About the Team

Alexander Busold has founded the Her.Tietz Initiative and works as a Program Manager for a civil society organization committed to strengthening democratic spaces and minority rights. He is a senior fellow of Humanity in Action (HIA) and an alumnus of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. Alexander studied public policy, economics and management at the Hertie School and at Zeppelin Universität in Germany, India and Argentina.

Arne Arens studies Public Policy at the Hertie School. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Social Sciences from Libera Università di Bolzano. Currently, he works as a graduate assistant for a research project on climate policy. Arne has previously been affiliated with organizations such as Arcigay Centaurus and Amnesty International Italia.

David Imhof graduated with a Master of International Affairs degree in 2021 from the Hertie School, specializing in civil society, political communication, and the digital public sphere. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in European Studies from Maastricht University. His experience includes work at the World Holocaust Remembrance Center Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, the German Bundestag, and in communication agencies.

Janina Lehmann is currently studying International Affairs at the Hertie School in Berlin. Previously, she was studying Politics and Law at the European-University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). Since 2020 she is a project coordinator for Humanity in Action Germany e.V. Formerly, she worked for the Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung, which promotes educational justice and equal opportunities; she is currently the chairwoman of the supervisory board there.

Johannes Brak recently graduated from the MPP program at the Hertie School. Before, he has completed a Bachelor degree in Business Administration & Economics at Leuphana University Lüneburg. Johannes is an alumnus of the Zeit-Foundation, affiliated with the German Council on Foreign Relations and Lions Club International. At the moment, he is living in Hamburg.

Lars Mehwald works as a science manager for a large research organization. He works in the fields of digital transformation and strategic initiatives. He studied Public Policy at the Hertie School and International Relations at the TU Dresden. He is an alumnus of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

Laura Franken works as a Project Manager for a private sector sustainability network. Her work focuses on issues in the fields of Business & Human Rights as well as Sustainable Finance. She studied Public Policy at the Hertie School and Political Science at the Freie Universiät Berlin and at SciencesPo Paris. She is an alumna of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

Max Tirey currently works in the European financial technology sector. He graduated with a Master of International Affairs degree in 2021 from the Hertie School, focusing on responsible business. Before Hertie he worked for four years in the financial technology sector in Massachusetts, USA, specializing in process design and earning a CLFP certification. He received a Dual Bachelor’s Degree in European History and German Studies in 2015 from Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Paul Denfeld studies the Master of Public Policy at Hertie School with a focus on sustainability transitions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Maastricht University. Previously, he has gained working experience in the European Parliament, with the KfW Banking Group and in a public sector consultancy.

Sarah Delere is a researcher at a Hamburg based think tank working on international relations and is pursuing her PhD in social ethics at the University of Frankfurt in parallel. Sarah studied History, Political Science and Catholic Theology at the Free University in Berlin and the University of Cambridge / UK and received a Masters of Public Policy at the Hertie School of Governance and the American University in Cairo / Egypt. She received scholarships from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Cusanuswerk.

Torben Klausa is a PhD student and journalist, researching and reporting on digital platform regulation. He studied Public Policy at the Hertie School in Berlin, as well as law and political science in Bonn and Washington, DC. Before his PhD, he has worked in the German Bundestag and the digital association Bitkom on digital policy challenges. His research is supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.