Frequently Asked Questions About Halle Tecco

A few frequently asked questions about my background, education, and life. For more about my professional background and current work, you can find me on LinkedIn.

  • I am American-Italian (dual citizen) and grew up in Ohio with two sisters, a brother, and a stepsister.

    My grandfather, Gaetano (Charles) Tecco was one of 14 children in a large, Catholic family from Italy that immigrated to the US. His mother died after childbirth, and many of the children were raised in an orphanage. Despite not having a high school diploma, he was a prolific inventor with multiple patents, including one for an early childproof medicine bottle.

    My father inherited his engineering mindset, and while neither he nor my mother went to college, they ran a small manufacturing plant in Northeast Ohio for many years. After NAFTA opened up trade with Mexico, the business could no longer compete and went bankrupt.

    My parents divorced, and my mother went on to work as a receptionist at the Cleveland Clinic and other health systems. My dad continued to tinker, and especially loves fixing old cars. Many years ago, my cousin and I made this website to document his garage.

    My mom’s side is of Irish and Bavarian descent. Her father was in the army, and she spent much of her childhood abroad, including several years in India.

  • My ancestry is Italian, Irish, and Bavarian. My father's family immigrated to the United States from Italy, and I am a dual American-Italian citizen.

  • Halle rhymes with Sally. Tecco sounds likes Tech - Oh.

    I was named after Halle's Department Store in Cleveland, Ohio (Halle Berry was too!).

    My last name, Tecco, was originally Tecca but was misspelled at Ellis Island.

  • Yes, I have been happily married to Jeff Hammerbacher since 2012. We live a “triangle family” life with one child.

  • While neither of my parents went to college, they are very proud that all of their kids have both college and graduate degrees.

    While I had originally dreamed and planned to go to NYU, 9/11 happened during my senior year of high school, and I decided to stay closer to home for college. I was awarded a generous scholarship and financial aid at Case Western Reserve University, where I was also part of the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program. I studied Banking & Finance and minored in Italian. I studied abroad in Rome, Italy (the first time I left North America) and encourage every college student I meet to participate in a study abroad program.

    I later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and then a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a concentration in Women’s & Reproductive Health.

  • I was born in 1983.