Our Team
Our 2024 ACMC edition boasts an unstoppable committee, a vibrant mix of seasoned professionals and passionate students. This dynamic crew collaborates hand-in-hand with our visionary board, crafting the roadmap for a monumental ACMC experience. Fueled purely by enthusiasm, we’re all volunteers on a mission, dedicated to fortifying the ACMC network and living and breathing its core values and ambitions.
ACMC BOARD
Emma Gabor
Emma Gabor is a recent graduate holding a Master’s degree in “Arts and Heritage: Policy, Education and Management” from Maastricht University, having written an innovative thesis on contemporary witchcraft. Emma grew up in Vienna to then move to London and graduate from UCL with a Bachelors in Art History. She went on to found the Salon de la Sagesse in 2020, co-founded the Journal d’Ambroisie in 2021, and became lead coordinator of the ACMC in 2023. She is a passionate polyglot, an avid early modern historian, having completed courses at the CEU and the Warburg Institute, an art historian, and an aspiring cultural entrepreneur.
Anna Rcheulishvili
Anna Rcheulishvili is a distinguished graduate of Lomonosov Moscow State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in International Management & Leadership from Lauder Business School in Vienna. With a profound event management background, Anna has successfully managed projects with grandiose show programs and multicultural teams. Anna’s diverse passion lies in classic art, architecture, creative thinking, and AI-based technology.
Denisa Boca
Denisa Boca is a cultural economist with a keen interest in the impact of arts and culture on social development. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Business from BIMM Institute, Manchester, and a Masters Degree in Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship from Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Denisa has diverse professional experience, working in the music industry and the public sector. Since 2022, she is working for the European Commission. Denisa was the President of the ACMC 2023 and took on the great responsibility of organising the conference.
ACMC COMMITTEE
Gabriela Mocan
Gabriela Mocan is a cultural manager, curator and academic with 10+ years’ experience in cultural diplomacy and arts management. She served as Head of Literature, Architecture and the Arts at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London and currently lectures at the Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. With a PhD in Cultural Studies/Philology and specialist training in Cultural Leadership, her research is mainly focused on the fields of identity studies, cultural diplomacy, arts management, translation, and migrant literature.
Her most notable projects include award-winning exhibitions – ‘Untamed Skin’ (2015) and ‘Found. Lost. Found’ (2016) at the London Fashion Week, ground-breaking literary events – ‘Romania Rocks’, the first Romanian-British literary festival ever organised in the UK (2020), and bridge-building initiatives – ‘Mapping East-West’, a series of cross-border and inter-art dialogues developed in collaboration with UK-based ISP Events (2023). Over the years, Gabriela has collaborated with various organisations in the UK, Romania and the USA, taking on various leadership, editorial, educational and strategic communications roles. She is a published poet and translator, and a passionate lifelong learner with a knack for truth, goodness, and beauty.
Nikola Veisberga
Nikola Veisberga holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Latvia and currently resides in Germany. With a professional background as a news and media editor, she specializes in international relations and security. Despite her professional pursuits, Nikola has always maintained a deep-seated interest in the world of arts and culture, viewing them as more than just pastimes but as integral components that intricately weave into the fabric of international relations and political dynamics. As she transitions into the role of Head of Communications for ACMC, Nikola takes pride in her journey, having started as a marketing officer for the 6th edition of the conference and now leading communications efforts for this exciting project. This transition speaks volumes about her dedication, passion, and commitment to leveraging her skills and expertise in fostering meaningful connections and facilitating engaging conversations within the realm of arts, culture, and beyond.
Aliona Podnebennaia
Aliona Podnebennaia is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in History at Central European University in Vienna. She has previously worked as a museum educator and created special programs both for kids and adults. This made her fall in love with culture and museums because it inspired people and conveyed humanistic values, which was a great factor in her decision to become part of ACMC. She also creates a podcast about famous artists and art movements, does Irish dancing and illustrates children’s books.
Oana Capota
Oana Capota is a curator and historian based in Vienna, Austria. She was the curator of the New Westminster Museum in Canada for twelve years and worked in various museums and arts organizations in Canada and Austria since 2004. Prominent exhibitions she has worked on include Our Working Waterfront (2012-2015), You Are What You Eat: Community Food Security (2019), Bottoms Up: The Cultures of Drink in the Royal City (2017-2018), and Hair Apparent: A Barbershop History of New Westminster (2015). Oana is currently completing her Master’s thesis in History at Central European University.
Briar Holt
Briar Holt is an arts and culture professional originally from New Zealand and now based in Melbourne, Australia. She holds a Master of Arts in Art History and Theory and has a particular interest in the intersection of contemporary art practice, politics and protest in an increasingly globalised and unstable world. She has held administrative, management and event roles in non-profit galleries and public institutions in Australia and New Zealand, and is currently at the Museums and Collections Department at the University of Melbourne.
Elisabeth Teener
Elisabeth Teener is a Cultural manager, Producer and Dancer from Estonia. She has experience in marketing, organizing festivals and producing a number of art events. She is curious and excited for new adventures. Always developing herself and being open to new things and excited to discover ways ACMC will aid in this journey. Elisabeth’s main interests are contemporary dance and poetry, through which she addresses the important topics of society. Working in the creative field makes her happy, discovering the unknown thrives her!
Virginia Fornillo
Virginia Fornillo is a Social Communications Consultant, Artistic Producer, Dance Cultural Manager and Creative International Agent. Since 2005, she has worked in the professional field of cultural management and networking around the performative arts sector, especially dance and its diverse aesthetic approaches. Between 2016-2021, she has been in charge of the production Coordination of Theatre San Martin´s Contemporary Dance Company and between 2022 and 2023 she was the Head of Río Negro province Dance Área. She coordinates the cultural mediation project for youth communities, “Mover Futuros” (Moving Futures) and runs the coordination of the Creation and Archive Laboratory, “La Danza en el territorio”, in the frame of the National University of General Sarmiento´s cultural centre in Buenos Aires Province. In 2024, she is directing her new creative distribution agency, PANGEA, with an international impact in the performative arts field.
Karla Elkan
Karla Elkan is currently completing her Master’s degree in ‘Arts, Culture, and Society’ at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Having previously obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Law in Romania, she developed a keen interest in exploring the intersections between law, arts, and culture and their impact on society. In all her research projects, she addresses novel themes and embraces “a getting out of her comfort zone” approach by constantly choosing the more challenging ways to complete her tasks. This mantra also reflects her in everyday life, illustrated by the very fact that she embarked on the journey of creating the ACMC conference and experience. Her recent interests are heritage studies, cultural policy, the impact of culture in society, creative cities, and place-making, where she uses her sociological imagination and critical thinking to tackle issues.
Yoav Friedman
Yoav Friedman is a Senior Academic Officer at the Democracy Institute at the Central European University, a lecturer and researcher in the fields of international relations, higher education policies, and creative economy, and the vice-president of Pennsylvania’s Centre Film Festival. Friedman has established and directed the Research and Innovation Authority of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, where he co-founded JLM-IMPACT – an inter-institutional design-driven academic entrepreneurship centre in Jerusalem, chaired the EU-funded Jean-Monnet REACTIK research network on cultural diplomacy, and co-founded The Centre for the Studies of Holocaust Visualization. Friedman is an alum of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fulbright program and holds a Ph.D. in international relations.
Loïc Chivard
Loïc Chivard, originally from Luxembourg and currently based in Vienna, brings a fresh perspective to the world of marketing and event consulting. Despite a relatively short period of official experience, Loïc’s innate talent has already made a mark, showcasing his ability to blend innovative ideas with effective strategies. His journey, influenced by diverse cultural experiences and a self-driven passion for concept development, highlights his ambition to become an independent force in the industry. With a visionary approach and a commitment to excellence, Loïc is poised to redefine the boundaries of marketing and event planning.
