Our Team
Erisa (she/her) Strategy, Education, Training
Erisa works as an urban planner in Tirana, Albania. She graduated with an architecture degree from Epoka University in Albania and earned a master’s in urban management and development from The Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies in the Netherlands. She has built experience in urban and rural development through partnerships with organisations including the National Territorial Planning Agency, GIZ Albania, and local NGOs. Erisa now serves as an advisor on the Sustainable Urban Transport in Tirana project, where she leads the public transport component. She focuses on urban mobility, urban design and planning.
Igor (he/him) Strategy, Education, Training
Igor is an activist and trainer from Warsaw, Poland. He is interested in citizen participation in decision-making, particularly amongst young people, and tackles transport-related social exclusion. He studied cognitive science and language and society at the University of Warsaw, specialising in political language. Igor has worked with Ostra Zieleń association since 2015, serving as spokesperson (2018-19) and international secretary (2022-24). He managed two editions of the “Young Green Local Government” project in 2020 and 2022. Igor completed an internship with the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, contributing to the Conference for the Future of Europe. Since 2023, he sits on the Executive Committee of the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN).
Julian (he/him) Digital, Training
Julian researches digital technologies and how they reshape our societies. He has worked with Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) and various digital rights organisations, focusing on digital privacy and intellectual property rights. He is very intersted in the opensource movement and contributes to several projects. Currently, he works as a philosopher of mind and cognitive scientist (as a Postdoc with LOGOS at the University of Barcelona), exploring how humans and other creatures distinguish between self and environment.
Katya (she/her) Administration, Strategy, Education, Training
Kateryna, a researcher from Ukraine, focuses on evidence-based policies, decentralisation, local governance, and fair urban development. She champions small communities as the bedrock of strong, sustainable nations. Since russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she has turned her attention to how war transforms urban areas and what cities can do to become safer, more resilient, and sustainable. Katya also examines how russian occupation reshapes urban life and public spaces in her hometown, Berdyansk. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science and an MA in Public Policy and Governance. Katya served on the Executive Committee of the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) for two years and currently works as a public policy researcher in Ukraine.
Mariam (she/her) Strategy, Education, Digital, Training
Mariam holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Ivane Javakhishvili State University and a Master’s in Human Rights and Democratisation from the Global Campus of Human Rights, South Caucasus. She has been involved in social movements and engaged with academia in Sakartvelo since 2013. As a volunteer with the Young Greens of Georgia and the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe, she tackled digital rights, workers’ rights and urban issues. For three years, Mariam has served as Marketing & Sales Operations Manager, collaborating with commercial clients and international organisations. She has generated over $2.5M in revenue whilst leading teams and delivering services in project management, research, marketing and demand generation. Mariam is PMI-ACP certified.
Mariam (she/her) Strategy, Education, Digital, Training
Mariam is a sustainable urban development specialist from Tbilisi, Georgia. She earned her Master’s degree from The Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam. For three years, she has explored how cities respond to climate change, working with international development organisations and local NGOs. Mariam uses data analysis and visualisation to spark awareness and drive advocacy. She is a keen user of informal education methods that equip communities to tackle the climate crisis.
Masho (they/them) Administration, Strategy, Education, Digital, Training
Masho was born and raised in Tbilisi, Sakartvelo. Urban spaces fascinated them from childhood, sparking dreams of becoming an architect. Masho studied Architecture at Czech Technical University in Prague and Economics at Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University. Their activism began in 2012 with Young Greens of Sakartvelo, where they wove together their passions for climate, gender and cities. From 2015-2017, Masho served on the Executive Committee of the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN), where she continued exploring the topic of urbanisation. Between 2019-2022, she worked for the CDN secretariat, leading several urbanism projects. Masho focuses on sustainable transport, housing rights, inclusion, energy efficiency and urban gardening.
Nataliia (she/her) Strategy, Administration
Nataliia lives in Kyiv, Ukraine. She works for Dostupno.UA, a public organisation that implements architectural accessibiity, runs training sessions on inclusive communication with people with disabilities, and challenges how society sees and treats them. She manages projects and studies for a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Post-War Reconstruction. She regularly joins CDN camps and training programmes.
Nikoleta (she/her) Training, Education
Nikoleta studied landscape architecture at the University of Belgrade. She explores spatial justice, public space through an intersectional feminist lens, and the urban commons. In 2015, Nikoleta joined Green Youth of Serbia, launching her journey with the Green movement. She contributed to CDN through the Alternative Urbanisation Working Group, served on the Executive Committee, and later coordinated the Network from 2019-22. She now lives in Brussels, Belgium, where she works for the European Greens.
Nina (she/her) Training, Education, Videography
Nina is an activist and artist from Tbilisi, Georgia. She films for Radio Liberty Georgia and is an activist with Young Greens of Georgia. Nina designs and runs campaigns that tackle local urban and social issues – from gender inequality to creating safer public spaces. She engages actively in political processes shaping her city and works internationally through educational initiatives and art projects.
Pedja (he/him) Strategy, Education, Training
Pedja (Predrag Momčilović) is a researcher, activist and journalist. His main topics of interest are political ecology, climate change, and the theory and practice of degrowth. He is the author of the book “Sustainability, degrowth and food production” and “Air as commons”. He is a member of various collectives that, through theory and practice, reflect on the decentralisation of energy, food production, and commons.
Selma (she/her) Strategy, Administration
Selma is a human rights activist from Riga, Latvia, currently based in London, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Gender Studies at SOAS. With over five years of experience in the green political movement, she is a dedicated advocate for environmental and social justice. Selma serves as a board member of Protests (formerly its spokesperson) and has served two mandates as a board member of the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN). She also brings experience as a parliamentary assistant, where she worked for three years on legislative initiatives in social policy and human rights. A strong advocate for intersectional solutions across all policy fields, Selma is particularly passionate about reimagining urban spaces to prioritise inclusivity and accessibility. She believes in designing cities that consider the needs of all individuals.
Yevheniia (she/her) Strategy, Education, Training, Fundraising
Yevheniia champions climate action across Ukraine, advocating for ambitious policies for both mitigation and adaptation at national and local levels. Since russia’s full-scale invasion, she has spearheaded efforts to monitor environmental damage and campaign for green reconstruction throughout Ukraine. Witnessing the devastating destruction of cities and communities eager to rebuild, Yevheniia believes these neighbourhoods must rise again as sustainable, inclusive and green spaces. She brings over eight years of experience in climate policy and environmental protection to this mission. Yevheniia earned her MSc in Ecology and Environmental Protection from the National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv. She currently leads the green investment department at Ecoaction, a Ukrainian NGO.