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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™.

 

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Hannah Abdullah
Namita Kambli, Leah Ford

Matthew C. MacWilliams is the global public opinion lead of the Foundation International Communications Hub (Comms Hub), a newly established organization located in Spain and dedicated to the furtherance of civil society and democracy around the world. He earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Massachusetts where he was a visiting research associate and also lectured on democracy and participation in the international Civic Initiative program.

Through surveys and focus groups, he has examined the roots of democratic deconsolidation and rise of illiberal politics in the United States and countries across Eurasia and Europe . He has conducted quantitative and qualitative research exploring this question in over 25 countries including Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain,  Ukraine, and the United States.