AGA Member Spotlight: Silvia Galasso of Piana Sleep
Silvia Galasso brings over a decade of experience as a bedding industry executive to the 440-year-old Piana company. As the vice president of operations of their bedding division Piana Sleep, Silvia leads the operations and development strategies for their line of sleep products focused on sustainability and innovation. Prior to joining Piana, Silvia spent nearly 10 years with Italy’s top mattress manufacturer Magniflex in a variety of positions, including sales operations manager and, most recently, vice president of operations for their North American branch.
Q: Tell us a bit more about why you started a company in the glamping industry.
A: From the very beginning, the glamping industry seemed to be the perfect fit for Piana Sleep’s bedding products, for 2 main reasons.
The first reason is the industry’s need for sleep products with excellent moisture management properties and protection from microbes and bacteria due to their exposure to the elements. Our mattresses are ultra-breathable due to our revolutionary V/Smart fiber-based technology, with air permeability up to x10 higher than traditional foam mattresses, allowing moisture to quickly dissipate and help prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Our V/Smart is also treated to be antimicrobial, preventing the growth of bacteria or other nasty microbes.
The second reason is the industry’s desire to create a wellness experience in contact and balance with nature, totally in line with the health focus of our products, which are not only free of VOCs or other toxic substances typically found in foam but are also 100% sustainable and designed to be recycled at end of life and kept out of landfills. Our promise is to take our mattresses back when it is time to update and transform their elements to give them a second life.
Q: Tell us a bit about where your glamping business is today? Where do you see your business in the future?
A: We have a complete mattress line dedicated to the glamping industry, one that is ideal for the outdoor and that focused on health, protection, and sustainability. We see Piana Sleep as the go-to brand for sleep products for glamping, and we are eager to work with our customers to develop new solutions and technologies to meet their specific needs and delight their customers with the most incredible sleep experience.
Q: What are you most excited about within the glamping industry moving forward?
A: The fact that while the industry is quickly growing, it is still a small community, giving us a unique opportunity to connect with our customers and listen to their needs, while establishing strategic partnerships with other suppliers to offer turnkey solutions.
Q: Do you have any advice for those that are just starting out?
A: In business, as much as in your personal life, stick to what you believe in no matter how hard that path is. Like our founder, Andrea Piana, who is on a mission to reduce landfill waste and take the sustainability path - not an easy path but one that we passionately believe in.
