Francesco Salamone is an international student originally from Palermo, a lovely seaside city in Sicily, Italy, where he attended a small high school. Growing up there, Francesco witnessed how systemic stagnancy affects not only economic growth but also attitudes of resignation towards progress itself. His dissatisfaction imbued him with a sense of purpose to lead change and become entrepreneurial, which is what brought him to Penn.
He plans to double major in Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors for Business (ESG) and Finance at Wharton. This stems from a genuine interest in the intersection of capital markets and social impact, specifically because of the private sector’s speed and accessibility. Being passionate about the world of impact investing, Francesco constantly strives to learn something new from industry leaders as well as by getting involved in several co-curricular opportunities both on campus and independently. He is particularly fascinated with how we try to measure the valence, focus, depth, breadth, and cost-effectiveness of impact across completely different sectors and industries.
In his free time, Francesco likes to run in the city or by the river, read self-help or fiction books, meditate, journal, and enjoy the pleasures of life, including engaging in conversations. He is always open to having one-on-ones with Penn students to learn about their life experiences, differences in cultures and backgrounds, especially as an international first generation lower-income student himself.