Dr. Marilena Vecco is Assistant Professor of Cultural Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam. In the Department for the Study of the Arts and Culture, she lectures in the MA Cultural Economics & Cultural Entrepreneurship. Her research focuses on cultural entrepreneurship, management with a special focus on cultural heritage (tangible and intangible) and art markets.
She holds a PhD in Economic Sciences at University Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne, a PhD in Economics of Institutions and Creativity at University of Turin (I) and a MBA executive in International Arts Management from the University of Salzburg Business School in collaboration with Columbia College, Chicago. Between 1999 and 2010 she was head of research of the International Center for Arts Economics (ICARE) and Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Cultural Economics and Art markets at the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice.
Marilena has over 14 years of academic and professional experience as a researcher, lecturer and consultant. She has researched and consulted for several public and private organisations, including OECD, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development, World Bank and The European Commission.
Dr. Simona Pinton is a senior researcher fellow in international law, international criminal law and human rights at the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, Italy. She has been research associate at the UW School of Law and visiting professor in international criminal Law at Wake Forest University, School of Law. She holds a Ph.D. in international law from the University of Padua and a Master of Laws in international law and peace-building from the Boat Hall School of Law, University of Berkeley, California.  Dr. Pinton served on the prosecutorial team for the UN Tribunal for the Genocide in Rwanda, Arusha, and practiced law with the Grimaldi & Clifford Chance law firm in Padua. She is also an expert in electoral observation, participating in missions formerly with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania), and currently with the European Union (Tanzania). 

Lauso Zagato is Professor of International Law, European Union Law, Human Rights Law at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice. Since academic year 2004-2005 lecturer in International and European Law of Cultural Heritage at the Advanced Degree (Course) on Economia e Gestione delle arti; since 2007, co-ordinator of the Legal Unit at the Double Master Degree on “Management dei beni e delle attività culturali” (MABAC), offered by Ca’ Foscari University and ESCP Europe.
In the second half of the 90s prof. Zagato worked as Short Term Expert in the German Technical Assistance (GTZ) Legal Reform Project in Albania (Anti-dumping and Anti-subsides law, European Competition Law). In the years 1999-2001 he also worked as Short Term expert in the EU Phare-Project on Support to the Romanian National Institute of Magistrates in Bucharest (Competition and Intellectual Property Law) and in 2003 worked as Short Term Expert in the EU Cards-Project on Support to the Prime Minister Office in Kosovo (Intellectual Property Law). Starting from 2003 he’s been working namely on human rights (with a privileged attention to cultural rights and identities) and on the legal issues of the safeguarding and protection of the cultural property and heritage in international law, both at universal and regional level.
Lauso has been member of the Board of CIRDU (Centro interdipartimentale di ricerca sui diritti umani), and since 2012 is Director of the Center of Studies on Human Rights (CESTUDIR) at Ca’ Foscari University and active in the project aiming at the creation of the network of the Italian associations and groups which operate in the field of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. In 2014 he founded and coordinates the Book Series “Sapere l’Europa, Sapere d’Europa” of the Edizioni Ca’ Foscari-Digital Publishing.
He has been involved in several European and international projects and organised numerous international conferences (“The Intangible Cultural Heritage – A World Stage for the Venetian Traditions”, held on 22-23 October 2009, “Intangible Cultural Heritage and Tourist Activities: The Case of Venice”, held on 22-23 November 2013, “The Cultures of Europe, the Europe of Culture”, 2011 in collaboration with M. Vecco, “Il patrimonio culturale. Scenari 2015”, 2015).
Among his publications: Le culture dell’Europa, l’Europa della cultura, 2012, “Citizens of Europe. Culture e diritti” 2015.