Standing on the shore of Trieste, Italy, where the sea meets the sky, Leonardo Zangrando sees more than waves. He sees the deep, silent truths that connect all of us — to each other, to the planet, and to something bigger.

“I want to see 500 million people realize that we are one and the same with the planet,” Leonardo says. “Because when we truly know that, the actions we take change. We stop harming the Earth — not because of fear or duty, but because it becomes obvious that we are it.”

Leonardo’s vision isn’t built on policy or protest. It’s built on people. As a public speaking coach and former naval architect, he works with impact-driven entrepreneurs — people trying to create real change in the world — helping them communicate not just with clarity, but with heart.

“You don’t inspire people with LinkedIn posts,” he says. “You inspire them by talking to them. Human to human.”

His own journey started with curiosity — about the stars, the sea, the way things work. Born into a family of sailors, Leonardo spent his childhood summers aboard his father’s ship, watching dolphins crest waves and learning the quiet rhythms of the ocean. “The ocean stayed in my heart,” he says. “I loved it. I still do.”

But love alone wasn’t enough to build a purpose. It was when he shifted from fear-based thinking — “I need to pay the bills,” “I must achieve” — to love-driven intention that things changed.

“Fear talks first,” Leonardo explains. “But love is what creates. Fear makes you react. Love makes you build.”

That insight now shapes his work. When entrepreneurs come to him unsure how to tell their story, he teaches them to speak not from a script, but from the part of themselves that still feels wonder.

“Wonder doesn’t show up in a business presentation,” he says with a smile. “But it’s what makes people listen. It’s what moves them.”

Leonardo admits the journey isn’t easy. It takes tenacity. “It’s like sailing into the wind,” he says. “You have to tack, to stop, to anchor sometimes. But when you know your destination, you find a way.”

That sense of humility — of being both infinitely small and infinitely part of everything — keeps Leonardo grounded. “We are literally made of stardust,” he says. “How could I not love the universe?”

Whether he’s helping a social entrepreneur prepare for a TED talk or guiding a founder through storytelling challenges, Leonardo’s deeper message remains the same:

Connection is everything. Speak from your heart. Act from love. And know that every ripple of good you create moves the whole ocean.

Meet Danelle, the Chief Impact Officer of InnovateEd, a training and support consultancy showcasing lasting solutions for struggling education systems.