In February 2024, la Repubblica published an in-depth article on Elena Alberti’s professional journey and the origins of The Sustainability Business Game—the methodology that sparked her entrepreneurial path and later evolved into Koesi.
The feature, included in the Eccellenze della Lombardia dossier, traces how an academic idea became a training experience now requested by companies in Italy and across Europe.
According to the article, the workshop was built on a simple yet powerful insight: using the structure of a video game to help people understand how their actions affect sustainability. Participants, divided into teams, step into the role of managers at a production plant, tasked with maximizing profits while drawing from a shared natural resource. The strategic dilemma—pollute to earn more, or preserve the resource—quickly reveals how individual and collective behaviors shape the overall outcome.
As reported by la Repubblica, the concept originated in Elena’s Master’s thesis. In 2019, she tested the business game with students to explore the role of communication in sustainability-related decision-making. The results—later published in the Italian Journal of Marketing—caught the attention of a sustainability manager at a multinational company, who encouraged Elena to turn the project into a corporate training service.
The first pilot launch opened the door to a growing number of corporate collaborations and increasing demand for workshops. The article also recalls Elena’s talk on the TEDx Cortina stage, where she shared the outcomes of her work with an international audience and emphasized the importance of cooperation in driving change.
The journey described by la Repubblica culminates in the creation of a startup dedicated to non-traditional training through gamification, co-founded with Tommaso Beriotto. Beyond the workshop itself, the initiative also integrates sustainability-focused activities such as reporting, social responsibility projects, circular economy initiatives, and services related to traceability and transparency.
Today, as the article highlights, The Sustainability Business Game continues to expand—bringing an innovative approach to awareness-building and training on environmental, social, and cooperation topics within organizations.
