Stay Informed!

Be the first to know with our newsletter! By subscribing, you’ll receive exclusive community updates, news and events straight to your inbox.

48th Anniversary Gala Weekend Schedule

OMNI SHOREHAM HOTEL
2500 Calvert Street NW, Washington, D.C.

 

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
(West Registration Desk)
 NIAF Information Desk
Pick up your weekend schedule here, renew your NIAF membership and learn more about the Foundation’s activities at the NIAF West Registration Desk!
 

 
9:00 a.m.– 3:30 p.m.
 NIAF Forum
Join the National Italian American Foundation as we celebrate the best of Italian heritage and culture, our 2023 Region of Honor Emilia-Romagna, and the importance of the Italian Diaspora! All the NIAF Forum seminars are free and open to the public, and a great way for Italians and Italophiles to connect with the Bel Paese!
 

 
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
(Palladian Ballroom)		 Fighting stereotypes: the real reputation of Italian Americans and the Italian diaspora
The TV and Movie industries created the Italian American stereotypes we know today. These stereotypes do not reflect the extraordinary impacts of Italian American individuals of all ages and economic backgrounds on the cultural and economic advancement of the United States. To address this, the Italian American Reputation Lab (IARL) is presenting an analytic report on how the historical and current Italian diaspora depict a very different narrative than the mainstream media of how Italian Americans have contributed to shaping the cultural and economic fabric of the United States.
  * This event is FREE and open to the public, but limited seating is available; for more information, please email Julia Kennedy at jkennedy@niaf.org
 

 
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
(Executive Room)
 The Future is Here! brought to you by Italian Scientists: Improving Cancer Care and Health with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
The use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms in cancer diagnosis, therapy, and medicine is rapidly being adopted in the clinical setting. Currently, these technologies are making an immediate impact on our ability to correctly detect, diagnose, and treat diseases like cancer, heart disease, and even infertility, improving patient’s lives. This symposium will feature how expert Italian and Italian/American clinicians are using AI and machine learning in their medical practices, and what future advances in this technology will mean for your healthcare.
  * This event is FREE and open to the public; for more information email tuc64806@temple.edu
 

 
10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
(Palladian Ballroom)		 Rethinking the Italian Diaspora
The relationship between the Italian diaspora and Italy has always been complex and changing overtime. The inclusion of the diaspora in the very same self-perceived identity of the country remains controversial. At the same time, much more can be done to develop the right synergies to generate win-win policies bringing benefits to both sides. We need to identify the interests at stake, the right stakeholders, and the most suitable policies to enhance such partnership. This panel co-organized by NIAF and Luiss University aims to bring together some of the most significant civil society organizations of the Italian diaspore from six key countries.
  * This event is FREE and open to the public, but limited seating is available; for more information, please email Julia Kennedy at jkennedy@niaf.org
 

 
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
(Ambassador Ballroom)
 U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies – Victoria J. Mastrobuono Education Luncheon featuring Anita McBride Former Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush
From Martha Washington to the current First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, these influential women have broken barriers and made a mark on our country through their unique position to influence American society, policy, diplomacy, and the life in the White House. Join NIAF for a special luncheon featuring a conversation with co-author of the very first textbook on U.S. first ladies, Anita McBride to celebrate the release of U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies. Anita McBride was assistant to President George W. Bush and Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush. She is a founding member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE). She directs the Legacies of America’s First Ladies Initiative at the American University here in Washington, where she serves as executive-in-residence in the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in the School of Public Affairs. Anita is also NIAF’s Vice Chair National board and board member of the National Council of White House History at the White House Historical Association.  The discussion will be moderated by Michael LaRosa, former Press Secretary to First Lady Jill Biden.

* This is a TICKETED EVENT; for more information, click here.
 

 
12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
(Palladian Ballroom)
 Defining the Italian Diaspora in the Twenty-first Century: Research and Professional Development
Join Dr. Fred L. Gardaphé, Distinguished Professor of English and Italian American Studies, Queens College, CUNY, Silvana Mangione, Deputy Secretary General for extra-European Anglophone Countries of the General Council of Italians Abroad, Dr. Anthony Julian Tamburri, Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute and Distinguished Professor of European Languages and Literatures for panel discussion on the status of Italian Diaspora Studies and its international aggregate. Particular focus will be on the national and international network that began to take hold after the 2014 international meeting at the Rockefeller Foundation Center in Bellagio, Italy, organized by the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute. Three fundamental projects will be discussed: (1) the Calandra Institute’s Italian Diaspora Studies Summer Seminar administered in partnership with Roma Tre University; (2) the Diaspore Italiane series of international conferences conceived by the Calandra Institute and CO.AS.IT of Melbourne, Australia; (3) the four-volume series of books on the Italian diaspora in the four extra-European anglophone zones (United States, Canada, Australia, Republic of South Africa), sponsored by the General Council of Italians Abroad and the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute.

* This event is FREE and open to the public, but limited seating is available; for more information, please email Julia Kennedy at jkennedy@niaf.org
   
 

 
1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
(Executive Room)
 Film Screening: A.P. Giannini – Bank To The Future
Directors Valentina Signorelli and Cecilia Zoppelletto present their documentary on Amadeo Peter Giannini, the son of Italian immigrants in San Francisco, who revolutionized the world of finance supporting low-income workers during historic economic crises. From the Gold Rush and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to the Great Depression and World War II. Giannini’s impact extends to the creation of Bank of America, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marshall Plan, and masterpieces like “The Kid,” “It Happened One Night,” and “Snow White.” Featuring exclusive archive footage, interviews, and locations.

* This event is FREE and open to the public, but limited seating is available; for more information, please email Julia Kennedy at jkennedy@niaf.org
 

 
2:15 p.m.– 3:30 p.m.
(Palladian Ballroom)		 Harnessing the power of the global Italian diaspora 
Italy is a country characterized, in the past as in the present, by a high rate of emigration. To date more than 80 million of Italian oriundi are estimated to be in the world (more than the Italian population), generating US$2.5 billion of GDP, with particular relevance in the Americas. The Italian diaspora is a success story that has helped leave a widespread imprint of “Italianness” in the arts, science, economics, finance, politics, as well as in entertainment and sport. In a context of great geopolitical and economic change, each country must make the best and fullest use of all its tangible and intangible resources. Indeed, many major countries are implementing specific actions to strengthen ties with their diasporic communities. Likewise, Italy has in its diaspora an established asset, both economically and relationally. Through a forward-looking political and strategic vision the country can harness the power of the global Italian diaspora and create coalition of partners, sharing common interests, that can contribute to the prosperous development of the bilateral relations and the common good for the world.
  * This event is FREE and open to the public, but limited seating is available; for more information, please email Julia Kennedy at jkennedy@niaf.org
 

 
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
(Ambassador Ballroom)

 Campari Aperitivo
Get the night started right with the NIAF Aperitivo reception courtesy of Campari. Sip on Campari’s signature cocktails while the DJ spins international beats.
 

 
7:00p.m. – 10:00 p.m. NIAF 48th Anniversary Awards Gala
Join leaders in business, politics, and the arts at the NIAF 48th Anniversary Gala. The black-tie dinner will celebrate the 2023 Region of Honor, Emilia-Romagna, the Global Italian Diaspora and the 2023 honorees.
 

 
9:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. NIAF After Hours Celebration
Unwind Italian style after the gala with NIAF’s After Hours Celebration. Enjoy a Venetian Hour featuring Italian desserts, libations and music.
 

 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
(Holy Rosary Church, 595 3rd St NW )		 Mass in Italian
Conclude your weekend at Holy Rosary Church, the Italian National Parish of Washington. Holy Rosary Church was established in 1913 to serve the Italian immigrants who first lived in its immediate neighborhood.
  * This event is FREE and open to the public.