YOUNGSTOWN — Cardinal Mooney High School welcomed filmmaker and 2015 graduate Mario Ricciardi as the featured speaker for the final installment of its 2024-2025 Merit Scholar Speaker Series. Ricciardi, founder of Appleridge Productions, spoke to students about entrepreneurship, creativity, and the value of calculated risk in building a meaningful career.
Ricciardi, who is based in Youngstown, has built a successful career in corporate and creative filmmaking. Through Appleridge Productions, he has collaborated with major regional clients including Bon Secours Mercy Health, Penguin City Beer, and Youngstown State University, earning multiple American Advertising Awards for his work. His creative projects have been screened at Ohio’s largest genre film festival and featured on Film Shortage, with his most recent recognition coming from the Cleveland International Film Festival’s 2025 Hotlist.
Speaking to a packed room of students and faculty, Ricciardi emphasized the importance of understanding personal risk tolerance, especially for those considering entrepreneurial paths. He shared how he strategically grew his business during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing new opportunities emerge as industries shifted toward video and digital storytelling.
“As an artist, I’m grateful to be doing something I love, right here in Youngstown,” Ricciardi said. “The support from this community and the relationships I built at Mooney were instrumental in helping me get here.”
The breakfast event was catered by 2008 Mooney alumna Ashlea Duck, owner of BYOB Build Your Own Breakfast, who provided a custom menu for attendees.
This year’s Merit Scholar Speaker Series brought in four professionals representing distinct career paths, including:
- A representative from Carnegie Mellon University on selective college admissions,
- Dom Pecchia on engineering and STEM education,
- Jackie DiDomenico on biomedical sciences, and
- Mario Ricciardi on creative arts and entrepreneurship.
Cardinal Mooney’s Merit Scholar Program is designed to expose students to diverse professional journeys and encourage academic excellence, leadership, and vision for the future.