Irina Ljubić was born in Belgrade. She graduated with a degree in Art History from the Philosophy Faculty of the University of Belgrade in 2004. She completed Master’s Degree Programs in Management in Culture and Cultural Policy in the Balkans at the University of the Arts in Belgrade and completed her Master’s studies at the Faculty of Media and Communication at Singidunum University in Belgrade 2016.
She gained her working experience through work in significant civil society organizations such as Group 484, Justat, Autonomous Women’s Center, Trace Foundation (formerly the Balkan Fund for Local Initiatives); she was likewise involved in the public sector at the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Team of the Government of the Republic of Serbia—first as program manager and then the Partnership and Regional Cooperation Manager. Since December 2015, she has served as director of the Jelena Šantić Foundation.
As Executive Director, she is responsible for strategic development and management of the FJŠ, and communicates with donors and partners. With her team she develops programs that benefit the wider community and contribute to the democratization of society.
She speaks English, French and Dutch.
Aleksandar Bogdanović is the project manager in charge of managing the projects and donation programs of the Jelena Šantić Foundation. He gained professional experience through many years of engagement in the non-governmental and public sector. He worked in European Movement in Serbia on improving the position of youth in Serbia from 2007 to 2013, after which he was responsible for the development, coordination of research projects and quality assurance of the research outputs. He gained experience in the public sector as The European Affairs and International Cooperation Coordinator in the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia. He has extensive experience in project cycle management and advocacy. Civil society development, European Affairs and European integration are the areas of his interest. He joined the Jelena Šantić Foundation in 2021.
He is the author of the blog Moje Braničevo.
Aleksandar Bogdanovic graduated from the Department of International Relations at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade. He speaks English.
Isidora Petrović has been with the Jelena Šantić Foundation since the fall of 2018. She studied sociology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, worked with homeless children in the village of Mali Leskovac in Karaburma for a number of years; in the media, she serves as an editorial board member and translator for “Le monde diplomatique” magazine and edits and runs the “Mestimično oblačno” radio program on Radio Aparat Belgrade.
Bojana Ilić joined the team of the Jelena Santic Foundation in March 2020 as a financial-administrative coordinator. Prior to that, she worked at the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) in the Finance team, and gained additional experience in monitoring the election process from 2016 to 2018, as well as practice and work in the private sector. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade. In addition to working in the foundation, he volunteers on various socially engaged projects and actions.
Mirjana Aković has a degree in psychology and is currently attending a master’s degree in clinical psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, as well as education for a psychotherapist. She started her engagement in the civil sector at ASTRA on the SOS hotline and direct assistance to victims of human trafficking. For several years, she provided assistance and support to victims of human trafficking through both field and program work. In addition, she worked with students through cultural exchanges, worked at the school, developed creative workshops for children and organized and led various educations. At the Jelena Šantić Foundation, she is a program assistant and is in charge of communication and work with organizations that contribute to their local communities through culture and art.
Vladimir Radojčić