WHO

Co-founder & Managing partner | ZAGREB

Caroline Hornstein Tomić, PhD is Senior Researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar in Zagreb specializing in high-skilled and return migration, diaspora and identity politics, post-socialist transformation processes in Southeast Europe, and civic education. Besides engaging in academia and the civil sector – as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of THE CIVICS, Co-Founder and Management Chair of the Zagreb based foundation Wissen am Werk / Znanje na djelu, Board member of the European Forum Alpbach Foundation, Member of the Networking European Citizenship Education (NECE) Advisory Board – she has also worked in the public sector as Operative Division Head at the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (2016 – 2018). Caroline is based in the SOE region since 2000; from 2001 until 2005 she served as Resident Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Co-founder & Managing partner | BONN

She is a comparatist, historian and Germanist (University of Bonn/ University of St Andrews). She has been managing the education and event agency labconcepts in Germany since 2005. Her focus is on consulting on educational strategies and networking in the field of European civic education. In addition, she develops concepts for dialogue and participation formats on topics from politics, education, media and science. Since 2019, she has headed the funding and qualification program for rural areas “MITEINANDER REDEN – Gespräche gestalten – Gemeinsam handeln”. In 2021, she co-founded THE CIVICS Innovation Hub and now heads the Hub in Bonn as one the three managing partners.

Co-founder & Managing partner | SOFIA

Louisa is a political scientist and author with extensive experience in foreign policy, democracy development and civic education. She received her MA in political science, history and American literature from the University of Cologne and is pursuing a PhD at the University of Sofia. Louisa has held various positions throughout her career, including a visiting fellow at Columbia University, programs manager at the European Council on Foreign Relations and adviser to Bulgaria’s former foreign and climate ministers.

In 2013, she founded the Sofia Platform Foundation, a non-governmental organization focused on civic education and dealing with the country’s communist past. She is the co-author of two textbooks on civic education in Bulgaria and has authored and edited several books and publications on foreign policy and democracy development.

In 2021, Louisa co-founded THE CIVICS Innovation Hub and now serves as one of its three managing partners, overseeing operations in Sofia. She is also a civics course instructor at New Bulgarian University and a frequent contributor to Bulgarian and international outlets on democracy in Bulgaria and the region.

Project manager | ZAGREB

Tea has a Masters degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Zagreb. She has over 10 years of experience in volunteering and working in the civic sector. Before joining THE CIVICS Tea worked in nature conservation, environmental education and volunteer management. Her area of focus is sustainable development and youth empowerment.

Project assistant | SOFIA

Sevdalina holds a degree in communications management from Sofia University. She has gained valuable experience as communications specialist at the Sofia Platform Foundation. Being part of the Digital Marketing for Worthy Causes fellowship program, she has gathered observations regarding the civic sector in Bulgaria. In January 2025, Sevdalina joined THE CIVICS team as project assistant at the Sofia hub.

Project manager | BONN

Martin Kirbach is a dual master’s graduate specialising in International Relations, Development Cooperation, and Human Geography, with regional expertise in the SWANA region and the post-socialist sphere. His German-Iranian cultural background and extensive international experience make him highly adaptable in intercultural work environments. He is actively engaged in the NGO sector, focusing on democracy competencies and civic education. Martin holds a Master of Arts in ‘International Relations and Development Policy’ from the University of Duisburg-Essen and a Master of Letters in ‘Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asian Security Studies’ from the University of St Andrews.
He has a particular interest in identity politics, urban geography and sustainability. With his expertise and enthusiasm, Martin is mainly supporting THE CIVICS team in the CIVIC SCOUTS AT WORK programme, the Young Climate Professionals project, as well as with the NECE Festival preparations from hub Bonn. 

Hub manager | ZAGREB

She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Central European University in Budapest and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Zagreb. During her studies, she took part in academic and cultural exchanges in the USA and Poland. Before joining THE CIVICS in its Zagreb Hub in March 2021, Maja worked in public sector consulting, focusing both on project preparation and on the implementation of projects funded by the EU funds. Maja has over three years of formal working experience, complemented by seven years of active involvement across the non-governmental sector and academia through volunteering, internships or freelance arrangements. Maja’s primary area of expertise is policy analysis, project management and policy writing. (Currently on leave)

Project manager | ZAGREB

Damir is a co-founder and president of YouthBank Croatia and an associate of YouthBank International, an NGO that promotes young people as decision-makers and active citizens. He has more than five years of experience in programme design, management and youth training, in Impact Hub Zagreb and UNUO, working mostly around topics of project based learning and social entrepreneurship. He is also providing those services through his private company as a freelancer, helping NGOs to deliver their programmes and companies to improve their CSR strategies. Damir is also a trained chef who is always finding ways to incorporate cooking into his private and professional life, from organising community lunches, working as a freelance chef or delivering cooking classes. In March 2023, he joined THE CIVICS team working from hub Zagreb.

Project assistant | BONN

Kwadwo holds a Master’s degree in Development and Governance from the University of Duisburg-Essen. He has amassed experiences along the nexus of civic education, engagement, and empowerment, as well as project management in Europe and Africa. He is particularly passionate about contributing to fostering international good governance practices and sustainable development. He also volunteers in project management for the World Economic Forum’s Global Shaper Community in Düsseldorf, Germany. He joined THE CIVICS Innovation Hub in Bonn as a project assistant in April 2024.

Project manager | BONN

Alla holds a Master´s and Bachelor´s degree in International Relations from the universities of Eichstätt and St. Petersburg respectively. She has gained valuable experience in international event and project management through her work with UNHCR and UNIDO in Vienna. Her primary interests lie in peacebuilding and human rights protection. In addition to her professional achievements, she is fluent in five languages, further enhancing her ability to work in diverse international contexts. In March 2023, she joined THE CIVICS team as a project assistant in the Bonn hub. Since January 2025, she has been working as a project manager.

Hub manager | BONN

Sabrina holds a bachelor’s degree in regional studies of Latin America with economics from the University of Cologne (Germany) and studied one semester abroad at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), enhancing her intercultural competencies as well as multilingualism. She has experience in cultural and event management and has worked for two years as a project manager at the education and event agency labconcepts in Bonn, focusing on sustainable project management. She was involved in projects in the field of European civic education as well as education in the field of sustainable development. Since July 2021, she has been supporting THE CIVICS as a project manager. Since September 2023 she is the director of operations of Hub Bonn.

Project manager | SOFIA

Leonie holds a MA in Peace and Conflict Research from Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and studied politics and sociology (BA) in Eichstätt (Germany) and Brussels (Belgium). She is project coordinator and assistant at the Sofia Platform Foundation in Sofia (Bulgaria), an NGO that focuses on history and civic education. Previously, she was focusing on social and political transformation processes in fragile contexts. Leonie is co-editor of publications in the field of civic education. Since the beginning of 2022 Leonie is project manager at THE CIVICS Hub in Sofia and mainly involved in the project CIVIC SCOUTS.

Project manager | SOFIA

Kameliya has over nine years of professional experience working with high-performing international civil society organisations. The areas in which she specialised include organisational effectiveness and good governance, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. As part of her various roles at Accountable Now, Transparency International, Greenpeace International, and Vessy.com Kameliya reviewed and assessed the management and governance systems of small, medium, and large entities and provided guidance on how to improve their management strategies by focusing on transparent and accountable processes and practices. Kameliya has a master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Bristol, having studied Contemporary Identities and Multiculturalism whilst also volunteering with a campaign to defend the rights of asylum seekers in the UK.