Innovation

Verena Ringler is an innovator and practitioner of subnational diplomacy and multi-stakeholder engagement on the transition to climate neutrality. She leads strategic convenings in Austria, Europe, the transatlantic space, and the G20.

Ringler is the founding director of AGORA European Green Deal, which works to inspire and support cross-sectoral and forward-looking climate and nature leadership in the Alpine region and throughout Europe. From 2013 to 2018, Ringler directed the International Affairs Department and Europe project portfolio at Stiftung Mercator in Germany. Prior to that, she helped establish the EU’s communication mechanisms in Pristina, Kosovo, as deputy head for press and public affairs on an EU-US diplomatic team. She has also worked as an editor at Foreign Policy magazine.

Ringler has a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies in Washington and Bologna. She serves on the advisory boards of seven policy organizations, and regularly appears in the media. She holds registered trademarks on cross-sector strategy development methodologies including the Situation Room™.

Katerina Geisler is a senior program coordinator for the GMF Cities team. She focuses on projects that link city and international affairs, and that connect cities on both sides of the Atlantic so that they can better tackle shared local challenges.

Geisler has experience working in democracy and international cooperation. She joined GMF from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of International Affairs. Before that, she worked as a policy analyst for a US congressional campaign.

Geisler holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science from Florida International University and an executive course certificate in subnational diplomacy from The George Washington University.

Steven Bosacker is Senior Vice President for Innovation and directs the GMF Cities program, which supports local-level policymakers and practitioners in North America and Europe by facilitating the transatlantic exchange of knowledge for building inclusive, sustainable, and globally engaged cities. 

Before joining GMF, Steven was the principal for public sector and partnerships at Living Cities, where he focused on finding and furthering promising practices in large city governments to improve life for low-income residents. The public-sector innovation portfolio included projects such as City Accelerator, Civic Tech and Data Collaborative, and Racial Equity Here, an initiative devoted to implementing racial equity in city government operations.