Charlotte Casiraghi speaks at Monaco’s #GirlBoss mentoring event

06/03/2025

Young women in Monaco had the chance to connect with female leaders at the recent #GirlBoss speed mentoring event at the Columbus Monte-Carlo, where Charlotte Casiraghi and other speakers shared their personal insights on leadership, workplace equality and overcoming challenges.

The #GirlBoss speed mentoring session, organised by SheCanHeCan and the Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises de Monaco (AFCEM) in honour of International Women’s Day, took place on Wednesday 5th March at the Hôtel Columbus in Fontvieille and brought together young women and prominent female leaders in the Principality to discuss career aspirations, leadership and workplace equality.

Monaco Life attended the event, where Charlotte Casiraghi—a philosopher, writer, the face of Chanel and a member of the Grimaldi family—served as the keynote speaker. Addressing the audience, she spoke about the importance of initiatives like SheCanHeCan in providing guidance and encouragement for young women in Monaco and beyond.

“This event is an opportunity to have your voice heard and your path shared,” she said. “You can’t have a fabricated vision of success—it has to be real and personal.”

Left to right: Sabine Holz-Strautmann, Director of Credit at Banque J. Safra Sarasin; Johanna Houdrouge, President of AFCEM and co-founder of #GirlBoss; Celine Cottalorda, Interministerial Delegate for the Women’s Rights Committee; and Vibeke Brask Thomson, Director of SheCanHeCan and co-founder of #GirlBoss. Photo by Monaco Life

Inspiring female role models

Casiraghi also revealed her female inspirational icon, the late American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, praising her courage in advocating for Black women’s rights and for women in general. She read an excerpt from Angelou’s Letter to My Daughter, a text she described as her favourite, in which the author—who only had sons—addresses all young girls as if they were her daughters.

“Try to be a rainbow in the middle of clouds,” she quoted, encouraging the young women in the room to believe in themselves and remember Angelou’s message. “When creativity is discovered in a young woman, so is her confidence.”

Addressing workplace inequality

The speed mentoring event was created four years ago to inspire young local women to pursue leadership roles and challenge gender stereotypes. Despite progress, the event’s speakers acknowledged that inequality in the workplace remains a significant issue.

“Women have an important place in the workplace” was a key message of the afternoon, but as the president of AFCEM and the co-founder of #GirlBoss, Johanna Houdrouge, noted, the path to success is rarely straightforward.

Among the speakers was Vibeke Brask Thomsen, the director of SheCanHeCan and also a co-founder of #GirlBoss. A political science graduate, she worked in European think tanks before returning to Monaco in 2011 to launch SheCanHeCan.

“Behind every successful woman is a long and difficult path filled with challenges,” she stated. “Unfortunately, there are often more people who discourage rather than support, and what this event aims to do is provide that encouragement.”

Charlotte Casiraghi on overcoming challenges

Charlotte Casiraghi shared her thoughts on the biggest challenge of her career thus far, telling the audience, “I have had many challenges, but at the beginning of my studies, I was a perfectionist, and that put me under a lot of pressure. I always wanted to be perfect, but I realised that wasn’t sustainable. It was difficult to accept that I couldn’t handle that level of pressure.”

*The #GirlBoss speed mentoring session, organised by SheCanHeCan and the Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises de Monaco, took place at the Hôtel Columbus. Photo by Monaco Life*

She also spoke about learning to embrace spontaneity in her professional life.

“I realised that you don’t always have to be so prepared—it’s okay to be yourself and let your creativity take charge in the moment,” she shared.

Mentorship in action

The event welcomed young women aged 11 to 25 for one-on-one mentoring sessions with local business leaders and executives from industries including finance, commerce, real estate, haute couture, logistics, pharmaceuticals, hospitality and the arts.

Among the public officials in attendance were Céline Cottalorda, Interministerial Delegate for Monaco’s Women’s Rights Committee; Elodie Kheng, Chief of Staff to the Minister of State; Marine Grisoul, National Councillor; and Marina Ceyssac, High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Freedoms and Mediation.

The #GirlBoss speed mentoring event was just one part of Monaco’s wide-reaching International Women’s Rights Day programme, which will culminate in the PowHer Day initiative on 8th March, an event set to explore the representation of women in media, cinema and the arts.

Read related:

From panel talks to performances: what to expect at PowHer Women’s Day in Monaco

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Main photo, left to right: Vibeke Brask Thomsen, Charlotte Casiraghi and Johanna Houdrouge. Photo by Monaco Life

Opéra de Monte-Carlo to honour Ravel and Monteverdi as 2024/25 season comes to a close

by: Niki Borisova

06/03/2025

The Opéra de Monte-Carlo will close its season with a special Ravel centenary celebration at the end of March, but first, the Monaco Cathedral will host a concert featuring Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Blessed Virgin and a world premiere by Bruno Mantovani.

Before the season finale later in the month, the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame-Immaculée on the Rock of Monaco will set the stage for a special concert on 14th March.

Featuring Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Blessed Virgin alongside the world premiere of Venezianischer Morgen, a choral work by Bruno Mantovani, the concert is the fruit of a collaboration between the Salzburg Whitsun Festival and the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo festival. It will be conducted by Gianluca Capuano, with Les Musiciens du Prince set to perform alongside the vocal ensemble Il Canto Di Orfeo, led by Jacopo Facchini.

Mantovani’s Venezianischer Morgen, written for a cappella choir, was composed to suit the acoustics of the iconic cathedral.

“I divided the choir into two symmetrical groups to create an antiphonal effect,” he explained in a recent interview with the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

The Monaco Cathedral will set the stage for a special concert featuring Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Blessed Virgin alongside the world premiere of Bruno Mantovani’s Venezianischer Morgen. Photo source: Les Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo

Inspired by a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, the piece was commissioned following discussions between Mantovani, the Artistic Director of the Printemps des Arts, and Cecilia Bartoli, who heads the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

“The idea was to perform Monteverdi’s Vespers, and we considered adding a contemporary work as a complement,” said Mantovani. “Cecilia Bartoli then proposed that I compose a short introductory piece. One cannot control or predict how an audience will receive a work. In the end, composition is a solitary act—I write for the audience that I am. But I am always pleased when others connect with my music.”

The 2024/25 season finale

21st March marks a milestone for the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, as it will be 100 years since the world premiere of Maurice Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges on its stage.

To celebrate this centenary, the opera house will be presenting a special Ravel double-bill featuring L’Heure Espagnole and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, staged by Jean-Louis Grinda and conducted by Kazuki Yamada, Artistic and Musical Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, over four nights at the end of March in the Salle Garnier.

A gala performance will kick things off on 21st March, followed by a matinee show on 23rd March and two evening performances on 25th and 27th March. The final performance will be broadcast live at 8pm on Mezzo and medici.tv. For more information, click here.

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Photo source: Opera de Monte-Carlo

Future ocean guardians: Young scientists trained in Monaco to tackle marine threats

by: Cassandra Tanti

06/03/2025

Monaco is once again at the forefront of marine conservation, hosting the second IAEA Winter School on Ocean Acidification and Multiple Stressors this past November. Over two weeks, a group of early-career scientists from around the world got hands-on experience and expert guidance on how to protect our oceans from rising threats like climate change, pollution, and acidification.

The world’s oceans are under pressure like never before, with human activities causing ripple effects that threaten marine life and coastal communities. Overfishing, pollution, and shifting ocean chemistry don’t just act alone—their combined effects can be far worse than expected, making it even harder to predict and prevent damage. That’s where this program steps in, training the next generation of marine scientists to understand these complex interactions and find solutions to protect ocean ecosystems.

Bringing together 12 young researchers from 11 countries, the Winter School mixed cutting-edge science with real-world applications. Participants learned to distinguish between different types of ocean stressors and conducted lab experiments on coral health, investigating how acidification, warming waters, and pollutants like lithium impact marine life. Their findings will contribute to a global research effort aimed at better predicting and mitigating these effects.

The learning didn’t stop in the lab. The group also visited the Oceanography Laboratory in Villefranche-sur-Mer to practice testing ocean chemistry and worked with advanced tools like the MEDDLE simulator, which allows scientists to model how different environmental changes interact. “This course gives participants the skills and confidence to design experiments tailored to their own regions,” explained Sam Dupont, Senior Lecturer at the University of Gothenburg and IAEA consultant.

Backed by the IAEA’s Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, this initiative is more than just a training program—it’s a global network in the making. With these young scientists now equipped with the right skills, they’re set to return home and apply their knowledge to safeguard marine life and the communities that depend on it.

Photo credit: Michael Olsen, Unsplash

Registrations open for Outward Bound Monaco’s 2025 summer programmes

by: Stephanie Horsman

06/03/2025

Outward Bound Monaco has announced its plans to hold four camps in the wilds of the British Isles for children aged between 10 and 17 this summer. Here are all the details.

Under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco and the gently guiding hand of Sarah O’Connor, the organisation’s dedicated president, Outward Bound Monaco prides itself on offering brave children the chance to “leave the familiar behind” and embark on adventures in the hills, lakes and lochs of Great Britain.

Founded as a charitable association in 2004, Outward Bound Monaco and its overseas expeditions to places like the UK give young people aged 10 to 17 the opportunity to experience new scenarios and learn the crucial skills of teamwork, leadership and resilience.

“The aim of Outward Bound is to help young people believe they can achieve more than they thought possible,” says O’Connor. “We are not talking about aspirations but about belief in what you can do based on physical experience. Outward Bound takes young people out of their comfort zones and on adventures in wild places. It presents young people with challenges that help them to know themselves.”

This summer, the organisation is hosting four camps across the UK.

The first, held from 21st to 27th July, will be located in Howtown, a small hamlet in Cumbria. There will be two courses available: one for 10 to 12-year-olds and another for 13 to 15-year-olds.

A 19-day course will be held in and around Aberdovey, a village on the River Dyfi estuary in North Wales, from 21st July until 8th August. This adventure is exclusively available to teenagers aged 16 to 17.

From 26th July until 8th August, a 14-day adventure awaits near Ullswater, a glacial lake in the Lake District National Park. There will be two age groupings: 13 to 15-year-olds and 16 to 17-year-olds.

The final camp will be based in and around Aberdovey, a village on the River Dyfi estuary in North Wales. This course, from 2nd to 8th August, will also be split into 10 to 12-year-olds and 13 to 15-year-olds.

The seven-day courses cost €1,499, the 14-day courses cost €2,299, and the 19-day course is priced at €2,999. The organisation may be able to offer financial assistance to families for whom these prices are out of reach.

Outward Bound Monaco courses are available to young people who are either residents of the Principality or enrolled at a school in Monaco.

For further details, visit www.outwardboundmonaco.info.

Read related:

Young adventurers honoured at Monaco Outward Bound awards ceremony

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok. 

Photo source: Outward Bound Monaco

Study reveals alarming link between synthetic chemicals and rising childhood diseases

by: Cassandra Tanti

05/03/2025

A groundbreaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has identified a strong connection between synthetic chemical exposure and a significant rise in childhood non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The research, conducted by 25 scientists, economists, and legal experts from 17 institutions in the United States and Europe, including the Scientific Centre of Monaco, highlights how pediatric cancers, neurodevelopmental disorders, reproductive system malformations, asthma, and obesity have become the leading causes of illness and death among children in industrialised countries.

The study, published on 8th January, points to an alarming reality: children today are surrounded by approximately 350,000 manufactured chemicals, many of which have never been adequately tested for their long-term health effects. “The manufacture of synthetic chemicals and plastics is subject to few legal or policy constraints,” the researchers warn, highlighting that unlike pharmaceuticals, which undergo rigorous pre-market testing, synthetic chemicals are often introduced to the public with minimal oversight.

A growing health crisis

The findings show a troubling rise in childhood diseases over the past several decades. Pediatric cancer rates have surged by 35%, while male reproductive birth defects have doubled. Neurodevelopmental disorders now affect one in six children, and autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed in one in 36. Pediatric asthma has tripled in prevalence, and childhood obesity has nearly quadrupled, leading to a sharp rise in type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents.

At the same time, the global production of synthetic chemicals has expanded dramatically, increasing 50-fold since 1950 and continuing to grow at a rate of 3% per year. It is projected to triple by 2050. Many of these chemicals, derived from fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal, persist in the environment, leading to widespread human exposure through air, water, food, and consumer products.

“The associations between widely used chemicals and disease in children continue to be discovered with distressing frequency,” the study states. Yet, the authors argue, current regulatory frameworks have failed to address the scale of the problem, leaving children exposed to potentially harmful substances on a daily basis.

Calls for urgent reform

The study strongly advocates for legislative action to overhaul the way synthetic chemicals are regulated. Current policies, particularly in the United States and Europe, allow chemicals to be marketed without sufficient testing for toxicity, and only a fraction of the most widely used substances have been examined for their potential effects on children.

“Protecting children from the dangers of synthetic chemicals will require fundamental revamping of current law and restructuring of the chemical industry to prioritise children’s health,” the authors argue. They call for a precautionary approach, similar to the regulations governing pharmaceuticals, where chemicals would need to be proven safe before being introduced into consumer products.

The researchers also suggest the creation of a global treaty on chemical safety, similar to international agreements on climate change and plastic pollution. They argue that stronger chemical regulations are essential to prevent further harm to children’s health and reduce the economic burden of treating diseases linked to chemical exposure.

A public health imperative

The study serves as a stark warning about the impact of unregulated chemical exposure on future generations. Without urgent policy changes, researchers fear that the burden of childhood diseases will continue to rise, leading to long-term health consequences and significant societal costs.

As awareness of environmental health risks grows, the authors hope their findings will spur governments and industry leaders to take decisive action. “Inaction on chemicals is no longer an option,” they conclude, adding that protecting children’s health must be a global priority.

See also:

Podcast interview: Prof. Philip Landrigan on childhood cancer and the “chemical crisis”

Photo credit: National Cancer Institute, Unsplash

Podcast: Blockchain innovator Michael Kong

by: Cassandra Tanti

05/03/2025

In this episode, we dive deep into the evolving crypto landscape with Sonic co-founder Michael Kong, covering everything from Fantom’s migration to Sonic and the competitive edge of its technology to the impact of US politics on the industry. We explore the Bitcoin halving, the alt coin season, and whether it’s too late for new investors to make their move. Plus, we discuss common misconceptions about crypto, the shifting dialogue around blockchain, and what’s most exciting in the space right now.

Here are the time stamps of our conversation:

1.11 – Can you walk us through what led to the migration of Fantom to Sonic?

7.00 – Sonic operates in a crowded space with big players like Ethereum and Solana. So what is your edge? What makes Sonic’s technology and ecosystem different from the rest?

10.47 – With regards to US politics, the election of Donald Trump and the pro-crypto people he is bringing into his government, how do you see these changes playing out for the industry?

14.36 – Post Bitcoin halving market behaviour: Bitcoin halvings have historically set off massive bull runs, do you think that the next one will follow the same pattern or do you think the game has changed?

16.50 – Alt coin season: Do you think the alt coin season is on the horizon, and what could spark it or potentially block it from happening this time?

18.50 – For anybody thinking about jumping into crypto now – is it too late? Should investors wait for a bear market, focus on long term plays? Is there still time to make moves in 2025?

20.55 – What is something about the crypto industry that you think most people don’t understand or sometimes get completely wrong?

24.00 – It is going to be interesting to see how long the dialogue around crypto and the blockchain takes to change. Do you think with the way things are evolving that dialogue will change anytime soon?

27.34 – As an expert in the field, what is exciting you? What are you looking forward to most?

For a written summary of the interview, See also:

Interview: Blockchain innovator Michael Kong on the migration of Sonic, the future of crypto, and why blockchain is just getting started

Month: March 2025