Meet your European travel designers
Jenny
Venice, Italy
Jenny was born in Este, a beautiful medieval town in Veneto region.
Great lover of art and archaeology, she graduated in Cultural Tourism at the University of Padua. Since then, she has worked with the major tourism industry players, sharing her passion for travel and with the desire to show the world what her Country has to offer.
Her favorites:
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Countries: Italy, Greece, Portugal
Cities: Matera, Porto and Barcelona
Wine: Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Dish: Spaghetti Carbonara
Sara
Venice, Italy
Born in Venice, Sara is a knowledgeable Italy expert. She loves her city and she wants to show everyone the best Italy can offer. She graduated with a university degree in Translation, specializing in Tourism and International Trade.
Based in Venice, she represents the Europe office of the company, ready to help clients with their every need. Speaks fluent Italian, English and French.
Her favorites:
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Countries: Italy & France
​Cities: Venice, Paris & Dublin
Wine: Prosecco
Dish: Risotto with pumpkin​
Lisa
Venice, Italy
Lisa was born in Dolo, near Venice.
She then moved to Iowa, Frankfurt and now lives in Padua.
She has long experience in the tourism and airlines industry.
She speaks English, French, German and Italian.
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Her favorites:
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Countries: France
Cities: Syracuse
Wine: Amarone della Valpollicella
Dish: Fried fish
Pietro
Valencia, Spain
Pietro was born in Trieste, then decided to move to Spain and lived in Malta, Barcelona and now Valencia.
He is a great expert in the hospitality and events industry in Europe.
He speaks Italian, English, Spanish and Catalan.
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His favorites:
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Countries: Italy, Spain and Greece
Cities: Sevilla and Venice
Wine: Txakoli
Dish: Eggplant parmesan
Elena
Nurenberg, Germany
Born in Venice, she graduated with a university degree in Foreign Languages and Tourism and speaks fluent English and Spanish, together with German.
She is based in Nurenberg, Germany, but she has traveled extensively all over Europe and the US since when she was little. She is currently living between Germany and Italy. She developed an incredible knowledge of some of the most beautiful European cities and wants everyone to see the beauty of the old continent.
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Her favorites:
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Countries: Italy & Spain, UK
Cities: London, Berlin & Rome
Wine: Primitivo
Dish: Pasta al Forno
Ivan
New York, NY
Ivan Matta, our co-founder, is an experienced travel professional with strong specialization in the European destinations.
Born in the beautiful island of Sardinia, after college and work in Milan, Ivan left Italy for the States, choosing Manhattan as his primary base.
His knowledge of the European destinations as well as the North American travel advisor's community, gave him the opportunity to create aliveXperiences. ​
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His favorites:
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Countries: Italy, France & Portugal
​Cities: Milan, Nice & Lisbon
Wine: Passito di Pantelleria
Dish: Fregola with clams and mussels (Sardinian dish)​
Polina
Sardinia, Italy
Lived in 5 countries.
Master of Fine Arts
Speaks Russian, Italian, English
10 years in Fashion and Travel journalism
I am into pottery, love vintage.
My passion is art, food & wine.
Her favorites:
Countries: Italy
Cities: Rome
Wine: Gewurztraminer, Monica, Torbato, Savignon.
Dish: fregola con arselle, orziadas, tartar
Elena
Florence, Italy
Elena was born in Latvia, and throughout her carrier, collaborating with best European tour operators, designed journeys the most prestigious and popular destinations in Europe.
Elena's passion for travel, kind and optimistic personality, impeccable work ethics, ability to navigate complex requirements and restrictions, ensures that clients will have the most amazing experience while travelling.
You can find Elena exploring new places in search for exciting destinations and wonderful experiences to share with you!
Her favorites:
Countries: Italy, Greece & France
Cities: Paris, Rome & Rhodes island (Greece)
Wine: Prosecco
Dish: Linguine alle vongole
Marco
Lascari, Italy
Marco was born in Palermo and today lives in Lascari, a small Sicilian village overlooking the Mediterranean sea.
From an early age, he cultivated a passion for mathematics and information technology.
He has begun his professional career as computer programmer specializing progressively in the computerization of production processes in various companies finally dedicating himself to databases for the management of various types of data.
His favorites:
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Countries: Italy, Japan
Cities: Singapore
Wine: Prosecco
Dish: Spaghetti with sea urchins
Miranda
Bali, Indonesia
Miranda was born in Indonesia, grew up in America, went to university in China, and spent the last decade traveling for business between Shanghai and Los Angeles. Wanderlust is in her DNA. She loves exploring new destinations the world has to offer, and have yet to discover where she will reside long-term.
She speaks English, Mandarin Chinese and Indonesian.
Her favorites:
Countries: Japan, Italy (Sardinia), and Indonesia
Cities: Tokyo, Barcelona, Shanghai
Wine: Barolo
Dish: Negitoro Don
Aldo
Chicago, IL
Aldo Caronia, our co-founder, is a travel professional with over 25 years of experience in marketing European destinations.
Born in Venice, he grew up Pin Paris France. He holds a degree in Finance and one in Travel & Hospitality.
He is a passionate sailor, a US Sailing instructor and his goal is to circumnavigate the world on his yacht.​
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His favorites:
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Countries: France, Canary Islands
​Cities: Venice, Paris, Seville
Wine: Sancerre, Amarone
Dish: Pasta with fried eggplants and anything seafood.​
Kristin
Connecticut, USA
Born in Connecticut, I lived in London, West Virginia, Connecticut and current living between Connecticut and Mexico. My passion for traveling and sharing travel was born at a young age as I was fortunate to have parents who traveled extensively which is when my love affair with seeing the world began. I love sharing my experiences and encouraging others to see the world thru their own lens. I have been very fortunate to make my passion my career.
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Her favorites:
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Countries: United States, Mexico, Italy, Greece, Spain​
​Cities: Queretaro, MX, Barcelona, London, Como, Positano
Wine: Serendipity, Cassidy Hill Vineyard, Coventry CT
Dish: Pizza
Kelvin
Brescia, Italy
Born in Brescia from Nigerian parents, he developed a passion for travel, owing to the multicultural context he grew up in.
He graduated with a university degree in Foreign Languages and Tourism and speaks fluent English together with French and Chinese.
He has travelled many times to its family country of origin, as well as in Europe during his studies. His family definitely transmitted him the desire to expand his cultural knwoledge, which reflects on the destinations he is now promoting.
His favorites:
Countries: Italy, UK and Spain
Cities: Milan, Naples and London
Dish: Spaghetti with seafood
Alessia
Pisa, Italy
Born in Pisa, from an early age she developed a passion for travel, particularly to her family's countries of origin, Argentina and Uruguay. She pursued a degree in Foreign Languages and Cultural Mediation in Siena, managing to combine her passion for languages, history, and art.
Throughout her studies, she embraced opportunities to explore Europe, and she fluently speaks English, Spanish and French. She’s eager to expand her knowledge and to promote the wonderful beauty that Europe has to offer.
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Her favorites:
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Countries: Italy, Uruguay, and Spain
Cities: Florence and Bruges
Wine: Rosso di Montepulciano
Dish: Lasagna