THE EXPLORER​

I was born in Italy and grew up in Johannesburg. Went to private English school and studied Business Science at UCT.

Finishing university, I went traveling. I spent a year traveling the whole of South America—visiting family, traveling, backpacking. Spent a year teaching English in Japan. Spent a year studying yoga, Ayurveda, and Reiki in India.

 

On this long quest to explore, to experience, to find myself—there was a moment. I was on top of a mountain, in a beautiful plant ceremony, and I had this realization:

My work is to bring the sanctuary to the urban.

This was how Urban Sanctuary was born.

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The idea behind it: to bring traditions, practices, and ancient wisdoms from monasteries, from the retreat spaces—hidden and secluded—into the everyday lives of normal humans. Little did I know that this was actually the path Tantra itself took. Philosophy that originated in the monasteries and then was adapted for the everyday people. Bringing spirituality and sacredness into the mundane.

But this is a story for a whole other day.

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THE STRATEGIST & CATALYST

Returning back to Johannesburg, I was eager to start working.

I got multiple jobs in small consulting and advertising agencies—in the realms of healthcare and big brands like Coca-Cola. Working on brand and communication strategies, new business pitches, driving innovation and agency culture.

But it wasn't fulfilling me. I wanted to go to Europe.

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Moving to Berlin, I got a job at diffferent Strategieagentur. Started in brand and communication strategy for Audi AG and Volkswagen—creating model positionings and creative briefings for the international markets.

I quickly moved into innovation consulting - researching future fields of mobility, developing global trend reports, developing pioneering products and services around car sharing based on user centric design & agile coaching accelerators. 

 

Then I co-founded the Experience Design team. We designed services and built innovative business models—taking ideas from first concept through to working prototype. We helped clients build processes and structures for identifying new customer needs and business ideas.

 

One of my highlight projects was working for Deutsche Telekom in the HR transformation department. Working with international market CEOs on business transformation. Developing leadership programmes—strategy, tools, formats, and implementation. Challenging status quo and enabling human-centered innovation culture through trainings and new formats. Shifting mindset from management into true leadership.

 

I've always been progressive. Always needed to push the edge.

From being a deeply rebellious teenager to needing more responsibility and being promoted every six months in my corporate career.

I required constant stimulation. More room to express ideas. More teams to help me execute. More responsibility. More strategic direction to set.

 

It was extraordinary growth. Exponential.

And then the body said no. 

 

THE DESCENT​

Then I got sick. Really sick.

What started as burnout turned into a multiple bacteria autoimmune disaster story.

In bed. In pain. Three years fighting for my life. Nearly died.

And nobody knew what it was.

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The Dark Night of the Soul.
(Not that this term helps when you're in it. Also—a night? Really? More like an endless chasm.)

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This became my deepest, endless quest. To fight every day. Bureaucratic systems. Outdated medical systems. To fight against my own body. To believe I would heal when no one knew how.

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At one point, I lost the ability to speak properly & I had to reteach myself to read. What I later discovered was the impact of Bilharzia in my brain.

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I tried everything. Literally everything. Radical antibiotic programmes for years. Fasts. Multiple rehabilitation clinics. Animal medicines. Plant medicines. Silent retreats. Vision quests. Tantric temples.

Hunting, seeking, craving, yearning.

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I worked with my sexuality, my ancestors, my rage, my grief. I made friends with my crippling pain. I taught myself to create pleasure.

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And I slowly healed. Eight years until I was back fully.

I cannot say for sure which modality was the one that actually saved my life. But I know this: when I worked with my sexuality and my anger, my life force came back online. That was the breath of fresh air I needed. The shift from fighting for my life to feeling alive.

 

This critical turning point also inspired me to study this exact technology—as a means to cure burnout and shift the paradigm.

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THE EMERGENCE

What emerged over the next years wasn't recovery. It was a becoming.

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I chose the modalities that saved my life and started more formal studying and mentorships in Europe. Returned to South Africa for COVID and starting get stuck in. With one teacher, I apprenticed for 3yrs - holding monthly plant medicine weekend ceremonies with up to forty people. After spending time with Daniel Odier in Europe I was grateful to find my Tantric mentor with Valentina Leo. I produced online programmes, in person retreats & supported founding the School of Fascinating Wonderment as her apprentice.

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Now, over the last eight years, I developed my own sensuality workshops—running monthly for the last four years. Numerous Tantric trainings, Blue Lotus Ceremonies &  other deeply transformational retreats. Speaking events and facilitation at countless festivals. International workshops and retreats plus supported hundreds of personal coaching clients through a myriad of becomings. Developing my signature programs on Power & Grace and Embodied Leadership. 

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I love collaborations. Building an epic community of Sensual Seekers with Simona Ferrari and SOLO to birthing a festival. I co-founded Thrive Retreat Festival with two partners—a small (although it felt huge) 420-person creation around good company and embracing beauty. We ran a break even business model for 3 straight years - an anomaly in the festival business. 

 

Another passion project is my lifestyle clothing brand, Azzura. I created it mostly because I wanted to play with beautiful fabrics, express more of my creativity and sew on weekends with my mom. 

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Lastly, I built Urban Sanctuary as the vessel for this work.​​