It’s not every day that a class leaves you thinking deeply about what “sustainability in action” really means... beyond theory, beyond reports, and into real impact.
Last week in my Master in Sustainability at Rome Business School, we studied Avanzi – Sustainability in Action, an independent company based in Milan that’s been working since 1997 to promote sustainability through social innovation.
And honestly, this class resonated with me.
Who is Avanzi?
Avanzi is much more than a consultancy, it’s a living ecosystem of ideas, partnerships, and innovation. Since its creation, the company has worked at the intersection of research, strategic consultancy, urban regeneration, impact finance, incubation, and communication.
Their mission is simple but powerful:
To devise innovative solutions for sustainability and help enterprises, non-profits, and public administrations turn them into reality.
What I found truly inspiring is how Avanzi combines so many different disciplines, from finance and architecture to community engagement and storytelling, all with one purpose: to make sustainability tangible.
Sustainability in Action: What That Really Means
In class, we explored Avanzi’s many business units, each one showing a different way to approach systemic change:
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a|change – Helps companies and institutions build sustainability strategies aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda and measure their real impact.
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a|place – Focuses on urban regeneration and community-based development.
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a|finance – Connects finance with social good, designing innovative financial tools for impact.
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a|cube – An incubator supporting start-ups with sustainable and socially valuable ideas.
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a|impact – A venture capital fund that invests in businesses with strong social and environmental value.
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a|discover – Revitalizes underused spaces and communities, helping local ecosystems thrive again.
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a|word – The voice of Avanzi, communicating sustainability through storytelling, design, and media.
Each one of these reflects a clear mindset: sustainability can’t just be analyzed or advised, it must be built, designed, financed, and lived.
What I Took from This Class
For me, learning about Avanzi brought sustainability back to its most human and creative side.
We often speak about sustainability as a structure, policies, data, frameworks, and compliance, but Avanzi reminds us that it’s also about curiosity, experimentation, and the courage to act.
They don’t just help organizations meet standards; they co-create new ways of doing business that are responsible, inclusive, and future-oriented.
Another aspect that struck me is their collaborative spirit: Avanzi works with universities, public institutions, and private companies, believing that “none of us is as smart as all of us put together.”
Sustainability as a Collective Effort
This approach aligns with how I see sustainability as well, as a collective, continuous process. It’s about bridging ideas and action, connecting impact finance with real social outcomes, and creating spaces (both physical and strategic) where change can happen.
My biggest takeaway?
That real sustainability comes from integration. It’s not an add-on, it’s a mindset.
Avanzi embodies this beautifully by building bridges between innovation, people, and purpose.
Final Thoughts
As I continue my journey in the Master's, classes like this one remind me why I decided to study this field in the first place.
Sustainability is not just a topic; it’s a practice, and seeing how organizations like Avanzi bring it to life gives me energy and inspiration to keep learning, connecting, and eventually applying all of this knowledge in the real world.
— Morena
