Meet our new validators

ANNA WHICHER

Anna is Associate Director of Research and Professor of Design and Policy at PDR – International Centre for Design and Research – Cardiff Metropolitan University. Anna is passionate about what design can deliver for businesses, governments and communities. Anna has supported governments around the world to integrate design into their ways of working, develop design action plans, launch innovation labs, embed design into business support programmes and infuse circular design principles into strategies. Examples of her work include supporting the development of the first National Design Policy for the Philippines, delivering transformation through design within the European Central Bank and renewing government lab operating models in the UK and Latvia.

CRISTINA FARINHA

Cristina Farinha, 1973, PhD, is currently a freelance expert on policy research, development, evaluation and trasnational cooperation, specialised in culture, heritage and the creative economy.

She has worked extensively from local and regional to international level in the conception, implementation, reporting and evaluation of diverse policies, programmes and organisations. Cristina has also been lecturing and participating as speaker and moderator in various universities, public discussions, academic conferences and workshops across Europe, USA, Africa and Middle East. She is interested in capacity building and knowledge dissemination; the strengthening of the role of culture and creativity in governance and development and the promotion of fair and sustainable mobility and international cooperation.

DARIA GOLEBIOWSKA-TATAJ

Author, entrepreneur, and policy expert. Pioneered novel management methodology called Network Intelligence which is now used across Europe for entrepreneurship education and acceleration programmes. Holds the esteemed title of Honorary Professor at The University of Manchester Masood Entrepreneurship Centre. For over 15 years Prof. Golebiowska-Tataj has been working as in various high-level capacities for the European Commission on innovative funding instruments, notably the EIT European Institute of Innovation and Technology and EIT European Innovation Council, to propel transformative growth models for Europe. Chaired RISE, a High-Level Expert Group for Mr. Carlos Moedas, the EU Commissioner for Research, Science, and Innovation.

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ELLEN LOOTS

As an Associate Professor of Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Ellen’s ambition lies in the harmonious integration of two vital themes: entrepreneurship and creativity. Through her work in education, research, and professional engagements, she aspires to intertwine these elements while upholding the values of sustainability and community. By fostering innovation and collaboration, she aims to empower individuals and organizations to explore new frontiers and make meaningful contributions to both society and the environment, through their activities in the arts and cultural and creative sectors. She has published in journals including the International Journal of Cultural Policy, Journal of Cultural Economics, International Journal of Arts Management, and Creativity and Innovation Management.

PHILIPPE KERN

Founder & Managing Director, International Cultural Policy Designer

Philippe Kern is founder and managing director of KEA, a unique research centre and consultancy, based in Brussels, specialised in designing strategies and policies for territories, organisations and people to unlock the potential of the cultural and creative sectors and sport since 1999.  He successfully mediates between the cultural and creative sectors’ specificities and policy making. He is a copyright, trade and competition law specialist with 35 years’ experience in cultural and sports policies.

Kern manages high profile European and international projects in the fields of creative entrepreneurship, international cultural relations, cultural heritage, art and science, research, peer-review, strategic advice, association management and consultancy on the creative, culture, digital and sport economy.

He is expert adviser to the European Commission, the European Parliament, WIPO, the Council of Europe, the EIB/EIF, the Cultural Relations Platform as well as numerous public and private organisations, from large multinationals to non-profit organisations. He worked in more than 40 countries for cities, regions or national governments. He set up and managed KEA’s office in Shenzhen (China) with 10 years’ experience of the Chinese market and active participation in EU-China dialogues.

He is a well-known guest speaker, writes blogs and authored the books: “European. What about Union? Culture in the European Union Project” (2018), and “The Future of Cultural Policies” (2020) and “Before the storm: culture as an agent of transformation” (2024). He wrote the Manifesto for a Modern Cultural Policy (2020).   He lectures at the Kedge Business School (Paris) and the EPFL (Lausanne) on cultural policies.

Kern was former Director of Public and Legal Affairs of PolyGram (now Universal) and head of the IFPI Brussels office. Kern founded IMPALA – the association of independent music companies in 2000 and served as its Secretary General from 2000 to 2008. He is chairman of b.creative, an international association that networks creative entrepreneurs worldwide (www.bcreativetracks.com). He is also co-founder of the Cultural Policy Designer Network (CPDN). He graduated in law from the universities of Strasbourg and Paris as well as the College of Europe in Bruges. www.keanet.eu

PIER LUIGI SACCO

Pier Luigi Sacco, PhD, is Professor of Biobehavioral Economics, Department of Neuroscience, University of Chieti-Pescara, Senior Advisor to the OECD Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions, and Cities, and Affiliate Researcher at the metaLAB (at) Harvard. He has been Interim Director of the Policy AP of EIT-KIC Culture and Creativity, Visiting Professor, Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, Faculty Associate at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University, and Special Adviser of the EU Commissioner to Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. He is a member of the scientific board of the Foundation for the School of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Italian Ministry of Culture, of Europeana Foundation, Den Haag and of the Jameel Arts & Health Center, New York University, and of the Advisory Council on Scientific Innovation of the Czech Republic, Prague. He regularly gives courses and invited lectures in major universities worldwide. He works and consults internationally in the fields of cultural policy, culture and health, and culture-led development, and is often invited as keynote speaker in major cultural policy conferences worldwide. He has published more than 250 papers on international peer-reviewed journals and edited books with major international publishers.

TONI ATTARD

Toni Attard (Malta)is the Founder and Director of Culture Venture, an advisory, research and training firm for the cultural and creative sector. He is also the founder and creative producer of Udjenza, an arts production company. He holds an MSc in cultural management and policy (QMU, Edinburgh) and a B. Communications (Hons) (Melit.). He was the first Director of Strategy at Arts Council Malta, co-authored Malta’s creative economy strategy and national cultural policies. In 2019, Toni chaired the International Programming Advisory Committee for the 8th World Summit for Arts and Culture in Malaysia. He champions cultural rights across various national and international platforms. He was the first Vice-President of the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association and is a founding member of Opening Doors, an NGO for artists with learning disabilities. He is also an actor and theatre director and served as Festival Director of four editions of ZiguZajg international festival for children and young people and was Artistic Director of EuroPride 2023. He is currently a member of the Selection and Monitoring Panel of the European Capitals of Culture.