Raffaele D’Apolito joins the BeatiDudes for arguably the most wheels-off episode of Season 6.

Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein welcome an energetic Italian guest straight from Rome, turning the Tiny Table into a cultural exchange that somehow includes pronunciation coaching, a debate over what counts as “Italian” food in America, and a running gag that peaks when Olive Garden becomes the unofficial villain of the day. Beneath the comedy, Raffaele shares what brought him to the U.S., how a pilgrimage to Rome connected him with American friends and business opportunities, and why he believes most AI projects fail when companies chase tools without first fixing the underlying processes.

Raffaele also talks about his return to the faith after a season of drifting, describing how a surprisingly simple thought sparked a deeper reversion that led him back to confession, the Eucharist, and a growing love for the Traditional Latin Mass. He talks candidly about the role patience has played in his life, how he learned to stop forcing his own timeline, and how discerning relationships with clarity and peace matters more than rushing toward an outcome. By the end, he shares his vision to rebuild his company on stronger Catholic foundations and eventually establish roots in the U.S., inviting anyone interested in process-driven AI work to connect with him on LinkedIn as he builds “Cornerstone.”