ABOUT LADIES ADVENTURES
Ladies Adventures is a community of Italian and international women in Tuscany who share a sense of adventure. We value the opportunity to be immersed in the natural beauty of Italy. We love engaging our minds. We enjoy being surrounded by a diverse group of ladies in an inviting and supportive environment. We walk, we eat, we drink and most of all - we have FUN!
OUR ETHOS
To Connect with Nature
Evidence shows that spending time in nature is a natural antidote to stress. Nature has medicinal, spiritual and intellectual properties. The well-being we feel after a day outside enhances our true self. Our minds, our bodies and our spirits. Ladies Adventures aims to provide this experience for you.
To Connect with People
There are no rules on the trail. We share the same desires. To find a common sense of unity. To meet new people. To discuss life without judgement or boundaries. To experience a sense of belonging. At Ladies Adventures we aim to refresh and rejuvenate your soul through adventures in nature.
To Challenge Ourselves
We believe that growth means stepping outside our comfort zone to achieve remarkable things. Facing a fear or a challenge to achieve a goal requires courage in the face of uncertainty. No matter the outcome, we grow through the process and become more resilient and confident in ourselves.
New shared experiences with a supportive group of ladies encourage us to test our boundaries. In the back of our mind is our new mantra, repeating itself over and over – “You can do this!”
To Enjoy the Journey
Our goal is to practice mindfulness. You don’t have to worry about details or directions or paths. Guided by talented local naturalists, your adventures are all organized for you. We want to slow down time and be present in the moment. We want to nourish and engage your minds. We want you to take time to walk alone with your thoughts, or to share your thoughts along the way. It’s your journey. You decide.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team
LORI ANNE LO PRESTI
Founder
Lori Anne currently lives in the Tuscan countryside just outside Florence, Italy where she is a Mom to two grade school kids who attend Italian school. After a career in Finance she lived between NY, London and Florence. Lori Anne’s adventures took her to paddle some of the top grade 5 rapids in the world, scuba diving all over the world, yoga retreats in Costa Rica, shark cages, rock climbing in the Italian Dolomites and countless adventures in China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and all over Europe. Ladies Adventures was born out of her passion for adventure, her love for the countryside, food and wine and her motivation to empower woman to get out and be inspired by what they can achieve while immersed in Nature.
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SARA TESTI
Nature & City Guide
Sara has been working as an Environmental Hiking Guide since since 2003 and as a Tourist guide since 2009.
She is passionate about meeting people, and whenever she can , she takes to the road to live in a new place and sit and laugh and cry and immerse herself in her new surroundings. She hold her degrees in cultural anthropology and sharecropping close to her heart. She lives in Chianti and has learned much from the people who have lived there for generations about what the sky tells them of the weather and the land. Even though she spends most of her time outdoors , she love coming in to a nice warm home and cooks with passion. She would love to discover more with you and you will enjoy her knowledge , wit and a terrific sense of humor.
Lisa Levine
Lisa Levine is a certified yoga instructor with a profound passion for holistic well being. After completing her yoga certification 29 years ago, she continued to immerse herself in the world of yoga, meditation, tai chi, qi gong, and healthy living. Her journey has taken her across the globe, from Los Angeles to the ashrams of India to the ancient disciplines of China.
Lisa's mission is to share the transformative power of a healthy and balanced lifestyle with others. She believes in empowering women to take charge of their health journey through exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and connecting with others.
She is thrilled to be a part of Ladies Adventures, using her passion for women's wellness to the fullest.
ELAINE RUFFOLO
Art Historian
Elaine Ruffolo has been teaching Renaissance art history in Florence for over 30 years and is a popular instructor for students and adults. Elaine holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Syracuse University and first came to Italy as a Florence Fellow in 1989. Ruffolo has lectured for many American programs in Italy including Syracuse, Stanford, and Vanderbilt Universities, and currently develops academic travel programs for small groups such as the Smithsonian Associates, Yale Alumni, College of William and Mary, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. She is on the advisory board of the Friends of Florence and consults for CEO and YPO programs in Europe. Ruffolo recently began online art history presentations (Art History Encounters) as a way to bring the art and culture of Italy directly to people's homes.
ALISON GILLIGAN
Advisor
Alison believes that all good adventures begin with a desire to learn more about nature, history and ourselves. These beliefs have shaped her most meaningful experiences at work, at home and at play.
Alison grew up in New England and attended university in New York City. She worked in the art auction business and advertising before relocating to the Pacific NW for a career in high tech. She traveled the world for business, often finding herself in remote and exotic locations as they became new business centers. She left high tech after becoming a mom to two boys, devoting herself to parenting and serving on non-profit boards. In 2004 she moved with her family to Florence, Italy for a two year adventure. As so often happens,
two years became three years which then became more...
She respects the Ladies Adventure ethos of not just exploring the wonders of nature but doing so with a supportive community of women who share these interests. She’s excited to be along for the adventure.
MIRA MC AREE
Advisor
Ladies’ Adventures combines two of Mira’s main passions, lifelong learning and exploration. Mira has taken every advantage to travel to the far reaches of our beautiful world. From hiking in Annapurna to touring in Jerusalem to scuba diving in The Great Barrier Reef, Mira has made travel and discovery her priority. After graduating from Harvard Business School, Mira pursued a career in institutional derivatives trading with major global banks. Never wanting to stay in one place for too long, Mira pursued business opportunities based in London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Frankfurt and New York. During this time she also took two yearlong sabbaticals to travel and live internationally. Searching for new experiences, broader horizons and informed perspectives has shaped and inspired her life.
Fittingly, Mira met her husband on a plane and now lives with him, their two precious children and two playful dogs outside Boston, MA. As a stay-at-home mom, she understands the importance of finding restorative experiences with other adventurers. Connecting with people both in urban and natural landscapes has been the highlight of her life and why she finds working with Ladies Adventures so compelling and rewarding.
About Me
Lori Anne - Founder
Ciao, I’m Lori Anne, Founder of Ladies Adventures here in Florence, Italy.
I’m really excited about setting off on lots of adventures with you all!
A little background about me. The more risk, the more reward - I guess you could say that has always been my motto. I loved walking into the unknown. I still do. I started my career in finance in the early 1990s. I worked for a big bank on the trading floor and then I was part of a start-up of an electronic trading company. I was based in New York City and London.
I loved travelling the world for work and for fun. I appreciated every minute of each adventure. During my travels, I fell in love with many places, but the mountains in New Zealand, Scotland and the Italian Dolomites inspired me like nowhere else. I knew that someday I would return to Italy for the sole purpose of exploring this beautiful country.
I paused my career to focus on my family. As I watched my children quickly grow, I knew that one day soon I’d be able to head out on adventures again. I feel women have a unique set of choices in front of them as they balance their priorities in life. For me, I knew I wanted to focus on my family wholly as one day the timing would be right to start adventuring again. Ladies Adventures allows me to gradually add some of the things that fill my need to adventure alongside my other roles. I also work full time for a beauty company helping them with transformational change and continuous improvement. I love extending this philosophy of being mindful of change and improvement in our selves as well as our professional endeavours. It's all a journey!
As I age, I have been interested more in health and well-being. For the past few years, I have also acquired my license as a Health Coach, specializing in gut and hormone issues. I also have my Certification in Wilderness Medicine First Aid. My hope is to bring all these fields together to provide a safe space for us to be together connecting within a sense of well-being and empowerment .
Today Ladies Adventures is a combination of my experiences, interests and goals. It’s more than just a place to come walk. It’s also a place where you can be part of a community of woman with a shared sense of adventure, learning, growing, transforming and feeling good about you!
I hope to see you soon!
PARTNERSHIPS
Food Art Lab
Annamaria Cacioli is a professional chef that does private cooking classes and works as a private chef. She is now the owner of a small home based bakery called Food Art Lab Pro. She developed a vegetarian, “butter” and with it, created a line of vegetable based cakes which are dairy and egg free. She has also created a line of unique caramel dairy-free popcorn combining herbs and spices and different flavour profiles. Members of Ladies adventures get 10% off of orders placed with Food Art Lab.
Please contact la@ladiesadventures.com to get your discount code.
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Typiqo
Ladies Adventures Florence is proud to partner with TYPIQO. Ladies Adventures Florence members can get a 10% discount at www.typiqo.it . TYPIQO is an online grocery e-commerce shop created by Antonio, young and experienced Chef in Michelin star kitchens around the world. All you have to do is email info@typiqo.it with your verified Ladies Adventures details and you will be issued a unique coupon code to use at the checkout.