Senior Spotlight: Richard “Ricci” Giambruno II

Richard “Ricci” Giambruno’s parents have always been his greatest supporters. From the sidelines at football games to finding success in the classroom and beyond, his parents have been with him every step. When Richard decided on a school far from home, he had to adjust his circle of support.  

“Part of my childhood was spent in Colorado, but my parents relocated to Florida for my senior year, so it was harder for them make every game or event like they used to,” Ricci said. “Thankfully, I found so many supporters at Clarke to turn to. That includes my coaches, my professors, and my friends.” 

As a triple major in Business Administration, Philosophy, and Computer Science, and with active leadership roles in academic, professional and athletic organizations during his time at Clarke, Ricci developed strong, long-lasting connections across the university. While he had many professors and classes that stood out, Ricci said some of his most valuable experiences came from his work with Joshua Moris, Instructor of Computer Science. 

“Sometimes people question how my majors overlap, but really there are many parallels. Many of those came to light in Josh’s classes as I was looking for patterns, logic, and data recognition in the projects,” Ricci said. “You could tell Josh was excited about the work, and it made each class more engaging than the last.” 

One of Josh’s classes even provided some important skills for Ricci to apply to his plans after graduation. While exploring various potential applications of Artificial Intelligence, and thinking about how to apply machine learning and computer vision to his passion for driving, Ricci had an idea for an App that would, among other things, allow parents to monitor and coach their teen drivers and promote safer driving. He pitched the idea to his parents, who each have extensive careers in business, and his company FiglioTech was born.  Now with a team of developers and a Board of Directors behind him, Ricci said he plans to launch Waysense, his first App for FiglioTech, this May. 

“My dad came up with the name. Figlio means “son” in Italian, so it’s a nod to how our family has worked together to make the company a reality,” Ricci said. “We’ve attended Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and we are working with international contacts. With my undergraduate work behind me, I am all-in on this venture, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”