I originally moved to NYC in 2015, when the GME opened the doors to the concrete jungle for me for the very first time. I was lucky enough to meet Tim Mickelborough, the founder, when he was just starting his new adventure - and brave enough to leave everything behind and trust him on this journey. And what a journey, seriously.. It seems a lifetime ago when I left a pretty awesome job at Coca-Cola in Europe and took the leap of faith, to join Reuters news in the heart of their Times Square offices.

Fast forward 6 years, 4 different roles, 5 new bosses and teams across NY and London, 2 prestigious awards that I’d never thought I would be considered for (which this program & its network played a huge part to make possible!) and just about enough crazy stories to make quite a decent Netflix show..

“Here I am. As I write this, I’m now the Director of Off Platform Development & Social, basically responsible for global partnerships and content monetization at Reuters.”

If there is something that life in NYC taught me, it really is that ‘days are long but the years are short’. Everyone here runs behind their dreams, the rhythm of the city is hectic just like in the countless movies, and you’ll gladly find yourself fully immersed in it, energized, excited to rush behind something too. Even if sometimes you won’t exactly realize where you are running to…

So, my only advice would be to let it transport and uplift you, but take some time to stop for a minute any given day. Realize what you’re doing, remind yourself of your why, be present in that moment, look around you.. and enjoy your ride, because these memories will shape you forever.

Pierpaolo Maniglio