About us

Jona is Co-President of Polis180. He is also responsible, in particular, for legal matters and AI innovations. He is particularly interested in issues relating to technology, economic and security policy. Following his role as programme coordinator at the Federal Foreign Office and a dissertation on quantum machine learning, he is now an analyst specialising in geopolitics and technology at a relevant European institution.

Cara has been a Polis member since 2021 and co-led the program Peace & Conflict for two years. She has been a member of the board since July 2025 and has been Co-President since June 2026.

She studied Sociology and Politics and currently pursues her Master’s Degree International Relations in Berlin. Cara is interested in foreign and security policy as well as critical security studies. She works the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script” (SCRIPTS) at Freie Universität Berlin.

As treasurer on the executive board, Gerrit is responsible for finance and human resources. His main areas of interest include geopolitical risks in markets, how companies deal with a changing security landscape, and how democracies function in times of crisis.

After completing an apprenticeship as a bank clerk, he studied business administration in Mannheim, Toronto and Oslo. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Mannheim as part of a DFG Collaborative Research Centre on markets, transparency and their impact on customers, employees and companies. Research visits have taken him to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Kennedy School. He also teaches on Bachelor’s, Master’s and MBA programmes.

Mara has been a member of Polis180 since October 2022. In July 2024, she was elected to the extended board, where she is jointly responsible for the Community and Programme Coordination department and Internationalisation.

Mara studied European Studies (University of Osnabrück) and Educational Science and Psychology (University of Bielefeld) for her Bachelor’s degrees. She is currently enrolled in a Master’s programme at the University of Osnabrück, where she is studying ‘Conflict Studies and Peacebuilding’ and ‘European Governance’. She works for a regional EU information centre.

Lara has been a member of Polis180 since 2021 and co-led the “Gender and International Politics” programme from January 2023 to January 2025. Since early 2025, she is part of the board, supporting organisational development as well as community and programme management.

With a Bachelor’s in African Studies and a Master’s in International Relations, Lara has focused on feminist foreign policy, peace and conflict studies, and postcolonial studies, always striving to take an intersectional feminist approach that connects different (multiple) forms of discrimination.

Vivian has been a Polis member since 2025 and is active in the “Gender and International Politics” programme. Since December 2025 she is a member of the board and is responsible for social media.

She studied the Masters Programme in Sociology and Political Science in Düsseldorf and focuses on feminist foreign policy and disarmament. She is designing and conducting workshops about politics and democracy for the State Agency for Political Education Berlin, polyspektiv and the CIVIC institute for international education.

Johanna has been a Polis member since February 2025 and is involved in the Perspective East and (Un)making Democracy programs. She joined the board in July 2025, taking responsibility for community and programme management. From June 2026, she has also been responsible for publications..

She studies Peacebuilding & Conflict Studies at the University of Osnabrück, with a regional focus on the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Leon has been a member of Polis since 2026 and is jointly responsible for IT, Social Media & Public Affairs on the executive board.

He ist studying Social Sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin and works for a member of the Presidium of the German Bundestag. Previously, he held a position at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. He has a particular interest in public policy and transnational governance.

Elfi is responsible for social media and public relations at Polis180 and is currently working on further developing the brand strategy. Since 2025, she has been helping to build up the Munich local branch in her role as co-regional manager.

Professionally, she works as a research assistant in the field of renewable energy and climate protection.

Each year, the General Assembly elects a new board. You can bring in your own ideas and proposals, discuss important issues and help realise concrete visions for the association’s future. If you’re interested or have any questions, please reach out to any member of our board or info@polis180.org.

Stephanie supports the board in the association’s management.

She is the first point of contact for members and non-members.

She started her journey with Polis180 in the migration programme.

Stephanie studied law at Martin Luther University in Halle, with a focus on migration law.
She also supports a young politician in the Berlin city parliament in her constituency.
In her free time, she enjoys photography, concerts and nature.