Threads that connect: relationships, safety, and community at the center
Women’s Connections
Recognizing, listening, weaving together: these are the foundations of Women’s Connections, the initiative promoted by Nestlé together with Baci Perugina to support pathways of inclusion and solidarity among women of different generations. It is a project that begins in the Umbrian region but looks far beyond, with the goal of building relationships capable of generating social impact.
The protagonist of the 2025 edition is Pepita ETS, a social cooperative based in Massa Martana, which for years has been committed to promoting education, participation, and the prevention of hardship. Their proposal centers on a home—a meeting place where elderly women, students, and new mothers can gather, listen to one another, and offer mutual support. Thirty women over 70, forty student digital tutors, and twenty new mothers will share skills, knowledge, and time: an interweaving of everyday gestures and reciprocal mentoring that transforms the idea of empowerment into lived experience.
As Ivano Zoppi, president of Pepita, explains, “Being chosen means recognizing the value of daily work built on listening, networks, and presence. With this project, we want to create real spaces for connection and inclusion among women of different generations.” On October 17, Pepita launched a crowdfunding campaign on Rete del Dono, active until January 17, 2026, to involve the community and ensure the long-term sustainability of the project. During the project presentation, hosted at the Perugina factory in San Sisto (Perugia), a permanent installation was inaugurated—an artwork made of threads woven together by participants: a collective piece symbolizing the deep meaning of connection, care, and the resilience of women’s relationships.
Women’s Connections is not just an inclusion project; it is a thread that ties back to the history of Luisa Spagnoli, founder of Baci Perugina, a pioneer of a way of doing business that placed women’s well-being and dignity at its core. From the company daycare opened in 1919 to the creation of the iconic chocolate in 1922, and her many tangible gestures of care toward her workers, her vision left an important legacy.
Today, Nestlé, following in that tradition, renews its commitment to promoting gender equality, inclusion, and solidarity, recognizing that change happens through connections—between people, generations, and experiences. Threads that, when woven together, become the fabric of a community.
Punti Viola
In addition, Nestlé also participates in Punti Viola (“Purple Points”), a project by the association DonneXStrada that transforms everyday places—shops, cafés, pharmacies, offices, retail points—into neighborhood safe spots against gender-based violence. Participating businesses receive specific training to recognize situations of risk and provide first-line support, in coordination with local authorities and services. The initiative responds to a real, widespread need: making cities more livable and supportive, ensuring women’s safety and freedom of movement, especially in ordinary moments. Throughout 2024, the project gained new allies in the business world. The NestléShops in Assago, Parma, and Perugia, along with the Perugina Chocolate House, have been certified as Purple Points, joining this network of protection and awareness.
Nespresso has also chosen to take part: after certifying a first group of boutiques in 2023, in 2025 the company completed the training and certification of 66 stores across Italy, nearly the entire network. This commitment demonstrates the desire to create spaces of trust and closeness—even in retail environments. In many ways, Punti Viola is a simple yet radical project: making solidarity visible and accessible, turning every everyday action—like entering a shop or asking for information—into an opportunity for protection and collective responsibility.