Viola Palescandolo is a former naval engineer, and luxury market expert, who founded Black Platinum Gold B.V. in 2017. Viola always had a passion to become an entrepreneur, and after gaining international expertise in the luxury industry, she decided to give a deeper meaning  to the word “luxury.” She founded Black Platinum Gold with no associates or investors, to empower dreamers to go after their goals, and created the first travel auctions platform that makes luxury more accessible without markdowns. Her vision revolved around the difference between price and value, for travelers that want to bring home new values from their journeys.

Her business model is based on a virtuous cycle, which generates value for all the involved parties, including travelers, hotels, and destinations, going beyond simple services in exchange of a fee. Hotels benefit from this agreement because it’s based on barter agreements and they receive, while travelers are able to add significant value within their budget.

Despite the pandemic, Black Platinum Gold has seen over 1,000,000 unique website visitors, partnering with over 100 high-end destinations and hospitality brands and offering auctions in more than 20 countries. Additionally, Black Platinum Gold launched its first official app available worldwide. With this success, Viola’s next goal is to start giving back, with a project that revolves around supporting local initiatives, focusing on environmental sustainability and animal rights as beneficiaries of part of the auctions’ revenue.

Since receiving her Bronze Stevie Award for Female Solo Entrepreneur of the Year, Viola has partnered with major hospitality brands including The Ritz Carlton, Nobu, Kempinski, among others. Black Platinum Gold has expanded to a global platform that is accessible to all travelers, and with this she has received international press coverage by the most influential luxury travel magazines and portals. Viola was invited by David Meltzer to his show for an interview on "how to reinvent the luxury travel business during the pandemic."

Additionally, Black Platinum Gold is about to launch a first-of-its-kind Luxury Travel Auction NFT. Along with the usual benefits of this digital collectible, the winner of the auction for this product will also receive an exclusive travel experience on Lake Como. Together with 15 other guests, the winner will spend New Years in luxury accommodation with other perks including a live music performance on New Year’s Eve, a professional photographer, and all-inclusive food and beverage. Viola's goal with this new project is to combine the tourism and crypto industry together and bring out the best in both. 

Viola Palescandolo won the Bronze Stevie Award for Female Solo Entrepreneur of the Year in the 2021 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Interested in submitting a nomination for the 2022 (19th Annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business?