In the middle of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, at the Southern Italian restaurant The Leopard at des Artistes, I was witnessing one of the things that makes the United States so great: two different Italian wine companies telling their stories of finding success here in the US, and hence, not only creating more jobs for Americans, but helping to give opportunities to other small American businesses.

An Italian olive oil company, Colavita, and Italian wine importer, Panebianco, spoke not only about their handshake partnership of coming together to sell quality olive oil and wine, but also about the families that they have worked with through the years–in Italy and the US–and how both businesses were based on relationships of entrepreneurs supporting each other in a world that could seem ruthless and uncertain at times.