Businesswoman and Philanthropist Yelena Baturina Appointed as Ambassador for WE-Women for Expo and Donates the Pool of Thoughts to Milan's Botanical Garden

As WE-Women for Expo Ambassador, Mrs. Baturina joins a panel of distinguished leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize winners Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams, and female business executives and writers. A unique platform for women to discuss nutrition, sustainability and empowerment, the program was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in accordance with Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation.

"It is a great honor for me to be part of such an important project, and also to share it with many interesting and prominent women from all over the world. As an entrepreneur and mother, I support the need to put women at the center, recognizing their crucial impact on social development and their important role of balancing family and professional responsibilities. Each of these two areas should be treated equally by society and the government, regardless of the system of values and current trends, religious faith, and political or economic regime. Only by being acknowledged for their contribution will women be able to achieve their goals and make all the difference in the world." Mrs. Baturina says.

The press conference in Milan, besides presenting the exhibition The Garden of Wonders in the frame of Expo in Città - the scheme linking the major events in the city during the Universal Exposition - is the occasion to unveil the donation that Yelena Baturina, through the BE OPEN Foundation, offers to Orto. Politecnico di Milano will design the Pool of Thoughts, a large sitting object situated in the Western zone of the garden from which the public will be able to contemplate the new wood area; the construction will start in autumn 2015. It will trace the third unbuilt pool described in the original plan of Orto Botanico.

A hands-on visionary, investing in projects prioritizing people and their ideas, YelenaBaturina started her career in 1989 specializing in investment and construction, driving sustainability through Green Building and energy-saving technologies. In addition to the development of real estate commercial projects, Mrs. Baturina supported and promoted a number of social housing plans, such as her work within the national project "Affordable and Comfortable Housing for Russian citizens" (2006). For several years in the mid-2000s, Yelena Baturina also invested in a venture aimed at developing advanced agricultural business in the South of Russia that specialized in innovative crops and kettle breeding.

Mrs. Baturina's interest and commitment to innovation are attributed to both her business experience and her long-cherished belief in the transformational power of design. The BE OPEN Foundation is a way for her to look at design in its broadest sense: product development and design that improves the environment and social relationships; design that alters the impact of sound; design that changes the food we eat.  The BE OPEN Foundation is committed to a creative re-thinking that improves our quality of life.

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