Giorgio Barnabò

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE. Giorgio Barnabò has always been drawn to challenges, a trait that has defined both his personal and professional life. “A recurring theme in my life is that I like the struggle. I tend to always choose the hardest path,” Giorgio reflects. This inclination to tackle the toughest tasks head-on has led him to become the CEO and co-founder of SylloTips, a revolutionary platform that transforms how knowledge is shared and managed within organizations. Giorgio’s journey began in Rome, where he was raised in an intellectually stimulating environment.

His mother, a philosopher with two PhDs, and his father, a classicist turned entrepreneur, encouraged Giorgio and his sister to explore their passions without limits. “We didn’t have television at our place. They pushed us a lot towards excellence, but always in a supportive way—they wanted us to explore what we liked,” Giorgio recalls. This freedom to pursue his interests led Giorgio to an early start in entrepreneurship. At just six years old, he was repackaging dollar store items and selling them in the local park.

Despite a rocky start in elementary school, Giorgio found his stride in high school, where he flourished academically and socially. His love for learning and his drive to challenge himself led him to study statistics at Sapienza University in Rome, despite having little background in mathematics. His time at university was demanding, particularly as he navigated a course load heavy in calculus and probability, but it also offered him the opportunity to study abroad and broaden his horizons.

During his studies, Giorgio developed a deep interest in knowledge transfer—the process by which information and expertise are shared within organizations. This interest laid the groundwork for what would eventually become SylloTips. He recognized that traditional methods of knowledge management, which relied heavily on documentation, were flawed. “The problem is that people aren’t willing to spend several hours per week documenting what they’ve been doing. That’s the obstacle.”

Giorgio’s academic journey culminated in a Ph.D. in Data Science, during which he further refined his ideas about knowledge transfer. The advent of generative AI provided the technological breakthrough he needed to bring his vision to life. “When Gen AI came in, I realized that it could really help tackle the problem I wanted to solve,” he notes. SylloTips was born from this realization, with Giorgio and his co-founders developing a platform that leverages AI to facilitate knowledge sharing within organizations. The platform employs a human-in-the-loop approach, where AI assists in answering employees’ questions while progressively mapping and enhancing an organization’s tacit knowledge.

BREAKING KNOWLEDGE BARRIERS. For Giorgio, SylloTips is more than just a business venture; it’s a way to build communities where everyone has access to the same information and opportunities. This focus on community is deeply connected to his experience as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. “Being part of a marginalized community taught me the importance of supporting one another,” Giorgio shares.

He believes that knowledge exchange is key to creating inclusive environments where people can thrive. “My idea was, let’s try to build a place, a sort of organizational structure that is so horizontal that everyone can have access to information that is currently held only by majority groups.”

As Giorgio reflects on his journey, he offers advice to aspiring LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs: “Don’t self-sabotage yourself. Many people from minority groups tend to think small, to think that they have to pay a price for who they are. Don’t victimize yourself. Mix and mingle. Let’s bring diversity.”