Arlind possesses a multidisciplinary background in the different fields of youth activism, media studies and intercultural projects. He has two masters in communication studies, one in the University of Tirana and the other one in the Free University of Brussels (VUB). Arlind was part of Albanian media outlets for more than 5 years, firstly in a couple of Albanian newspapers, then working as a reporter for a local tv channel, focusing mainly in the international news department.
Meanwhile, our colleague played an active part in some Albanian youth forums in the recent past. Arlind was a co-founder of RIAS organization, whose focus is in youth activism, by using the means of art and culture. He served for a year as vice chair of Albanian National Youth Congress, the largest youth platform in Albania. During his stay in Brussels, Arlind worked as junior researcher in SMIT, one of the leading media research centers in Belgium, part of VUB, Free University of Brussels. Additionally, he worked as a project coordinator for Global Minds, a project linking academics, researchers, professors and university staff from his alma matter university in Brussels and teens of DC universities in different countries of Africa, South America and Asia.
Also, he worked as a project coordinator in the International Relations Offices, occupying with establishing academic connections between VUB and Balkan universities. Arlind has recently gained some experience as a trainer in media and youth trainings. Arlind is fluent in English, Italian and French. His main hobbies are soccer, movies, city tours and hiking.
Emirjon Lleshi holds a master degree in Accounting and Auditing in the University of Tirana.
Since more than three years he has been occupied as a finance officer for 12 EU projects run by the of Tirana Chamber of Commerce and Industry project’s department.
The scope of these challenging projects was mainly focused on SME-s and their competitiveness. The EU funded programs that he managed and coordinated belonged to the IPA, Erasmus + & COSME sections.
Since September 2020, he has been contributing actively in the main youth program managed by Albanian EU Delegation’s office, Young European Ambassadors of Western Balkan.
He loves to be part and contribute to youth projects related to Integration of Western Balkans Youth with EU values and opportunities.
Ms Bonatti is the former Executive Director of Promoting Social Business Agency Albania and Advisor to the Minister of Social Welfare and Youth, where she was leading the working group for drafting Albania’s National Strategy of Social Business/Enterprise and Social Inclusion.
She is a Member of the European Commission’s Experts Group for Social Entrepreneurs.. Since 2010, she has initiated and led the Holistic Movement for Social Business in Albania, provided advice and assistance to various social business initiatives, and managed the first Social Business Incubator in Albania.
Ms Bonatti graduated from the Faculty of Economics, at the University of Tirana, and holds an MBA from Las Vegas University, Nevada, USA. Currently she is pursuing her PhD on Social Enterprise, at St. Gallen University, Switzerland.
She started her career in the NGO sector, as the Director of the Financial and Human Resources Department in Caritas Albania, and continued working for EU projects with donors, foundations, corporations, and the private sector. In addition, she worked on different projects funded by the EBRD, ILO, UNDP, World Vision, UN Women, and the EU.
During her stay in the USA, she worked as a Manager in the Corporate Division of the Wells Fargo Bank, and extended her expertise in Finance and Accounting, Project Management, and Social and Solidarity Economy. Since 2014, she has held the position of part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana.
Ms. Disha is an experienced Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist, with over 4 years of experience and a proven track record of implementing effective M&E systems, to measure the impact of programs and projects for donor-funded programs in humanitarian sector and she has also conducted and commissioned thematic and project evaluations, ensuring that final reporting is robust and supported by evidence, provide actionable recommendations to support future decision making and learning. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana, and a Master’s degree in Finance.
In recent years, Marisa held the position of Monitoring & Evaluation Officer at Islamic Relief Worldwide, Albania and North Macedonia Offices, an independent humanitarian and development organization leader in the arena of humanitarianism, developing distinctive and practical approaches to the key issues that are affecting our world today – including climate change, gender justice, forced migration, peacebuilding, child protection and inclusion.
Marisa has supported Albania and North Macedonia country teams through two CHS audit processes and has coordinated IRA’s Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) verification improvement plan. Marisa holds The Core Humanitarian Standards Certification and has attended different trainings such as The MEAL DPro and Project DPro, from Humentum Organization.
She developed a strong sense of devotion for the Civil Society and is willing to give contribution towards improving the quality of life for youth of our region. Marisa believes that all young people are equal and all young people should be aware of their worth.
Her hobbies are travelling and outdoor activities, she has a pet dog named Tobi and spending time with him is one of her favorite things to do.
Ms. Nelitana Pacrami holds a degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Shkodra. She launched her career with a big company like AlbTiefbau, where she learned a lot. And after that, again a big company like Fratelli Gruppomobili. She has almost 10 years of experience in the private sector in finance, accounting, and procurement, and now she is on board with RYCO to have a change in her career because it was the right time to expand her knowledge and to be part of an international organization.
Ms. Nelitana is an Albanian native speaker, fluent in English, and Italian, and also has a good understanding of Spanish and French.
She is very friendly and likes to meet new people, especially from different countries in order to know new cultures. ‘Always learning new things and spreading them to other people. Getting better, evolving together’ is her motto.
Judoris is a communication specialist with a strong academic background in Marketing, Innovation, and Communication. Her journey in the world of communication began early in her career, where she honed her skills in digital marketing and 360 marketing while working with one of Tirana's top creative agencies. She holds a Master's degree in Economics and Communication from La Sapienza Università di Roma and a Bachelor's degree in International Marketing from Epoka University.
As her career progressed, Judoris embraced new challenges, taking on roles as a PR and Junior Project Officer for Innvest Fund, where her focus remained firmly in the realm of communication. However, she didn't stop there. Driven by her passion for technology and blockchain, she initiated efforts to build a community of metaverse pioneers, with a special focus on educating young minds about these emerging technologies.
Currently, Judoris holds the role of Communication Officer at RYCO, where she continues to excel in the field she's so passionate about. Her guiding motto is "Great communication begins with connection," reflecting her belief in the power of meaningful interactions. She's always eager for a good conversation and ready to discuss a wide range of topics.
Ms Kulemani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Informatics from the Faculty of Economy, University of Tirana, and a Master’s Degree in Business Management from “Aleksander Moisiu” University, Durres.
She has five years of experience working in non-profit organizations. Ms Kulemani worked as Finance Officer, Development Facilitator, and Accountant Payable Officer in an international non-profit organization. She has been financially managing diverse EU projects and has taken part in a wide range of training on financial management for the EU and GIZ grants.
Ms Kulemani enjoys meeting new people and learning about their lives and backgrounds. She easily finds common interests with people and tends to make them feel comfortable. She is a detail-oriented person with a sharp eye for accuracy.
Ms Ester Mulita holds a MSc in Cultural Heritage from the Charles III University of Madrid, Spain.
She has graduated in Foreign Languages from the University of Tirana and speaks fluent English and Spanish, with a very good knowledge of Italian language.
After graduation, Ms Mulita launched her career as an official translator and administrative assistant. Meanwhile, over the last few years, she has worked as a project officer in different civil society organizations. Her varied background includes international experience as well, while during her studies abroad she completed her internship working as an Arts program coordinator.
She has a keen interest in cultural interaction, tourism, and history.
Ms. Myftari holds a B.A. in English Language and Philology from the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, and a Master's degree in Applied Foreign Languages and Cross-Cultural Negotiation from Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France.
In her early career, she worked as an Administrative Assistant in the banking sector at CITIBANK N.A. and Alpha Bank S.A. from 2009 to 2018. Subsequently, Ms. Myftari transitioned into International Relations within Higher Education Institutions. She joined the Department of International Relations at the University of Montpellier, managing various Erasmus+ funded projects as a Project Manager until November 2020. Her project portfolio included initiatives promoting Sustainable Development in European HEI campuses, fostering Internationalization at home in South Mediterranean HEIs, and coordinating the inaugural 'Welcome week' for international students at the University of Montpellier in 2019.
Born in Albania, raised in Greece, and later moving to France for a career in International Affairs, she joined RYCO in November 2020. At RYCO, she initially served as a Program Grants Assistant and later as a Grants Officer for the Superschools Western Balkans School Exchange Scheme. As of October 2023, Ms. Myftari holds the position of Project Manager for two significant projects: "RYCOgnized - YPS Advocacy Efforts in WB6," focusing on peacebuilding, regional youth cooperation, and youth empowerment in the Western Balkans, and "Jeunes des deux Rives," dedicated to youth education in citizenship, international solidarity, and civic engagement among young people from the Mediterranean basin.
Mr Prendi holds a BA in Law from the European University of Tirana and a Master degree with honors on Scientific Criminal Law from the Faculty of Law, University of Tirana. He is licensed as an Attorney at Law and is a member of the Albanian Bar Association. Following his passion regarding rule of law and promoting human rights protection, Mr Prendi has been practicing and improving his legal skills starting from the 2nd year of BA studies, by participating in different court sessions. He has participated in moot courts organized by European Law Students Association as well as in different youth NGO-s, offering legal advice and support on drafting and proposing youth policies with a focus on youth empowerment, youth participation in the decision-making processes and youth collaboration in the domestic and regional level.
Mr Prendi has also been occupied in law-oriented NGO-s in which he has offered legal expertise in implementing projects with the aim of approximating the domestic legal framework with the EU’s Acquis, as an essential component of the Justice Reform in Albania. Regarding his professional skills, he has further improved and developed them by working as a lawyer assistant in “TP & Partners”, “Premier Consultancy Group”, and legal studios focused mainly in civil and corporate law/criminal law, offering contractual, litigation and consulting services. He has a consolidated experience in revising and drafting various contracts for different Ltd-s and JSC-s, conducting legal research, offering legal consultation etc.
Mr Prendi had the honor of participating in intercultural program exchanges in the region and is very motivated in offering his contribution in relevance with his respective field of expertise, in a cool and unique organization such as RYCO.
His main hobbies are fitness, participating in different deliberations, enhancing critical thinking while offering innovative and pragmatic solutions for youth empowerment through youth activation and collaboration. He believes that the only way of fostering common progress and prosperity is by conducting holistic approaches and not individual oriented ones.