Live with intention.

Original work by Luca Ferrara

The Intentional Life

Hey, I’m Luca.

I’m an entrepreneur by vocation and a creator by nature.

I created this platform to curate, consolidate, and share with the world all my endeavors, whether in photography, videography, writing, and ongoing business ventures and creative pursuits.

Despite the wide range of interests, all my work—in the arts and business—is centered on a straightforward pursuit:

To live the most intentional life possible.

I passionately believe in the power of serendipity. If anything here resonates with you, do reach out.


China’s Dilemma: Between Growth and Reform.

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After 40 years driving a miraculous economic growth which lifted more than 850 million people out of poverty*, during the last few years China took a U-turn from from the policies of opening and reform it so successfully embraced since 1979.

Why?

I lived in China for over 18 years, five of which I spent meticulously researching the topic and collecting over 5,000 photojournalistic images, including throughout the times of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns

“China’s Dilemma” features a rigorously researched essay, with striking evidence of how the larger narrative was mirrored in my personal experience throughout the two decades I lived and did business in the country—and with the country—, and a thoroughly curated selection from my photographic archive.

* ref. 1979-2021


Selected Photographic Work

Some of my photographic work is part of personal projects I have pursued—or am still pursuing—over the course of years, sometimes decades, and features greater depth and breadth of view.

Others are the fruit of serendipity during my frequent travels and give a voice to more fleeting—but not less meaningful—moments.

CHINA, 40 YEARS AFTER REOPENING

AMERICANA

TOKYO9

HANI AND YI MINORITIES

MILAN HUSTLE

YANCHENG, JIANGSU, CHINA

AROUND LAKE GARDA


Featured Article


(Ad)ventures

I have been a musician since I picked up my first guitar at eleven. I have played the guitar, the saxophone (alto, tenor, and soprano), and, finally, the trumpet—which has always had a special place in my heart and which I still play today.

At 44 years old, I finally merged my passion for music with my entrepreneurial spirit and launched my first music-related venture: Jam Nation.

Jam Nation is the first app of its kind entirely designed to solve one problem every passionate musician, music school student, or aspiring artist has: to conveniently meet musicians of similar talent and coordinate to play and practice music together.

The app will be on Apple Store and Google Play by the end of November 2024, but pre-registrations and a time-limited promotional offer are available on Jam Nation’s website!


About Me

  • Throughout my formative years and my career, I have consistently pushed the boundaries of my pursuits, both professionally and geographically.

    I moved across continents, jobs, and industries, always favoring exploration over consolidation. Always on the tip of my feet.

    I have been an engineer, a consultant, a manager, a director, an asset manager, and—always—an entrepreneur.

    I have co-founded and held senior positions in companies in the fields of energy, environment, and commodities. Some went well. Some didn’t.

    I have traveled and done business in five continents, dozens of countries, and hundreds of cities, engaging with people of all cultures and personalities. I speak fluent English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Italian, and I have lived in half a dozen cities since I was 24, including 18 years in China.

    I wish the comfortable mastery of one skill or job would do it for me. It doesn't. Whenever I reached calm shores, my heart took me back to the sea.

  • In 2017, I co-founded Alleans Renewables, a renewable energy development and investment venture based out of Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London.

    By the time I left in 2023, I had built it into a successful multinational renewable energy investment firm with over 2.5 GW of assets under development across Europe and the USA.

  • As of late 2023, Alleans had been the adventure of a lifetime—one of several I lived through (adventures, not lifetimes :) but my heart wasn't there anymore.

    I wasn’t ready to leave new adventures behind. In fact, I realized that…

    Living an intentional, adventurous life of constant renewal is not just a recurring theme on my canvas. It is my canvas.

    Accordingly, I left my posts and the path better known to pursue—yet once more—new and exciting opportunities to create something meaningful, both in business and the arts.