Andrea Tagliaferro
From hosting the inaugural Women’s Yachting Awards to her popular podcast Yacht Femme, Andrea Tagliaferro is a pro when it comes to creating valuable community in the industry.
“It was really through architecture that I became part of the superyachting industry. I was designing homes in Fort Lauderdale, but an opening for a yacht designer came up and I grabbed it. I loved going to the shipyards and seeing the craftsmen bring the yachts to life and it was while working around all of that that I began to teach myself how to create media on the side.
In 2018, I wanted to transition into digital marketing full-time so I attended the Monaco Yacht Show, hoping to find inspiration—and wow, I was inspired! I met incredible entrepreneurs and a sea of trailblazers. Just a week later, I launched my page Yacht Dame, which later became Yacht Femme. I wanted to merge my newfound passion for digital marketing with storytelling, specifically stories about women in the industry. It was, in a way, a selfish motivation. I wanted to find these women because I wanted to meet them!
About a year after I launched the women’s platform, I was interviewed on Yachting International Radio about the movement I was creating and they suggested I should create my own podcast, but then the pandemic hit and yachting wasn’t as digital as it is now, so it was hard to find women to be my guests. I had to rely on my network, which at the time mostly consisted of people just starting out in the industry. It was a slow and hard start to create the episodes and overcome the obstacle of finding and convincing women to tell their stories.
I eventually paused the podcast for a full year because chasing guests became so time-consuming, but last year, I reactivated the podcast and the Yacht Femme platform, and thanks to the many other in-person and online events I have created, women are now reaching out to me to join. Most of the time I try not to smile too much because I’m just so giddy about the opportunity to speak with these incredibly impressive women. I see them as these mega stars. Every conversation feels like an honor.
In 2024, I launched the Women’s Yachting Awards in partnership with METS. Selecting the categories for the winners – Trailblazer, Entrepreneur, and Rising Star – was a mini-project in itself! How can I create an inclusive awards ceremony that recognizes those with a legacy in the industry, making significant waves for years, while also encouraging those just starting out who are on the right path to elevating yachting? I was really happy with the winners picked by the nine judges.
The Trailblazer winner was Vienna Eleuteri, a scientist with an incredible trajectory, truly leading change in yachting with her immense contributions to sustainability. The Entrepreneur winner was Camille Lopez, an entrepreneur whose tech company HY-Plug has already won her multiple awards. Kaela Bermeister, a female captain, was our Rising Star. We actually had a few female captains as nominees, and I was so happy to see so many women nominated not only in the captain’s role but also representing positions traditionally not commonly filled by women. Kaela’s achievements and fast rise to the top really set her apart from the rest of the candidates.
I see the industry changing a lot over the next five years. I predict a shift in how we tell stories and how we attract the new generation of HNWIs. And I see sustainability becoming less of an exciting novel discussion and more of a norm, with builders and other manufacturers adapting and integrating it into their operations. Also, if mental health continues to be spoken about at this rate, I think we will see regulations added to the STCW [Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping] and other crucial junctions in the crew’s career. Additionally, I do think we will see more women in conferences and on visible stages.
Although my platform might suggest otherwise, the majority of my time is actually dedicated to coaching women. I help them overcome their fear of speaking and sharing their stories, encouraging them to recognize their impressive accomplishments. Together, we work to package these achievements in a way that is understandable and valued. I particularly enjoy this behind-the-scenes work. Currently, I’m brainstorming ways to help more women and make a significant impact at the industry level.”