and the individuals involved.

Leadership Porfolio

Dive into Valeria's impactful leadership portfolio, spanning transformative ventures, strategic board and commitee roles, and pioneering initiatives.

Empowering Services

Discover Valeria's personalized services, spanning speaking, workshops, advising, training, and interim leadership, and explore how they can  support your path to success. 

Contact Valeria

Get In Touch Anytime!

When you engage Valeria's services for speaking, workshops, advising, training, or on-demand leadership roles, you can anticipate an experience tailored to your needs and that inspires and empowers you and your stakeholders. Leveraging her diverse expertise, she excels in engaging audiences, sharing practical insights, and cultivating an environment that nurtures collaboration, drives results, and fosters growth. Partner with Valeria to unlock collective and individual potential and achieve outstanding results. Get in touch today to discuss how she can support you and your project.

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