A brief summary of media coverage on Uno Alla Volta and its founder Terri Alpert.

1. Selected Press Coverage of
Uno Alla Volta and
Our Founder & CEO

2. 2007, 2008, 2009:
Uno Alla Volta wins Inc 5000 award.
2009: Uno Alla Volta is one of only 56 U.S. businesses to win the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Award, an honor given to
American companies that showcase excellence in several
categories of entrepreneurship.
"Winners of the Blue Ribbon Small Business Award represent the
country's finest business success stories," said Thomas J. Donohue,
2007: Terri Alpert is one of three women the U.S. Chamber's president and CEO. "In today's difficult
selected by Working Mother magazine for its business climate, it is especially important to highlight those
first “Entrepreneur Mom” award. companies that continue to excel. It is their dedication to sound
business principles that will enable us to rebuild our nation's
economy."
Excerpted from “Something to prove: What
Excerpted from “Uno Alla Volta Gets Personal” February 2009 happens when you tell a woman she can’t.”
May/June 2008
The spouse of a Multichannel Merchant staffer placed a holiday order with Uno
Alla Volta. This past December the customer received a holiday greeting card As the only woman physics major at Brown
from the catalog’s CEO/founder Terri Alpert. “Because you share my joy of University in 1984, Alpert never felt accepted by
discovering items touched by the human spirit, you have enabled me to create her classmates. “They looked at me as if I were
a different kind of company—one built on a foundation of the uniqueness of from another planet.” After college, Alpert
the individual and of all of the creativity and dignity that makes us human…” worked at Morgan Stanley. On maternity leave,
the card said. That’s quite a lovely sentiment for a CEO to convey—to a first- she decided to start a company with less than
time buyer, no less—and a very nice touch. $10,000. “My colleagues thought I was crazy. The
hardest challenge is the most appealing. Having
others tell me I can't do something only motivates
me more."

3. Excerpted from “Class Act: How you went from class
clown, jock or geek to entrepreneur.” November Excerpted from “Connecticut At Its Best - You can Go Home Again”
2005 December 12, 2004
Terri Alpert describes herself as being social but also ''My sisters and I grew up without any first cousins, and we very much
“very nerdy” in high school She believes her high wanted to give our own children the gift of Cousins Street. All the cousins
school traits help her now as an entrepreneur. on both sides of the family live more or less in the neighborhood.' … For
Besides being the photography editor for the school her part, Ms. Alpert, doesn't think Connecticut is sufficiently pro-
newspaper, Alpert was also captain of the math team. business. ''It has some of the highest health insurance costs,'' she claims,
as well as steep payroll taxes and workman's compensation rates.
''Wages for call centers and distribution centers are higher here and
workers are harder to come by.''
2000: Terri Alpert named one of its “New Excerpted from “Serial Entrepreneurs: They Just
Breed of Innovators” by CatalogAge Can’t Stop Themselves” March 2005
Magazine.
2000: Alpert elected by Don’t fall in love with the product. When Terri
BusinessNewHaven Alpert started her first company now the Cooking
Magazine as its “Small Enthusiast catalog, she devised her business model
Business Person of the before devising the business. When she set about
Year.” starting Uno Alla Volta, she looked for products that
were more difficult to source [staving off
competition] and settled on one-of-a-kind artisanal
…. She’s excited about her products but far more so
about her refined business model.
2009: Terri was named an Enterprising Also
Woman of the Year.
“Recruiting Strategies: Motivation” October 1999
“Moving Up and Out” December 1999
“Estate Planning” December 2000

4. Noelle Nelson
features the
culture of Terri’s
Excerpted from “A Cut Above” August 2008 Cover Story company
extensively.
6 Tips From Terri
1. Never Rest On Your Laurels. Change can happen in an instant.
2. Use Your Financial Statements As a Rearview Mirror. Focus on the road ahead
so you prepare yourself for the first tip.
3. Don’t Skimp On Inventory Management.
4. Treat Your Vendors As You Wish To Be Treated. Always pay on time or early
without ever having to be asked. If you do this, they’ll be there for you when you
need a favor or when you want to negotiate extended payment terms.
5. Always Treat Your Customers As You Wish To Be Treated. The value of your
business is based mainly on the value of your customer base, which is nothing
more than the sum of the quality of all of the most recent experiences of your
customers. Leverage every contact point.
6. Always Treat Your Employees As You Wish To Be Treated. They’re the ones
who’ll accomplish tips No. 4 and No. 5.
Excerpted from “Bounce Back Better: Emotional
Resilience” May 2007
In September 2006, Uno Alla Volta’s database crashed.
“The problem was so bad and so real-time that I knew I
didn't have the luxury of panicking…I was going to have
“Postal - Don’t Get Mad - Get Involved” Op-Ed by Terri Alpert, to think hard and fast,” says Terri. Calmly, she led her
October 2009 team away from catastrophic thinking and put things in
“Live From ACMA Forum” May 2009 perspective: Fall was a better time for the crisis, she
“Carving A Broader Niche” December 2003 pointed out, than Christmas, their busiest season.
“Weak Dollar Packs a Strong Punch” January 2004 Under her levelheaded leadership, the crew pulled
“Improving Your Receiving Line” January 2001 together, working over the weekend to untangle the
“Getting the Goods in Faster” February 2002 mess.

5. BrownHEN.org
Brown University Hazeltine Entrepreneurship Network
Excerpted from “Interview with Terri Alpert” March 2007
Excerpted from “Consistency is the Key” March 2006
You have worked extensively with the student-led Brown
Entrepreneurship Program. Based on your observations, how do you Alpert’s advice to other women who want to start their own
think Brown undergraduates can best prepare themselves to be business?“
entrepreneurs? 1) Be really sure it is what you want.
2) Make sure the type of business you are creating reflects
* Be sure you … are not using “entrepreneurship” as a substitute your strengths and can overcome your weaknesses.
word for “business.” … Answer the question: Are you driven by the 3) It won't work unless your family is supportive and
need to create something from nothing? Do you view this as a path understands that this is something you have to do because it is
to acquire something else you want or need—such as fame, wealth, who you are." And remember, says Terri, "There's nothing
whatever? If it is a means to an end, find a different path. The end like saying, "Here's what I'm going to do for you" and then
is too far away, too elusive, too hard to achieve and you can’t get delivering CONSISTENTLY to gain someone's respect."
there if you are not passionate about what you are doing every day.
* Find a business that speaks to your own personal passions and
takes advantage of your strengths. Corollary: Find one where your
personal weaknesses aren’t too much of a liability.
* Remember, ideas are cheap. I find most young entrepreneurs Terri is featured in the
(and the general public) think it is 90% the idea. I’ve got news for opening chapter.
you, it is 1% the idea and 99% the execution.
* Constantly work at trying to know what it is you don’t know. A CEO can’t take care of
Surround yourself with experience or get experience first before her business if she doesn’t
starting your own company. (Come work for me – as long as you’ll take care of herself first!
promise me a few years before launching out on your own!)