Elisa Volanti
Elisa started her experience in food services sector in 2006. Since then, she has been showing a preference for pastry. During her professional path, she carried out various work experiences including, in 2010, that in the pastry laboratory of the renowned restaurant “Il San Domenico di Imola”, rewarded by the Michelin Guide by two stars. Here, she learned the main techniques of international pastry methods. Once gained the degree of “Technician for Professional Services in Food Services”, she started her adventure in the gelato world with Iceteam1927. She is responsible for the gelato school GelAteneo taking care of the demonstrations, both in Italy and abroad.
Jacopo Chelli
Born and raised in Bologna, the World\'s Capital of Gelato, since when he was a child he couldn\'t stay away from the most popular frozen dessert. Since 2014, after completing his scientifical studies, he decides to transform his passion in his job, and he starts to work in one of the oldest and most famous gelato shop in his city: Gelateria Gianni. There, producing up to 800kg of gelato every day, he learns the basis of a job with thousands of shapes and shades. From this launch pad he started, after numerous insights and continuous studies, to combine his passion for gelato with the one for traveling, making the firsts consultancies in Italy and abroad. Since January 2018 he collaborates with Iceteam1927 to spread the culture of real Italian artisanal gelato with courses, training and masterclasses around Europe and Asia.
Maurizio Paci
After completing his studies in food chemistry in 1972, he started with passion to work on Gelato. He started a collaboration with semi-finished products’ industries. In 1980, he moved to the United States to open an Ice-cream shop chain as a consultant. During that period, new ice-cream shops in San Diego in California were set up: they were called “Gelatamore”. He specialized in industrial plants and artisanal ice-cream. He attended a course of Food Science at San Diego University and achieved a Master Degree in Dairy Food Technology in 1985. When he got back to Italy, he started a collaboration with Coldelite - Iceteam 1927 for the development of new ice-cream machines. He created an innovative software called Smart5, which is a reference tool for any Gelatiere that wants to balance and know his own Gelato.
Giacomo Schiavon
Giacomo started to learn his actual activity working for many years at Gelateria PINO in Via Castiglione; Giacomo has been distinguished for his passion and his capacities. In 1994, when he was only 25 years old, he opened the \"Sorbetteria Castiglione\". Today \"La Sorbetteria\" has become an empire of gourmet and a temple of pleasure. Every year are consumed 2000 kilograms of pistachio paste, strictly selected, toasted and refined by him. He gained prizes for the best chocolate in the world in 1996, prized for his \"gianduia\" at the ice-cream exhibition in Viareggio and winner in \"the best on his sector in the world\" with the Passion Award 2009.
Filippo Guarnieri
Since the beginning of his career, he spends most of his time learning and developing his personal education by attending courses and in-depth studies taught by some of the most important trainers in the sector. In 2006 he starts managing his first training courses and he begins collaborating with different professional education realities in the fields of artisanal gelato and cold artisanal pastry both in Italy and abroad. In 2016 and 2017 he dedicates his energies almost exclusively to professional education managing the teaching of an important Italian academy in Rome. Since 2017 he is the technical consultant to several ALI Group companies, the world leader in the food production equipment. Moreover, since 2006 he is a technical consultant to gelaterie, pastry shops and manufacturing companies for third parties regarding the opening of new stores, the relocation on the market and the creation of gelato or pastry products.
Matteo Zini
I studied at the University of Bologna, the oldest University in the world, graduating with a Masters Degree in Economics and Trade Marketing. After three years experience as a Marketing Specialist for a large company in Italy, and after a six month trip around Australia in 2009, I decided it was time to use my skills and experience to evolve from a Gelato Lover to an international Gelato Master. The first step of this transformation was to study at GelAteneo. The course was taught by Giacomo Schiavon, owner of Bologna’s iconic and historically significant ‘La Sorbetteria Castiglione’. In 2013, with the help of a friend, I opened my very first Gelato parlour on the site of an old butcher’s shop in Bologna. Fittingly, we named it ‘La Macelleria’. In 2014, after learning the realities of running a successful Gelato business, we realised our vision and moved ‘La Macelleria’ to Brisbane, Australia. The store now has a reputation as one of the best Gelato parlours in Australia. Through Gelato and our dedicated education as Gelato Masters, we were able to move to the country we had dreamed of living in – a country we believed was in great need of an introduction to the True Art of Gelato. I have since become the official Brand Ambassador and Gelato Teacher for Iceteam1927 in Australia and Asia.
Giorgio Zanatta
Qualified pastry and gelato maker, Giorgio begins to accumulate experience from traditional venetian gelaterias After a few years as professional NCO of Italian Army – Mountain Troops, he returns to the Gelato’s world as an entrepreneur buying an Gelateria in Piedmont, Asti. At the same time continuing the coaching as assistant of the most famous Italian Gelato MasterChefs. Inflexible Director of a lot of Gelato festivals and events, he is a professional figure who brings knowledge of italian Gelato art to the world, a Gelato Master with the European certification UNI CEI EN 45013. Since 2007 Giorgio has been focusing his activity in the branch of "consulting & training" in Italy and abroad, specializing in start-ups. He collaborates with the most renowned magazines in the sector and numerous companies in the raw materials sector. In 2018 he joined the Iceteam 1927 staff as Gelato Chef.
Kamil Sitarz
Born in Gliwice, in the Polish region of Silesia. In 2012 Kamil started working for a company selling gelato equipment, which marked the beginning of his adventure. At that point he decided to open his own gelato shop in the future. He acquired the basic knowledge by studying the most famous gelato books and attending professional courses on gelato making. This was followed by his visits to the Galateneo school, in Bologna, where he had the opportunity to learn from Elisa and Giacomo. In 2015 he opened his first gelato shop, which quickly became very popular. This led to further development of his business and the opening of new shops. He continues to learn and is constantly looking for new inspirations, also related to pastry. He creates his own recipes and flavour combinations from scratch but his favourite gelato will always remain the classic vanilla. He also shares his experience and knowledge with others, offering trainings and advices on opening new gelato business across Poland. Since 2018 he has joined the Iceteam1927 Chef team as an official Gelateneo trainer.
Simone Porcelli
Pastry Chef
Simone was born in Rome in 1980. His passion for pastry and gelato and the opportunity to meet with great masters pushed him to gain a 360° knowledge on the art of baking. After his training and some work experience in Rome, he started working for one of the best pastry chefs in Europe, Andreas Acherer, member of Relais Dessert International. This was an experience that changed profoundly his way of perceiving pastry as well as enriching his professional knowledge. Thanks to this experience he had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Seminar of the Relais Dessert International in Nantes and experience in first person the professionalism and the expertise of the most important French Pastry Chefs. He worked as Executive Pastry Chef at Casa Manfredi (Viale Aventino, Rome), one of the best patisseries in Italy. Today he works as a pastry and gelato consultant in two Ali Group’s companies, he works as a school teacher and he forms many patisseries and gelato shops in Italy and abroad.
Gian Luca Demarco
Gian Luca boasts a twenty-year history in the culinary world. Since 2014, he has ventured into the realm of Lithuanian television thanks to the success of his Kulinarijos Studija. Today, he is on the small screens with the program La Maistas. Gian Luca graduated from the prestigious IFSE culinary school, near Turin, and he immediately began working in Michelin-starred restaurants. In 2017, he delved into the world of gelato and, through Maurizio Paci, became acquainted with Iceteam 1927. Since then, he has launched his own gelato brand, produced at Kulinarijos Studija, and now available in over 20 retail locations. In 2020, he began collaborating with Iceteam 1927 as a teacher of GelAteneo school. Among his most rewarding projects are two restaurants that provide catering to students from two high schools, thus promoting Mediterranean cuisine culture among young people. Furthermore, he is working on opening his new establishment, "Take a Break," aiming to evolve the traditional literary café concept.
Stefano Franceschi
Gelato Chef
From birth, he has been passionate about food and a chef by passion and profession. He started in the world of gelato in 1991 as a sales technician for a semi-finished products company, opening dozens of gelaterias and conducting training courses. In 1998, he opened his first gelateria in Quattro Castella and participated in international competitions. Since 2012, he has worked on the Gelato & Co project, expanding the business abroad, with locations in the Caribbean and the USA. Since 2023, he has collaborated with the Four Seasons group to create exclusive recipes for their restaurants.
Koji Oi
He has been involved in the gelato business since 2005. He started selling gelato machines in 2005. Later, he was responsible for the development of DELIZIEFOLLIE in Japan, a famous shop owned by Pellegrino Gaeta based in Paris also winner of the Best European Meister Award 2010-2007. Furthermore, in order to deepen his understanding of Italian culture, in 2011 he was involved in the development of the Italian food culture at the Japanese office of Eataly, which headquarter is in Turin, and deepened his knowledge of Italian food, ingredients and wines... Based on these experiences, he was involved in the launch of the café business at Marubishi in 2014, and from 2019 he works as a full-fledged demonstrator for "Cattabriga" as a seminar lecturer and exhibition demonstrator in major cities in Japan. While working as a demonstrator, he develops recipes and spread information not only on the gelato machine but also on Italian industry, lifestyle and culture through exhibitions and seminars.
Cristian Monaco
Gelato Chef
Cristian Monaco comes from a thirty-year family tradition in pastry. Growing up in the family workshop, he developed a passion for gelato in 2005, creating the Gelaterie Mamò brand, now present in Rome with three shops and a fourth one opening soon. His style is characterized by healthy gelato, made with few ingredients and prepared daily. Since 2022, he has been an ambassador for Iceteam 1927, and in 2024, he became a lecturer at GelAteneo.