About me

Gjorgi Tasev is a youth policy expert, public policy researcher, and freelance consultant with a strong track record in youth empowerment and social change. He previously served as an Advisor to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, focusing on strategic planning and youth participation. He is a fellow of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and a participant in the ACYPL program. Tasev serves as a Bureau member of the Council of Europe’s youth structures (CDEJ & CMJ) and is on the Leadership Council of EDYN. As an author, lecturer, and consultant, he specializes in youth policy, civic engagement, and local democracy, with hands-on experience in project management and policy development.

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Natalia is a Co-Founder and the Executive Director of Primaria Mea, an NGO focused on enhancing transparency and citizen engagement in local governance in Moldova. She has a background in parliamentary work and political campaign management. Natalia is a Professional Fellows Program alumna, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, where she gained legislative experience in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She is also an alumna of NDI Moldova’s Challenger program. From 2018 to 2021, Natalia served on the Leadership Council of the European Democracy Youth Network, a USAID-backed initiative by the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, which connects young European leaders dedicated to democratic principles. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Natalia has co-led the Moldova for Peace initiative, which supports Ukrainian refugees in meeting their essential needs and integrating into Moldovan society.

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Mr. Ismayil Abdullayev holds a bachelor’s degree in “Political sciences “from Baku State University and did Master in “Diplomacy and work with international organization” in University of Florence, Italy. He is an alumni of Harvard Kennedy School, and Distinguished H.Humphrey fellow. Mr. Abdullayev was actively involved in wide number of civic initiatives: such as project “Youth in Politics”, took part in a project called “Young Political leaders for peaceful resolution of the NK conflict” implemented in frames of EU funded EPNK project. He is also an active alumni of EU Parliament’s “Young Political Leaders” program. Mr. Abdullayev is former Vice- President of European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) youth led organization that aims to increase political and civic representation of youth from EaP and Balkan countries. Currently holds position of Local Coordinator of Crisis Management Initiative Peace Foundation (CMI) in Baku. Local partner of Conciliation Resources (CR) in frames of EU4Peace project, funded by European Union. Mr. Abdullayev is also a member of Helsinki Citizens Assembly-Azerbaijan National Committee and member of “Karabakh council” expert club. Speaks English, Italian, Russian, Azerbaijani languages.

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Salome Mgeladze is the founder and CEO of re:school, a leading non-formal education platform in Georgia with branches in three cities. re:school focuses on high-demand tech professions and soft skills, aiming to empower youth and address unemployment and brain drain. It also serves vulnerable groups, including those in occupied territories and women prisoners. Salome is engaged in the Europeanization of Georgia and democratic processes. She has extensive experience in public and private sectors and has hosted a TV show on societal issues. Fluent in five languages, she holds degrees in Law and European Studies and is a founder and board member of Build Georgia, a major multisectoral project supported by the US State Department and the International Republican Institute.

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Piotr Kołomycki is a public relations and crises management expert in a global advisory company, entrepreneur, academic lecturer, business trainer and an advisor with over 13 years of experience, also multicultural and multinational. Involved in activities of various international organizations and programs, such as Council of Europe, National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute, European Democracy Youth Network, 26th School of Political Leaders, NATO Staffers Program or Visegrad School of Political Studies - representing both Poland and V4. He is a graduate of the International Relations and Diplomacy at the Collegium Civitas. He was a close associate of the former FA Minister, prof. Dariusz Rosati in Polish Sejm and European Parliament as chief of cabinet, Civic Platform’s head of media and communications and a board member of Civic Platform in Warsaw, chair of Young Democrats Association in Warsaw and Association’s vice-chair of the Masovian Voivodeship. Advisor, executive and organizer of political campaigns at all levels, domestic, national and European, in Poland and abroad.

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Jonas Rolett has worked on democracy and governance issues in Europe for much of his career. His focus has been on building civic resilience, opening the political process, promoting good governance and defending human rights. He has lived in Budapest and Tirana and remains closely involved in Albania's political and social development. From 1998 to 2021 Mr. Rolett served in a variety of roles at the Open Society Foundations, including Regional Director, Advocacy Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman. He worked a broad range of issues, including debt relief, vaccine justice and citizen engagement. Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations, Mr. Rolett was a Senior Program Officer at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), where he promoted democratic development across Eastern Europe. He managed programs related to governance, civic participation and political party building, and established domestic election monitoring organizations in five countries. Mr. Rolett is co-founder of the Transatlantic Democracy Working Group and has served as a steering committee member on the World Bank's Global Partnership for Social Accountability. He holds a BA in Literature and Psychology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar.

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GS Strategy Group clients benefit from Greg Strimple’s unique combination of expertise in public opinion and consumer behavior, his award-winning advertising work, and his extensive knowledge of regulated industries, the political process, and public policymaking. Greg has leveraged his research, analytical, and communications skills to devise and execute successful public policy and marketing campaigns for some of the country’s leading corporations and institutions.   Prior to starting GS Strategy Group, Greg was a founding partner of Mercury Public Affairs, a national public affairs consultancy that was acquired by The Omnicom Group. At Mercury, Greg was the firm’s senior strategist overseeing polling and advertising. He was personally involved in many of the firm’s most critical accounts, and has extensive experience in healthcare, energy, entertainment, financial, and telecommunications issues.   Greg has served as pollster and senior advisor in presidential, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns across the country, including Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in his upset victory of 2009 and reelection in 2013, Illinois Senator Mark Kirk’s victory in 2010, and Texas Senator John Cornyn’s reelections in 2014 and 2020.  More recently, he conducted polling and guided strategy on behalf the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund.   Greg has conducted and interpreted the results of hundreds of local, state, national and international opinion surveys for campaigns, corporations, NGOs, and business coalitions.   Greg currently resides in Boise, ID with his wife, Kari, and their four children.

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Alison Kelly is a retired Irish diplomat, She holds an honours degree in Social Science from University College Dublin and a postgraduate degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. Much of her career involved multilateral negotiations in the EU, UN, OSCE and other international frameworks. Diplomatic assignments abroad included The Hague, Cairo, OSCE Vienna, Madrid, Washington, Ambassador to the Czech Republic, non-resident Ambassador to Ukraine and Ambassador to Israel. Her headquarters assignments encompassed EU internal and external relations, the UN, OSCE, Africa, the Middle East and disarmament and non-proliferation issues. She lives in Dublin.

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Nicholas Whyte is a Senior Director at the Brussels office of APCO, a global strategic public affairs consultancy. A candidate and activist in the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s, he worked for the National Democratic Institute in Bosnia and Croatia in 1997-98, and then in Brussels for the Centre for European Policy Studies and the International Crisis Group as a Balkan and Eastern European analyst. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ulster University. HE reads science fiction unashamedly.

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Dr. Justin E. Lane is the CEO and Co-Founder of CulturePulse AI, a US-Slovak AI company focused on the creation and analysis of social AI and digital twin technology. For 10 years, Dr. Lane has worked to create new AI systems to study and predict aspects of social cohesion ranging from hybrid threat and counterterrorism to policy risk analysis and crisis management. He received his doctorate from the University of Oxford. Dr. Lane has held positions at universities in the US, UK, Czech Republic and Singapore and in addition to his role as CEO at CulturePulse is currently affiliated with the Slovak Academy of Science and is the Scientific Director at the DEKK Institute in Bratislava. His work has been discussed in WIRED, BBC, The New York Times, Vice News, New Scientist, The Atlantic, and Joe Rogan Experience. He has also worked in business development and innovation consulting for start-up and investment firms in Central and Eastern Europe, helping them obtain over EUR80m in funding since 2020. Dr. Lane has over 100 peer reviewed articles and conference presentations, and his book, Understanding Religion through Artificial Intelligence: Bonding and Belief, was nominated for the 2023 ISSR Book Prize. To date, his work has received international acclaim and over 950 citations (his Doctorate was completed in 2019). Together, with his research partner and CulturePulse co-founder Prof. Dr. Dr. LeRon Shults, they have raised approximately US$90m in R&D&I grant funding for key innovations and over US$20m in investment for private companies.

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Yuliia Dziuba is a Ukrainian youth leader and policymaker with over seven years of experience in the public sector. As the Chair of EDYN Ukraine and an advisor in the Ukrainian Parliament, she works on strengthening democracy, fostering international collaboration, and advancing European integration. In 2024, she was recognized as one of the Top 5 Best Youth Diplomacy Cases in Ukraine for her impactful work in international engagement. Yuliia holds a Master of Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has recently established her own consultancy focused on building effective policies for Ukraine. Through her leadership and expertise, she is committed to empowering young leaders and shaping a resilient, inclusive future for her country.

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As a youth activist, he's an Ambassador for youth information and counseling at the European Youth Information and Counseling Agency (ERYICA), sits on the supervisory board and works as project coordinator for the Young European Federalists (JEF), and is an Ambassador and elections committee member of EDYN. As a freelance researcher, he has authored policy papers on the Western Balkans' European integration, regional cooperation, youth mobility, and socio-political trends in the WB and Europe. He holds a Bachelor's degree in International and Intercultural Studies and is pursuing a Master's degree in European Studies.

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Patricia-Alexandra Nae is a civic leader, political science researcher, and strategic communications consultant focused on democratic resilience and youth empowerment. A global YouthLead of the Community of Democracies and former UN Youth Delegate of Romania, she works to integrate youth perspectives into policy processes and advises pro-democratic leaders and civil-society organisations on strategic communications, civic trust, and participation. She champions inclusive, values-based leadership and youth-led approaches to democratic renewal.

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Anja Kolimbatović is an EU policy expert with extensive experience in foreign affairs, culture, education, and youth policies. She holds degrees in Law and International Relations and is fluent in Croatian, German, English, French, and Spanish. Passionate about making a meaningful impact through politics, she ambitiously works to foster dialogue, strengthen democratic engagement, and co-create a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future across Europe and beyond.

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Marsela Delija is a project coordination professional with experience in research, youth advocacy, and international representation. She currently works at IDRA Research & Consulting, managing projects that foster civic engagement and social impact. Marsela is also a member of the Leadership Council at the EDYN Network, connecting local initiatives to regional youth-driven projects. Previously, she served as a Youth Delegate of Albania at the United Nations, representing the voices of young people on global platforms. Her expertise lies in project management, stakeholder engagement, and amplifying youth perspectives in policy and community development.

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Amila Husić is a young jurist and independent researching, with experience in legal analysis, advocacy, and youth policy. She has held diverse roles, contributing to NGOs and international organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her expertise spans human rights, policy development, and transitional justice initiatives, with five published academic articles. With a strong commitment to fostering youth engagement, Amila is dedicated to advancing impactful legal and advocacy work both locally and internationally.

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Atanas Mihnev is a Bulgarian tech entrepreneur, former Member of Parliament, and civic-change advocate. As founder and CEO of a leading legal-tech startup, he works at the intersection of law, technology, and governance, drawing on his experience in the Bulgarian National Assembly, where he served as deputy chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. A member of EDYN’s Leadership Committee, he supports youth civic engagement, democratic innovation, and open society values across Central and Eastern Europe.

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Jan Gondek is a 21-year-old student in the second year of a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Policy at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. Passionate about non-profit work, Honza focuses primarily on education policy and youth participation at the regional level. In addition to academic and civic engagements, Jan enjoys staying active through sports, including football, volleyball, and running. Politically involved at the municipal level, he is a dedicated member of the TOP Team youth organization and the TOP 09 party.

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Marie Kikvadze is a communications, advocacy, and MEL expert with more than eight years of experience in strategic campaign design, public outreach, and capacity-building across Georgia. She is currently an independent communications expert and works for international organisations. Her work focuses on media development, climate and environmental reporting, and strengthening democratic participation through effective communication. Marie has led multi-stakeholder campaigns, implemented donor-funded visibility strategies, and delivered training programmes for media, civil society, and youth. As an independent consultant, she supports local and international organisations in designing communication strategies, organising high-level events, and facilitating media–CSO partnerships aimed at advancing policy change and community empowerment. She holds an MA in Public Policy Administration with a concentration in climate policy and governance, along with a postgraduate degree in Strategic Communication from King’s College London. Her academic path is further complemented by two years of professional training in digital advocacy, campaigning, and policy analysis in the United States and Germany.

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Tamás Felföldi is an EU public affairs consultant based in Brussels. He holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from New York University and an MA in European Studies from King’s College London. His background includes research in geoeconomics and international law, an internship at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and a Schuman Traineeship at the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee. He is deeply committed to strengthening democracy and institution-building in Hungary and across Europe.

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Blerton Vehapi holds a Bachelor's Degree in Individualized Program with a concentration in Management and Public Policy from RIT Kosovo. He is the President of the youth wing of Lëvizja VETËVENDOSJE! in Lipjan and a member of the board of the national presidency of Rinia për VETËVENDOSJE!, and he is also an ambassador of European Democracy Youth Network - EDYN Kosovo. Currently, he serves as the assistant to the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

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Petru Crețu is a political science graduate with over five years of experience in the political landscape of his country. During this time, he has held several significant roles, including Vice President of the youth wing of the governing party, campaign staff member, and advisor to a Member of Parliament. In addition, Petru has three years of experience in non-formal education, where he has organized and facilitated educational projects and activities aimed at fostering the personal and professional growth of young people. Currently, he works as a Project Manager in a Moldovan NGO, focusing on democratic development and promoting active citizenship.

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Kristina Šćepanović was born in Montenegro, where she completed her primary and secondary education. She is currently a master’s student at the University of Donja Gorica, enrolled in the International Politics and Security programme. She serves as a member of the local municipal parliament. She holds the position of Vice President of the Young European Socialists and the Vice President of Youth Council of Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro. She is fluent in English and French, with working knowledge of Italian and Spanish.

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Aleksandar Mijailović is a lawyer and a political and civic activist. He completed his studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Novi Sad. After that, he worked as an intern in a lawyer's office, passed the Bar exam, and then established his own law firm. Aleksandar is a member of the Youth Union of Šabac, where he has organized protests against the government and also initiated activities for the youth such as public opinion research, workshops, various green actions, debates for young politicians, and more. He is also a member of the TOGETHER political party and serves as the Head of its Legal Team. Additionally, during the 2022 parliamentary elections, Aleksandar was a member of the Republic Electoral Commission of Serbia. He also ran as a candidate for MP in a local parliament during the 2023 local elections. Furthermore, he was in charge of legal control of the elections for the coalitions of political parties he represented during the local and parliamentary elections in 2020, 2022, and 2023.

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Radka Wagingerová is a professional focused on climate change, sustainability, and foreign affairs. She studied International Public Relations with a specialisation in climate change policies and currently works at the Bratislava Institute for Political Analysis as an Erasmus+ project coordinator on environmental protection, climate action, countering disinformation, and political education. She has also contributed to a World Bank research project on land availability for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Europe and Central Asia, and previously worked in the National Council of the Slovak Republic on environmental, security, and European affairs.

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Oleksandr Tuz is a lawyer, civic activist, and a professional in the field of state youth policy in Ukraine. He works at the Ministry of youth and sports of Ukraine, where he is responsible for the development of youth councils within governmental structures. He has experience in project management and mentoring, and also delivers educational trainings and facilitations for youth teams.