Of Italian-Romanian heritage, Francesca grew up in Turin, living in the south of France before moving to Brussels. She has worked across a range of very different projects including social entrepreneurship, social media and communications, research and culture. Most recently she has worked as a social worker in one of Brussels’ poorest neighbourhoods with an extremely vulnerable population.
Francesca is welcoming, dynamic, patient and creative when dealing with people.
Her work has focuses on the intersection of social work and entrepreneurship. Care, connection, sustainability and empowerment are key-values driving her both in her professional and personal life. Inspired by social innovation, Francesca facilitates communities to engage, develop projects and ultimately become self-managing.
- Intercultural approach – CBAI Centre Bruxellois d’Action Interculturelle (BE)
- Company creation academy – StarBoost (IT)
- Social enterprise open camp, gender smart investing – OPES-LCEF Impact Fund (IT)
- Build your future – YEPP Italia Youth Empowerment Partnership Programme (IT)
- Leadership, team management and communication training – Orso Social Cooperative (IT)
- B Psychological sciences and techniques – University of Turin (IT)
- Community development social worker – Habitat et Rénovation (BE)
- Solidarity and environnemental projects officer (service civique) – Fédération des acteurs de la solidarité FNARS (FR)
- Communication management and community development – MuFant | Fantasy and Science Fiction Museum (IT)
Expertise
Italian (native speaker)
French (fluent)
English (proficient speaking and writing)
Romanian (proficient speaking and writing)
Francesca's insights
Rue Haute
/// Project
Redevelopment of a social 400 unit housing complex in a dense inner-city neighbourhood fit for the 21st century.
Sonian Wood Cooperative
/// Project
Developing a cooperative to keep the wood from the Sonian Forest local.
Connecting Nature
/// Project
A European research program (H2020) developing nature based solutions: ‘bringing nature to cities and cities to nature’.
Adrian Hill
Adrian is a founding partner of the Osmos Network responsible for general operations with expertise in production in cities and ecological systems.
Eric Haas
Eric is a co-founder of the Osmos Network, focused on the organisation’s business development.
Hanne Van Reusel
Hanne is an Osmos Network partner bringing the team expertise on the commons, participative processes and the development of public space.
Julia Rocha
Julia is an Osmos collaborator with expertise in visual communications and public space.
Laurens Van der Cruyssen
Laurens is an Osmos Network partner bringing the network expertise in psychology, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and human-centred design.
Liana Simmons
Liana is an Osmos expert bringing the network a strong foundation in collaboration and cooperation to empower local and regional organisations and communities.
Marco Kooistra
Marco is a founding partner of the Osmos Network responsible for the organisation’s financial management. He brings the network extensive expertise in finance, fiscal strategy, business management and accounting.
Michael Kaethler
Michael is an Osmos expert bringing the network theoretical and methodological skills to address complex and systemic problems often rooted at an epistemological (knowledge) or ontological (being) level.
Nienke Schachtschabel
Nienke is an Osmos expert based Amsterdam (NL). She brings the network extensive experience in visual communication, design research and in agro-ecology.
Stephan Kampelmann
Stephan is a co-founder and expert of the Osmos Network bringing the network practical experience and theoretical knowledge on local economics, resource management and governance within bio-based production chains.
Toha De Brant
Toha is an Osmos expert bringing the network expertise in anthropology and years of practical experience with community building, advocacy and grass-roots development. As a passionate photographer, she also supports the team with documentation of events.