Founders of Somos Proyecto de Dios

Cathrine F. De Angelis, affectionately known as Cathy, was born on March 9, 1972, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, into a family with European roots: a French mother and an Italian father, two people who came to love Venezuela as much as, or even more than, their home countries. From them she inherited a beautiful blend of cultures, respect for others, family values, a love of work, a special tenderness and love for animals, and a deep Christian faith.

She attended the Colegio Alemán de Maracaibo, although, as she likes to joke, she left without learning German! Her youth was full of cultural and sports activities: tennis, music theory, piano, volleyball and, above all, classical ballet, her great passion. Together with her two older sisters, she even had the opportunity to open a ballet academy, one of her first experiences in the world of entrepreneurship.

She entered the Universidad del Zulia (LUZ), where she studied Economics, and at the same time earned a degree as a Computer Technician. During that time she worked at Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), then one of the most important state-owned oil companies in the world. Because of administrative difficulties related to her grades, her graduation remained pending for years, an experience that was one of her first great personal disappointments.

In 1996 she married Davide Bellagamba, an entrepreneur in the restaurant and hospitality sector, after knowing each other for only eight months. During their honeymoon in the United States, an unexpected opportunity led them to enter the U.S. visa lottery, which they ultimately won. They decided to begin a new life in that country, facing their first years with humility and determination, working in coffee shops and pizzerias while they built their future.

Life took them back to Venezuela because of the health of Cathy's father. During that first stage in the United States, their son was born, in November 1999. And, as if life had saved a special moment to close an unfinished chapter, during her last pregnancy, before the end of the year 2000, Cathy finally earned her degree in Economics. In March 2001 their daughter was born in Venezuela.

She always remembers that academic achievement with a phrase that is very much her own:

“My academic achievement had to wait until I had raised my whole family, so that I could receive it surrounded by all of them.”

Over the following ten years in Venezuela she built an intense business career. She took part in construction projects with her family, following in the footsteps of her father and her father-in-law; she worked in telecommunications through a franchise of CANTV, then the country's main state-owned telephone company; and she took over the management of her mother's family business, dedicated to hotels and event planning, a responsibility she still holds today. At the same time, together with Davide, she strengthened her experience in managing and operating restaurants, making hospitality and gastronomy her main area of professional growth.

Circumstances in Venezuela led them to emigrate once again to the United States, this time also accompanied by their beloved little dog, because for Cathy animals have always been part of the family. This second stage was marked by significant family challenges, especially her husband's health. These experiences transformed the way she sees life, teaching her to value even more tranquility, simplicity, family unity and, above all, faith in God. She came to understand that true well-being is not necessarily found in having more, but in living in peace and enjoying what truly matters.

Today, Cathy lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, surrounded by the love of her family: her mother, affectionately called “Mamina,” her sister Jeny and her family, and her beloved little dogs. Her two children, now established in their careers, also live in the same city, keeping alive the family bond that is so important to her.

She continues to manage her mother's family hotel and events business in Venezuela, while devoting much of her time and energy to Bellagamba's Fine Italian Restaurant, the family venture she founded in 2024 with her husband and children, which proudly bears the Bellagamba name as a reflection of a story of hard work, family unity and passion for hospitality.

One woman, many cultures and the same essence

Cathy's story is that of a woman who has known how to reinvent herself, cross borders, overcome obstacles and build new opportunities without losing her roots. She has been an artist, a student, a professional, an entrepreneur, a wife and a mother. She has known sacrifice, disappointment and new beginnings, but also the blessings of a family built with love and perseverance.

From France and Italy she keeps her cultural heritage; from Venezuela, warmth and strength; and from the United States, the opportunity to start over.

Cathrine F. De Angelis