AAU has a New Alumni Council for 2024-2027!

Since 2020, Simone has been the executive director of growth at Orka Ventures, a mid-market independent investment group that focuses on financial technology companies. In addition to that, he works pro-bono as an adviser to start-ups at the Founder Institute as well as to startups founded by AAU’s current and former students. Simone is in the process of obtaining an LLM in financial law from the University of London.

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Martina is an Amazon bestselling author, founder of the Energy Coaching Academy, and founder and chair of the La Vida Loca Endowment Fund. She has received several awards for her charity work, including the European Parliament award for the project Life in a Suitcase and the honorary title of “Laskavec” from the Karel and Lilia Janecek Foundation. Additionally, she was nominated for the “Women of the Year” award in 2019. Her mission is to inspire individuals to reveal their hidden potential, talents, and gifts. In so doing, she hopes to empower them to live fulfilled and meaningful lives. Martina is committed to creating a positive impact in the world by setting an example as a conscious modern mom, entrepreneur, coach, author, and charity leader. 

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Roman grew up in Büren SO, Switzerland and earned a BA in Politics & Society and an MA in International Relations & Diplomacy from AAU. Following internships at Light for the World (Czechia) and the Institute for International Relations Prague, he worked as a business developer for a Czech company. Since 2020, Roman has been self-employed, specializing in business development, trade business, and e-commerce. In early 2016, he founded the Forum für Mittelost- und Südosteuropa.

Roman has been a member of the municipal council in Büren SO for over six years, holding the position of vice-president since 2024. He likewise joined the board of the Forum Schwarzbubenland some years ago and is co-founder of the Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Ukraine. His vision for the Alumni Council is to promote communication and collaboration between the Alumni Council and the Student Council, creating opportunities for social interactions, constructive exchanges and joint initiatives.

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As a former Student Council representative of some renown, Jakub is excited to now extend his dedication and passion to the Alumni Council. With expertise in music and business, he excels in sales, and possesses strong skills in networking and negotiation. Additionally, Jakub is a DJ and music producer, bringing creativity and energy to every project he works on, and was responsible for organizing the first AAU Spring Music Festival at Střelecký Ostrov. As a recent graduate, he maintains close ties with students and the Student Council. This unique perspective allows Jakub to seamlessly integrate student spirit with the goals of the Alumni Council, and, together with fellow AC members, he hopes to build an even stronger alumni network.

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Drake is from Cleveland, Ohio and came to AAU in August 2021 to blaze a new path for himself. In the course of undertaking the MA in International Relations and Diplomacy program, he met countless friends, created numerous memories, and found a home at AAU. As financial aid counselor, he strives to help students financially succeed in their journey at AAU. Drake has plans to help foster alumni-student relationships, build a more pronounced alumni presence on campus, host an alumni gala mirroring the AAU Ball, and much more. He looks forward to representing the community.

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Graduating in 2023, Kyle has already gained a wealth of experience. With over four years of freelance experience, he is all about merging video production with marketing and has collaborated with high-profile clients such as Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and Honeywell, while crafting engaging video content that drives marketing goals. Currently, Kyle is also exploring the exciting realm of AI app development at MMCC Productions, where he is leveraging his expertise to create innovative solutions. Whether it’s producing captivating short-form videos or diving deep into cutting-edge tech, he thrives on pushing boundaries and delivering results and is thrilled to bring this passion for innovation and collaboration to his role on the Alumni Council, where he hopes to foster connections and drive meaningful engagement among fellow alumni.

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Marco earned his master’s in international relations and diplomacy from AAU, where he was an active club supporter. He specializes in automation, analytics, and process improvement for large corporations in the healthcare sector and, lately, has been leading a truly interesting AI implementation project. AAU represents fond memories for Marco, which he  treasures. He is happy to now have the opportunity to contribute to furthering the development of the university and the alumni community in particular.

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AAU’s Alumni Council serves as an autonomous representative body for the alumni community to guide and further promote lifelong, symbiotic relationships between the university and alumni. Those involved strongly believe in togetherness and feel they still have a lot to offer each other and the school.

The council is made up of seven alumni elected by the alumni community. Each member serves for a three-year term to represent alumni interests and help shape the development of the university. In the upcoming term, the council members hope to enhance alumni benefits, increase opportunities for networking, both in Prague and abroad, and create more collaborative initiatives between students, alumni and faculty.