Katka Martínková

President, trainer

I am one of the proud “founding mothers” of Brno Connected. I design and lead our projects, establish partnerships with other organizations, and keep the organization running. Through education, courses, and self-development opportunities, I aim to support (not only) young people on their journey toward a meaningful life.

I have many years of experience in non-formal education, having worked with children, adolescents, and young adults at both the local and international levels. Currently, in addition to international projects, I work at the Scout Institute in Prague as a methodologist for educational programs for schools, through which we promote a healthy school environment.

I talk a lot, I’m learning to listen, I feel at home in nature, by the water, or in the mountains, and I can never resist chocolate.

More about me: LinkedIn

 

Marija Wazi

Co-founder, trainer

I see Brno Connected as a stable point in the Czech Republic for me and a space for combining my own dreams with the needs of surroundings. Through this organization I am jumping into projects with youth, leading self-development trainings in this country and abroad and continue dreaming about a gang of people who would take our NGO as an inspiring background and a connection with many similar adventurers from all over the world.

In the academic field I have a  PhD in Social Policy and Work at the Faculty of Social Studies MU. At the same time I am delivering soft-skills courses, being originally a Ukrainian I founded the Ukrainian Initiative of South Moravia and currently I am focusing on organisation Narana where we target topics such as zero waste and sustainability.

I spent a year running self-development trainings in Netherlands and a year of running an NGO in Romania, I grew a lot through working in the fields of journalism, cafés, low-threshold clubs, working with drug addicted clients or in marriage counseling. In all these areas I was most inspired by the ability of people to move towards better “self” and the power of sharing and trust.

Šárka Martínková

Trainer

Being part of Brno Connected is incredibly meaningful to me. I enjoy creating opportunities for young people to grow through international and local projects that take full advantage of today’s possibilities. I design, coordinate, and facilitate these projects, and for many years I’ve been fascinated by the way international collaboration can have an impact on local communities.

With a background in management and people development, I naturally create an environment where individuals and teams can flourish to their full potential. I bring a passion for movement, nature, and both internal and external sustainability to my work. I focus on resilience and nervous system regulation, and I help people live and work sustainably without burning out. My approach is rooted in somatics, neuroscience, mindfulness, and practices that connect the body, mind, and spirit.

More about me: web

Lenka Maruniaková

Co-founder, trainer

I am one of the excited founders of Brno Connected – I built the cornerstones and direction of the organisation. At the beginning, I contributed to our projects as a team member and a team supervisor.
My area of expertise is learning and development. I worked in NGOs, social service, educational institutions, as well as in business. I lived for three years in Malta, where I trained and coached team leaders and managers in companies. In the meantime, I completed the basic level of training in biosynthesis, short-term courses in NLP, coaching, and neuroscience-based tool PRISM. I am simply curious about the world around, so I keep learning.

What drives me in life is delivering and supporting projects that connect people – among each other as well as with their true self. My motto (which I borrowed from Nelson Mandela) is „It always seems impossible until it‘s done“ – I believe that you can achieve things in life even though they might seem unrealistic.

I enjoy good food, coffee, and everyday ordinary moments. I give vent to my creativity via painting and singing in the shower (sorry, you will not hear me in public : ).

More about me: LinkedIn