Reimagining democracy, together

Laura Batalla Adam leads the Participation Hub, Ashoka’s laboratory for democratic innovation that creates new architectures for participatory democracy, bringing citizens, changemakers, and policymakers together to tackle Europe’s most pressing challenges. She also represents Hello Europe on migration policy in Brussels, connecting social innovation with policymaking on migration and integration.

Previously, Laura spent over a decade in the European Parliament advising Members of Parliament on diverse policy areas. She holds degrees in Political Science and Journalism and a Master’s from the College of Europe.

A frequent public speaker and writer on European policy, Laura is also a member of international leadership networks such as the Marshall Memorial Fellowship.

Yannick Fischer is the coordinator of Ashoka’s Participation Hub, which creates spaces where social innovators and policymakers co-design policies that enable citizens to take an active role in decision-making. He oversees the Hub’s work on democracy and social innovation.
In addition, Yannick is part of Ashoka’s Globalizer team, helping social innovators develop strategies for systemic change.
Previously, he led Ashoka’s Venture work in Belgium, built partnerships with corporate allies, and ran an accelerator program focused on climate change and the circular economy. Yannick holds degrees in Urban Studies, Global Governance & Ethics, and Business Administration, studied in Brussels, London, and Berlin.

Romain Gustot is the Director of Ashoka Belgium, fostering a local and European support to a vibrant network of social entrepreneurs. He's contributing to develop the new Participation Hub via partnership building and fundraising. He previously worked on migration governance with the European Commission and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). Additionally, he founded What Now Media, a nonprofit promoting solutions journalism, and is a Fellow of Belgium’s 40 under 40, recognized for his leadership in social impact. 

Arianna is Community and Venture Manager at Ashoka Belgium and Communication Manager at Participation Hub. She leads communications efforts and identifies emerging Ashoka Fellows in Belgium while building connections within the local social innovation ecosystem. Previously, she worked at the European Parliament in Strategy and Innovation, Ashoka Nordic, and at Hello Tomorrow, a creative agency that develops impactful campaigns for social impact organizations. Arianna holds degrees in European and Italian Law and Public and Political Communication.