My story
Nice to have you here, I'm Federika.
I studied business and sustainability and have been working at the intersection of these two fields for the past 6+ years, first as the co-founder of an NGO and the project manager of an innovative school, then as the general manager of a plant-based canteen, café and catering provider and last but not least, as the host of a sustainability podcast.
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I graduated in executive coaching at the Corvinus University of Budapest in 2024 and I decided that I will combine my experiences in and passion for sustainability with coaching in order to support others in reconnecting with themselves, finding purpose in their work and contributing to making the world a better place, one step at a time.
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​And who am I beyond my work? ​I am a people person, I love my family and friends and I am always curious to learn from others. I love to read, do yoga, go for a walk or hike. I am half Italian - hence my name - and half Hungarian. I am energetic, positive and determined and I can find joy in the smallest things. I of course have a few areas for improvement - I tend to overcommit, in other words, I am a time optimist, and I am still learning what good enough means.​​
The Full Story
Making an impact one project at a time
When I was an undergraduate student of international business, I realised that "business as usual" was not for me. I started looking for master's degrees that combined business with sustainability - this is what I studied at the Rotterdam School of Management. After my studies, I knew I wanted to combine my entrepreneurial attitude with a good cause. This is how I got involved with all the projects below - which I am very grateful for.
Since January 2024, I've been hosting zCast, the sustainability podcast of HVG, one of Hungary's leading media outlets. The goal of the podcast is to share inspirational stories of local changemakers and useful tips & tricks that help its listeners in the transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. We of course often talk about macro-level trends and the most pressing environmental and social issues too, but with one clear mission: give hope and empower everyone to make a difference.
The Planteen is the first fully plant-based canteen, café and catering provider of Hungary (and probably also Europe). It was born to provide the children (aka leaders of a green future) at REAL School Budapest next door with delicious, healthy and plant-based meals, but soon, the mission has crystalised into expanding mindsets around plant-based eating. As the General Manager of the company, I played an important role in the launch of the project and besides ensuring smooth operations and continuous development, I worked on promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet in the country and also beyond. The Planteen has become one of the favourite vegan spots for locals and also a blueprint project for schools trying to introduce more plant-based meals to their students.
REAL School Budapest is an English language, not-for-profit, international primary and middle school for curious, creative and courageous children, educators and also parents. Its mission is to inspire and empower the next generation to dream and build a beautiful world. As a Project Catalyst, I was responsible for project management before and after the launch of the school, including location search, accreditation and permits, marketing and communications, recruitment of families and educators, food provision, procurement and sustainability initiatives. As the school grew to 80+ students, we decided it needed its own plant-based canteen - this is how The Planteen was born (see above).
Visegrad for Sustainability (V4SDG) was the first NGO to address sustainability at the level of the V4 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia). We started as a collective of young professionals whose aim was to build the infrastructure of cooperation for the Sustainable Development Goals between the public sector, civil society, business and academia. The organisation grew from a few passionate students to a key sustainability NGO in the region with 30+ volunteers. We organised big interdisciplinary conferences in the four capitals, smaller local events and we raised awareness about sustainability issues from high schools to the public sector. As one of the co-founders, I was responsible for the overall strategy, the Hungarian country group and communications.