Francesca has a solid background in regional development and European Affairs. She joined the European Crowdfunding Network in February 2016 and, having previously worked for the Emilia-Romagna Delegation to the EU, she has a strong interest in dissemination of knowledge about crowdfunding through regional and local authorities. She is responsible for advocacy and the roll out of the national strategic groups and technical assistance, within ECN. She is focused on exploring synergies and possibilities for the integration of crowdfunding into European Structural and Investment Funds. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Bologna, where she focused on researching the potential of crowdfunding for regional development from a European perspective. Francesca is a member of the Executive Board of ECN.