Leadership

Angelo Vivolo, President

Angelo Vivolo is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and lifelong advocate for educational opportunity.

Mr. Vivolo serves on the Board of Directors of John Cabot University in Rome. As president of the Francesco and Mary Giambelli Foundation, Mr. Vivolo leads a philanthropic organization that supports cultural programs in New York City schools and has funded more than $3 million in scholarships. He has supported scholarships for underprivileged students at the Culinary Institute of America, where he delivered the 2017 commencement address.

In 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo praised Mr. Vivolo’s advocacy and lifelong commitment to equality and justice for all peoples. “Angelo is a true champion for civil rights, and he is a tireless fighter against discrimination,” said the Governor.

Mr. Vivolo is an active supporter of The Partnership for Inner-City Education, a non-profit that helps to improve underachieving schools in Harlem and the South Bronx. He is also an active supporter of Futures in Education Program, which raises funds for schools in Brooklyn and Queens. Mr. Vivolo is especially proud of his work with The Child Center of New York, a charity that provides counseling, tutoring, and other supports for
children and families.

Mr. Vivolo, a graduate of Long Island University, started his professional career as a teacher in New York City public high schools in Brooklyn and Queens. He was appointed dean of a special intervention program for high-risk, academically underprepared teenage boys. He also took advanced courses in graduate programs at Hunter College and Brooklyn College.

After nearly a decade of teaching, Mr. Vivolo joined his family’s restaurant business and embarked upon a forty-year career in the hospitality industry as an acclaimed restaurateur and owner of five widely respected Manhattan restaurants. During this time, he served as a goodwill ambassador to New York’s culinary industry, conducting seminars at public schools and supporting the hospitality, culinary and hotel management program at the New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York.

Mr. Vivolo directed hospitality services for Pope Benedict in 2009, and Pope Francis in 2015 during their visits to New York. He is presently helping to create a culinary curriculum for August Martin High School in South Ozone Park, Queens.

Gov. Cuomo appointed Mr. Vivolo in 2019 to co-chair the Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini Statue Commission. Mr. Vivolo serves as Chairman of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the National Columbus Education Foundation, and as President of the Columbus Heritage Coalition. Mr. Vivolo is the recipient of the Ufficiale dell’ Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, conferred by President Sergio Mattarella of Italy, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.