About Us
our Vision
Food systems today are often fragmented, inefficient, and disconnected from the communities they are meant to serve. At the same time, cities are facing increasing challenges related to social cohesion, economic inequality, and environmental sustainability.
We believe that these challenges are deeply interconnected — and that food can play a central role in addressing them.
Our vision is to create integrated systems where access to nutritious, affordable food is universal, where producers are supported and valued, and where urban spaces are designed to foster interaction, inclusion, and cultural exchange.
This vision goes beyond the creation of individual venues or projects. It is about building a framework that can be replicated, adapted, and scaled across different contexts, while remaining sensitive to local identities and needs.
At MMyWorld, we are building a global platform where food becomes a driver of regeneration, cultural exchange, and inclusive growth — bridging the gap between ethics and economic sustainability.
what we are
MMyWorld builds civic infrastructure. We use food as the medium, because food is the most universal, accessible and emotionally resonant language human beings share.
But what we are actually building is something far larger:
Regenerated communities.
Empowered local economies.
Transformed urban districts.
A new generation of young food entrepreneurs who might otherwise have had no pathway.
Our model is structural, operational and measurable. It is embedded in every partnership agreement, every trader relationship, every education programme, and every architectural brief.
This is why governments, sovereign wealth funds, development authorities, and city councils choose to work with us.
a message from the founder
Only through the collective effort of the public and private sectors, academic institutions, and individual community members can we foster sustainable, nature-friendly cities where we can live well together. We must all play our part. Every single person on this planet deserves to know where their next meal is coming from, and they deserve to have the option to eat well. Affordably. It is not right that we stand by and watch our people and our planet suffer because of this broken system. We must change.
Andrea rasca
ESG BY DESIGN
This approach is fully ESG-compliant by design. We were creating what institutional investors now call ‘social infrastructure’ long before that term entered investment vocabulary.
Our projects have been funded by, partnered with, and endorsed by city governments, public development authorities, sovereign wealth funds, and multilateral institutions precisely because they deliver the kind of social and environmental returns that commercial food operators cannot claim.
Our ESG framework is not a reporting exercise. It is embedded in the operational DNA of every project:
Spaces designed with a minimum 30% green footprint and architecture rooted in local vernacular identity
Supply chains built on direct relationships with local and regional producers, reducing transportation emissions and supporting artisan livelihoods
Zero-waste operational systems, plastic-free commitments, and seasonal menus that follow agricultural rhythms
Living Wage standards across all operations — Andrea Rasca sits on the London Living Wage Foundation committee as Hospitality Representative
Alignment with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, formally embedded in our manifesto and monitored in our operations
our Team
MMyWorld’s leadership team combines operational excellence, cultural
intelligence, and a genuine personal commitment to the Movimento Metropolitano philosophy.
These are not executives managing a brand. They are practitioners who have built food markets, run operations, taught in culinary academies, launched businesses, and sat at shared tables in London, Tokyo, Milan, Marrakesh, and Abha.
ANdrea Rasca
Food market pioneer, urban regeneration specialist, and social entrepreneur with 35 years of experience across three continents. Founder of Mercato Metropolitano, which evolved into Movimento Metropolitano — the platform now operating through MMyWORLD. Former VP of Eataly KK in Tokyo. Academic background spanning Università Cattolica Milan, Sophia University Tokyo, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University), Columbia SIPA, and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law. Multilingual in Italian, English, Spanish, with working knowledge of French and Japanese. Hospitality Representative on the London Living Wage Foundation committee since July 2024. Member of the advisory board at Imperial College Business School since 2018.
Founder & CEO
Yukina Hirai
Entrepreneur, cultural bridge-builder, and one of the most credible voices connecting Japanese and international food culture. Founded her first café in Tokyo in 2013 while still a university student; today operates five successful Tokyo cafés. Adviser to the Haruki Murakami Library café at Waseda University. Launched five Japanese concept stores at Mercato Metropolitano London in a single year - sushi, matcha, ramen, and more - giving her firsthand understanding of what authentic Japanese food culture requires to travel without being diminished. Co-founder and strategic lead for WAMA.
co-Founder wama & Japan strategy director
flaminio oggioni
Former CFO of Fiera Milano, Italy’s pre-eminent international exhibition company. Career spanning PwC (financial analysis, audit, strategic advisory) and Vodafone (international financial planning and cross-border transformation). Degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University. He brings the financial rigour of multinational corporate governance to an organisation with the soul of a movement and
understands that these two things can, and must, coexist.
chief financial officer
michele crippa
Gastronome, professor, and one of Europe’s foremost authorities on food education and health. Professor at ALMA — The International School of Italian Cuisine, the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Gambero Rosso, and the Rome Business School. In 2020, after losing his senses of taste and smell to Covid-19, he developed a neurosensory rehabilitation programme that became one of the world’s leading clinical methods — studied by international teams of doctors and neuroscientists. Founder of Mind Feel, the world’s first clinic specialising in neurosensory disorders. Awarded ‘Slow Food Hero’ by the European Cultural Foundation. Leads MMyWORLD’s food
education ecosystem globally.
education, health & Esg lead
ghita bennani
Dual MSc in International Project Management from Politecnico di Milano and the University of Strathclyde. Bachelor’s in International Business. Has lived and worked in England, Scotland, Denmark, and Italy, with Moroccan heritage — a genuinely global perspective that she brings to every piece of digital storytelling and community communication she creates for MMyWorld.
communications & social media
Titti Cervieri
Co-founder of Mercato Metropolitano and the creative intelligence behind the visual and brand identity of the entire MMyWORLD group. Career spanning PwC, TBWA (international advertising), and independent brand direction for Italian and international companies. Graduate of Central Saint Martins and University of the Arts London. She does not design logos — she designs the visual language through which a movement communicates itself.
co-Founder & head of brand
Shujiro
Kusumoto
In 2001, Shujiro founded Cafe Company, with a focus on building communities. The company has since been involved in planning and operating around 80 cafes, as well as leading community revitalisation projects and developing commercial facilities. In 2023, he launched ZEROCO Co. Ltd., where he serves as CEO. His aim is to contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future through innovative approaches to food. He also holds several advisory and committee roles with the Japanese government, focusing on promoting regional food and revitalising local economies.
strategy development, Japan & Asia
Marco Massera
Finance and commercial strategy specialist with deep expertise in the food market sector. Former Business Analyst at Mercato Metropolitano London, where he developed the analytical frameworks and commercial strategies that underpin our business development. Executive Master in Finance from Sole 24 Ore Business School. Degree in Political Science. The commercial intelligence behind our expansion pipeline.
business analyst
Barbara boi
Over a decade of experience in sustainable food retail, procurement, and B2B commercial management across Italy and the UK. Commercial Coordinator at Mercato Metropolitano, responsible for vendor strategy, KPI management, and the quality of our trader relationships. She knows how to find exceptional products, build
exceptional relationships, and hold both to an exceptional standard.
merchandise & Vendor relations
matteo vigotti
Michelin-starred chef with a distinguished career spanning fine dining collaborations with Alain Ducasse and Ferran Adrià, a Michelin star at his own restaurant on Lake Maggiore, and major international events including Milan Expo 2015. He brings culinary excellence, team leadership, and a deep respect for both craft and innovation to MMyWORLD’s food quality standards.
executive chef
Luke Jenkins
Over 20 years of operational leadership in hospitality, including leadership positions at The Columbo Group, Wells Group, Urban Leisure Group, and The Grand Union Group. Commercial Director and Managing Director at Mercato Metropolitano London, where he shaped the market’s operational identity and was instrumental in establishing it as London’s leading community food market. The COO who has proven that community-first and commercially excellent are not in tension.
chief operating officer
Wesley richter
Two decades of hospitality leadership, from front-line operations to executive strategy. Operations Director at Mercato Metropolitano, bringing discipline, rigour, and genuine passion for the community market model to every aspect of daily operations. A practitioner who believes that operational excellence and authentic experience are the same thing.
operations director
farida messaadi
Twenty years at Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in strategic sales and marketing, followed by Head of Communications at Mercato Metropolitano, and now Culture and Education Ambassador for Movimento Metropolitano. Born into a Berber family, she learned early that food is never just food, it is the language through which cultures recognise each other. She brings this understanding to every community engagement, every cultural programme, and every partnership we build.
community & Culture director
alessandro cervieri
Digital marketing and commercial strategy leader with deep experience in the Italian and European markets. Expert in integrating digital and physical commercial strategies, with a track record in banking, insurance, and food and hospitality sectors. Leads our Italian market commercial activation.
commercial & digital strategy, italy
