For many of us who are active in the Italian American community, there exists a common, existential fear, a constant refrain that can be heard at Lodge meetings and Sunday dinners alike… “The young people aren’t interested in being Italian!”

But we decided to challenge this terrifying assumption by providing an opportunity for Italian America’s most dedicated young leaders to meet, mingle, and consider our proud community’s present — and future — state.

“Inspiring,” “incredible,” “life-changing”… these are just some of the words used to describe the inaugural Italian American Future Leaders Conference held this past weekend at the FLA Live Arena in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

We at the Italian American Podcast are proud to have played a role in this first-of-its-kind event that brought together more than 100 young, active Italian Americans between the ages of 21-35, the future leaders of our community from across the United States and Italy.

In this week’s episode, some of those rising stars are sharing their experiences with our listeners. From the tribal camaraderie to developing a shared mission to singing along with Italian American favorites at a closing karaoke party, this year’s delegates were able to create bonds that won’t soon be broken.

If you’ve ever been concerned about the future of our Italian American community, you won’t be after listening to this week’s episode. And, if you’re interested in learning more about this developing signature event, visit www.italamericon.com.