OTB Foundation celebrates 20 years of social impact: over 380 projects and 380,000 people reached worldwide

MILAN, October 30, 2026 – OTB Foundation, the non-profit organization of the OTB Group, celebrated its first twenty years of activity with “THE BRAVE EFFECT – Courage Creates Change,” an event held in Milan that retraced the Foundation’s history and showcased the impact generated by its projects in Italy and across the world.

OTB Foundation’s work focuses on four key areas of intervention: support for women, protection of young people, social integration, and emergency response. This commitment takes the form of initiatives to promote women’s empowerment and combat gender-based violence, educational and prevention projects aimed at the younger generation, social and labour market inclusion programmes for the most vulnerable, and timely interventions to support communities affected by humanitarian crises and natural disasters. What unites these impact areas is a vision of philanthropy aimed at generating direct and measurable social impact through innovative solutions that become sustainable through time.

Founded in 2006 thanks to the vision of Renzo Rosso, the OTB Foundation has carried out over 380 social development projects over the past twenty years, reaching approximately 380,000 people worldwide. This journey has been built on concrete actions to support the most vulnerable communities, with the aim of meeting people’s needs and contributing to the improvement of their living conditions.

The Foundation’s work is guided by a clear philosophy: not merely to meet immediate needs but to create the conditions that enable people to build their own futures independently.

“I have always believed that if you have received a lot from life, you have a responsibility to give something back to others; it is a lesson I learnt from my family and one that I have also applied to the way I do business. In my vision of a circular business, part of the value we create through our companies must be returned to society and used to support those in need. Through the Foundation, we have been doing that for the past twenty years, making resources, capacity, and relationships available to provide concrete solutions even in the most challenging contexts. In social work, being brave means having the courage to act and not give up, even when problems seem impossible to solve. I am proud of the people we have helped and of the opportunities we have been able to create, because behind every result there is someone who has been able to start over, study, work, or build a more independent life. Knowing that our commitment can make this difference is what drives us to continue,” said Renzo Rosso, Chairman of the OTB Foundation and OTB Group.

Over the past 20 years, the OTB Foundation has developed and supported initiatives in various countries, working in contexts marked by social vulnerability, humanitarian emergencies, and inequality. Among its most significant projects is Brave Business in a Bus, Afghanistan’s first mobile incubator for women entrepreneurs, designed with She Works For Peace, a local organization dedicated to women’s economic empowerment. The initiative brings training and aid directly into Kabul’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, equipping women with entrepreneurial skills ranging from accounting and marketing to sales management and product development. Since its launch, the program has supported nearly 5,000 women, helping to foster their economic independence in a context where opportunities for women are still severely limited.

The Foundation’s commitment to supporting independence and freedom of choice was further strengthened in January 2026, when OTB Foundation and OTB Group promoted an initiative focused on raising employee awareness and funding fertility preservation pathways. The project, open to both women and men, expands the Foundation’s efforts in support of freedom, reproductive health, and the ability to make informed decisions about one’s future.

In Italy, among other projects, the Foundation promoted Bye Bully, a prevention and awareness program addressing bullying, cyberbullying, and gender-based violence, developed in collaboration with FARE X BENE ETS. Through school workshops and educational activities involving experts and role models, the initiative has engaged more than 90,000 students, promoting a culture of respect, awareness, and inclusion. Further demonstrating its commitment to younger generations, in 2025 OTB Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit to raise awareness among secondary school students about issues such as bullying and gender-based violence.

The Foundation’s commitment has also taken the form of emergency response initiatives, ranging from rebuilding schools in Italian regions affected by earthquakes and supporting communities during the pandemic, to providing humanitarian aid and integration pathways for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. In this realm, in 2025 OTB Foundation financially supported Médecins Sans Frontières’ Inflatable Hospitals Project, contributing to the operation of a medical facility initially positioned on the Chad-Sudan border and later moved to Gaza to provide medical aid in contexts of severe humanitarian crisis.

A tangible example of this approach is Brave To Care, the corporate volunteering program that enables OTB Group employees to dedicate part of their working hours to social impact activities promoted by the Foundation in collaboration with numerous local partners. Since its launch in 2024, the program has involved more than 400 employees in Italy, contributing over 3,000 volunteer hours in support of more than 20 projects. The activities range from supporting shelters for minors and women survivors of violence to helping centres for people with disabilities, solidarity shops and kitchens. The initiative makes social responsibility an integral part of the company’s culture and strengthens the connection between the Group, its employees, and the communities in which it operates.

“Our work is rooted in three fundamental values: concreteness, innovation, and sustainability. Concreteness means being able to measure the impact of our interventions and support projects as they grow; innovation means identifying new solutions, even unconventional ones, to address real needs; sustainability means ensuring that these initiatives can develop and endure over time. We also strive to be brave in our ability to respond rapidly to emergency situations, without taking sides, but always putting people first. The protection of women’s rights is one of the causes that most strongly defines who we are. Through psychological and legal support, as well as employment opportunities, we want to help every woman recognize and enhance her skills, creating the conditions for genuine independence,” commented Arianna Alessi, Vice President of OTB Foundation.

The Foundation’s twentieth anniversary was celebrated in Milan with “THE BRAVE EFFECT – Courage Creates Change,” an evening that brought together partners, supporters, and those who have accompanied the Foundation on its journey, providing a platform for the testimonies of those who have helped turn charitable initiatives into tangible results. The event was enhanced by a live performance from Italian singer Emma Marrone, who celebrated the Foundation’s twentieth anniversary with an acoustic set, and by a partnership with TOG Bistrot, the charitable catering project created by Chef Carlo Cracco and born out of a collaboration with Fondazione TOG. During the evening, awards were also presented to partners and supporters who have contributed to the realisation of the OTB Foundation’s projects.