UP is pleased to welcome Rita Prota. Originally from Italy, she graduated from her Master’s degree in Biotechnology Engineering last year and joined our great UP FOR LIFE team. Welcome to UP’s Cloud Rita!
How did you learn about UP?
I graduated from my Master's degree in Biotechnology Engineering last year. I always thought about the idea of having my own activity, but never really dared to dive deeper into this idea. It was just before my graduation that I decided to become a freelancer, to try and work hard to succeed in it.
I really enjoy working on completely different things within life sciences marketing & communication, so working for myself is the perfect solution for me.
I heard about UP by coincidence while doing an online search and I immediately thought that it would be very valuable to join the UP FOR LIFE team and have the possibility to work with other members around the world, know more about other cultures, and also learn from experienced members.
Where are you located? Have you always been here, or is this a new place for you?
I am located in The Netherlands since February 2020. I am originally Italian, and I moved to France with my family when I was 8 years old.
I like to consider myself a "Global Citizen" or "Third culture kid" rather than Italian or French, because I can't say that I'm completely Italian, as I grew up in France, but I can't consider myself as French, as I have no French DNA.
I have no real roots anywhere; I like to move and discover new countries. Now, my home is The Netherlands, and who knows where I will be in a few years!
Tell us a little bit about the types of things you have worked on before UP? What do you most look forward to each day?
I had a first experience at By Agency in Paris, a healthcare communication agency, where I mainly managed B2C campaigns for OTC products (over the counter).
Then, I had a second experience at MakeSense Amsterdam, a Dutch communication agency where I took care of developing the online platform The Future of Healthcare, for which I’m still working on now as Managing Director.
I think that what I look forward to each day are challenges. Everything can be challenging, but once I overcome it and learn from it, I can look back and be proud of myself. Then, after a while, what I thought was challenging can seem a piece of cake!
What is your area of focus at UP, and what are you most looking forward to doing at UP?
My area of focus is Life Sciences, so I’m part of the UP FOR LIFE team. I very much look forward to acquiring experience and knowledge thanks to UP members, they are all so experienced in such different areas! It’s honestly amazing for me to work within such talented teams, learn and improve thanks to their skills!
What is your favorite part of what you do?
My favorite part of what I do is being creative. I chose to specialize in Marketing and Communication to mix my creative spirit with my scientific knowledge. I enjoy bringing new creative ideas to pretty much everything.
If you could have lunch with anyone (living or deceased), who would it be and why?
This is a very interesting but difficult question. I thought about it for so long! Then after a while, I just realized who it would be: my grandpa.
I never had the chance to meet him, as he passed away when my mother was a teenager. She grew up in a pretty traditionalistic family, where women could not really have high aspiration in life. However, my grandpa was pretty modern and open-minded: he always made sure to support my mom in the best possible way, taught her to work hard to achieve her goals and most importantly to never give up. He pushed her into going to university: she is the first woman of the family to have a University degree!
Even if I never met him, I really feel connected to my grandpa thanks to stories and memories that were shared with me, and thanks to his life values that my mother taught me as well. It would be really great to meet him and discuss about his revolutionary thoughts for that time!
What else would you like UP members to know about you?
I am extremely curious and pretty much enthusiastic about everything. I can seem shy at first, but once I see that I am in a positive environment, I open myself and let go!
Last but not least, something quite funny about me: I am passionate about criminology and mystery!
