Bio
pronounced (jur‧ròll‧luh‧muh)
Girolama is a recognized innovator with an unwavering commitment to create lasting social impact. For the past four years he’s been with IDEO, a global design & innovation consultancy firm that pioneered design thinking. He managed multimillion-dollar industry portfolios owning the client facing business development process with both prospective and returning relationships for highly competitive work on behalf of the design firm. Girolama focused on designing and winning collaborative engagements with partners around envisioning human-centered futures spanning circular products, food & beverage innovation, learning & AI, workforce development, as well as health equity. He successfully cultivated and built trust with numerous client partners and industry leaders ranging from Fortune 500 companies, global brands, nonprofits, startups, government and academic institutions.
Girolama’s experiences span entrepreneurial pursuits in addition to working with mission driven organizations over the years including: Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, Enso Future Design Agency, Transformative Action Institute, Audacious Institute, StartUp MD, VA Department of Health, and the United Nations Foundation. His previous projects have been featured by Under 30 Changemakers, Forbes, FastCompany, NPR, NextBillion, and more.
Girolama holds a BS degree double majoring in both Biology & Public Health from the College of William & Mary. He was a recipient of the distinguished Ewell Award for outstanding service & leadership, the 1832 Award for exemplary academic achievement & community involvement, an Algernon Sydney Sullivan Fellowship for social entrepreneurship establishing a new community center in Costa Rica, and an inaugural English-Storehouse fellowship for continuing professional scientific research in microbiology after having discovered a novel virus through prior research funded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Between seasons and on holidays you can likely find him bussing tables at Joe & Mimma’s Italian, a 50-year-old restaurant where his Vietnamese refugee father, the restaurant’s longest time employee and expert pizza dough tosser is now business owner.