OUR TEAM

Mario brings nearly 20 years of expertise as a senior political editor and conflict correspondent, specializing in international diplomacy and policymaking. Since 2011, he has excelled as a project designer and evaluator for numerous EU-funded programs and international initiatives, including the European Youth Capital – Thessaloniki 2014 and various Erasmus+ projects. In 2018, he became the management and communications officer at Knowledge Brokers’ Forum, overseeing a network of 700+ researchers across 70 countries. He is distinguished as the only Hellene Interdisciplinary Expert in Social and Solidarity Economics (SSE). His authored works include contributions to the ‘Prospect Researcher Guide on Fundraising’ and ‘Voices of Culture: Re-engaging Digital Audiences’ handbook. Currently, he is writing a monograph on the ethical approach to data, AI, and deep tech in culture. Mario serves as an international judge for the CMSWire CXO Awards and maintains membership in prestigious global networks. His expertise in SSE and Deep Tech for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) has earned him positions in the EU’s European Capitals of Culture and the European Institution for Technology’s expert pools. As EU Cultural Ambassador, he leads strategic partnerships for Diversity Atlas. And yes, you guessed it right, he had the idea that put us all on this path.

Michelle Paras is the co-founder of The Vocal Lab and founder of its predecessor music school, bringing 25 years of experience in urban and electronic music, education, and vocal coaching. With a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and minor in Music Technology, she combines academic expertise with practical industry experience. And now for the fun part: As a performer and songwriter specializing in electronica, she creates Deep House Poetry and performs as a Live PA artist and multi-instrumentalist. Her career spans classical and contemporary training, session work with London’s New Wave DnB team, and roles as producer, keyboardist, and vocalist. She has performed her dawless electronic setup at numerous music festivals. Her releases include singles and an album under Klik Records and The Sound of Everything. She’s a member of ‘Members of Dance’ and hosts a monthly show on ‘Cannibal Radio.’ As a sound designer and virtual storyteller, Michelle produces content for Athens Music Week, Hemi Music Hub, and European Music Day Greece. She coordinates Athens Music Week’s Artists Development and volunteering program, managing artist relations. If you want to learn what happened behind the scenes of each incentive, reach out to her and she will give you the spicy and laughing details of our collaborative effort. 

Michelle Paras is the co-founder of The Vocal Lab and founder of its predecessor music school, bringing 25 years of experience in urban and electronic music, education, and vocal coaching. With a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and minor in Music Technology, she combines academic expertise with practical industry experience. And now for the fun part: As a performer and songwriter specializing in electronica, she creates Deep House Poetry and performs as a Live PA artist and multi-instrumentalist. Her career spans classical and contemporary training, session work with London’s New Wave DnB team, and roles as producer, keyboardist, and vocalist. She has performed her dawless electronic setup at numerous music festivals. Her releases include singles and an album under Klik Records and The Sound of Everything. She’s a member of ‘Members of Dance’ and hosts a monthly show on ‘Cannibal Radio.’ As a sound designer and virtual storyteller, Michelle produces content for Athens Music Week, Hemi Music Hub, and European Music Day Greece. She coordinates Athens Music Week’s Artists Development and volunteering program, managing artist relations. If you want to learn what happened behind the scenes of each incentive, reach out to her and she will give you the spicy and laughing details of our collaborative effort. 

Eileen is a seasoned marketing and business development professional with extensive experience in events, communications, and strategic partnerships. Her career includes seven years in Melbourne managing large-scale exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, and incentive travel, developing strong expertise in event strategy and audience engagement. Returning to Kuala Lumpur in 2016 as Vice President of Marketing for a leading travel agency, she led branding, client engagement, and market expansion initiatives. At Marcus Evans, she specialized in speaker acquisition and program development for the Australian market. Currently, she leads Marketing, Business Development, and Partnerships at Diversity Atlas, a cultural intelligence, evidence-based and data-driven platform. Her role focuses on driving innovation and engagement in cultural intelligence and workplace inclusivity. Her strength lies in extensive industry research and networking, particularly in securing and developing strategic partnerships that enhance organisational objectives. With a mix of strategy, storytelling, and just the right amount of caffeine, Eileen makes sure the Bridge Initiative’s message reaches the right people—and actually sticks.

Notis has built an impressive career in public relations and communications since 1979, holding membership in the Journalists Union and Foreign Press Association. His distinguished career includes serving as Press Officer and spokesman for the Greek National Tourism Organization (1975-1990) before becoming Director of the press office for the Hellenic President of Democracy (1990-1995), where he managed visits from prominent world leaders including US President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. His expertise extended internationally as advisor and press office developer for Romanian President Ion Iliescu. He has held various positions within the Hellenic Ministries of Interior Affairs and Education, and the Municipality of Athens, while also teaching Public Relations at AKTO College and Metropolitan College Athens. His academic credentials include Economics from Sussex College of Technology in London, Industrial Relations, Social Philosophy, Management from Maryland University (USA), and Public Relations from the School of Business and Technology Athens. With his extensive experience in government relations and public affairs, Notis serves as the key contact for our initiative seeking regional or national hosting opportunities.

As a cross-industry Inclusion and Learning leader, Katya’s unique career path began in construction and architecture before evolving to combine learning design, architectural practice, and strategic inclusion consultancy. As an EMCC Senior Practitioner accredited leadership coach, they excel in creating inclusive environments that foster collaboration and innovation. Their impressive portfolio includes designing national and international mentoring programs and supporting major organizations including Grimshaw Architects, Google, Universal Music, and SCJohnson. Their expertise spans healthcare design, building information modelling, leadership development, and inclusion strategy. Katya’s impact has earned recognition as an award-winning learning provider, including speaking engagements at AU Las Vegas and being named among the top four construction role models at UK Construction Week. Their commitment to creating authentic, accessible, and culturally appreciative spaces makes them instrumental in shaping content, methodology, and implementation processes. As a facilitator, they bring a comprehensive understanding of both technical and human aspects of organizational development, making them particularly effective in driving meaningful change and inclusive practices across industries. Katya’s commitment to creating spaces that embrace intercultural appreciation shines through, making them invaluable in shaping the content, methodology and implementation process along our incentives’ facilitators.

Bia, a South African Youth Fellow at the International Youth Think Tank (IYTT), holds an International Master’s in Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies from a joint program between the Universities of Glasgow, Trento, and Charles Prague. Her expertise focuses on Great Power Politics and its impact on African and Middle Eastern development and democratization. As an Intelligence Analyst for React’s Anti-Counterfeiting Network, she brings a post-colonial perspective to international security and development. Her former role as a Mandela Residential Fellow at the Centre for Diplomatic Advancement demonstrates her commitment to peace and democratic strengthening. She has moderated significant events, including the IYC 2024 Conference and Nobel Symposium, and organized reconciliation workshops with UN peacekeeping in Cyprus. As a research lead for the African Youth Security Network, she advocates for diverse youth perspectives in diplomatic dialogue. Currently serving as South Africa’s Country Representative to the Erasmus Mundus Association, Bia works to expand educational opportunities for South African youth abroad. Her combination of academic expertise, practical experience, and dedication to youth empowerment makes her an ideal spokesperson for initiatives seeking to engage diverse audiences and stakeholders. She is the one to look for when you want to introduce the initiative to your audiences and stakeholders.