Lapo Elkann

Bio

Lapo Edovard Elkann is President and Founder of Garage Italia Customs, Independent Ideas, Italia Independent Group and Fondazione L.A.P.S. - Libera Accademia Progetti Sperimentali. He was born in New York (U.S.A.) in 1977 and, after an education path in France and in the UK, at the London Business School, Lapo became Henry Kissinger’s assistant. He stood out in his role as Head of Worldwide Brand Promotion Manager at Fiat Group, successfully implementing several below-the-line marketing projects and contributing to the relaunch of the Fiat 500 model. In 2007, he embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, founding the lifestyle brand “Italia Independent”, the advertising and creative agency “Independent Ideas”, and the holding company “Italia Independent Group”, which was listed on the Italian Stock Exchange in June 2013. In 2011, he entered into a partnership with Ferrari regarding the Tailor Made project. In March 2015, he founded Garage Italia Customs, which offers customisation solutions for the automotive and motion sectors. In 2012, he was awarded the Innovation and Design Award for Ferrari’s Tailor Made project and for the Fiat 500 by Gucci. In July 2013, Lapo was listed in the Automobile Hall of Fame, the US institution celebrating and promoting successful personalities in the automotive industry. Furthermore, he was member of the Board of Directors of Ferrari S.p.A and serves on the BoD of the Pinacoteca Gianni e Marella Agnelli. During his career, Lapo has developed iconic objects for prestigious brands including Hublot, BMW, and SMEG. Since 2020, he has been a member of the Board of the Peres Center for Peace, an independent NGO founded in 1996 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres. In 2016 he established Fondazione L.A.P.S. - Libera Accademia Progetti Sperimentali, which promotes charitable projects aimed at caring for and promoting the well-being of minors and the most vulnerable people. Lapo is also a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Fondazione LAPS promoted and supported charitable campaigns in Italy, Portugal, Israel and Spain – named Never Give Up and Our Duty - which raised more than 3.2 million euros for those countries’ most vulnerable families. During the challenging time of the pandemic, Fondazione LAPS also wanted to show its support by donating PPEs and approximately 600 tons of food in Italy, Portugal and Israel. In addition, in Naples, a city that holds a special place in Lapo’s heart, Fondazione LAPS donated thousands of ‘smiling pizzas’ to the most fragile families. Fondazione LAPS’s commitment is now being pursued in other countries with the aim of supporting the populations most affected by the pandemic’s economic impact. At the same time, LAPS has begun the process of building the first LAPS House, a child support centre in Madeira, Portugal.