Team
Svenja Rau
Foundation Assistant
studied Communication Design in Mainz and completed a year of post-grad studies at Minneapolis College of Art and Design in the US. As Foundation Assistant, she is responsible for cross-departmental interface management, including the central coordination of all commercial and administrative processes. Prior to that, she spent five years as Executive Assistant for the Foundation.
Renate Bacher
Executive Assistant
After graduating from high school and training as a foreign language secretary/assistant, she worked for various international consulting firms and law firms. In 2012 she became the personal assistant of Ulli Crespo and headed her private office. This also included the administration of Glenkeen Garden in Ireland. After the death of Ulli Crespo, Renate Bacher was responsible for the implementation of the execution of the will/administration of the estate. In 2021, she transferred Ulli Crespo's office to the Crespo Foundation and since then supports the Foundation's Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.
Lena Sobczinski
Executive Assistant
Since 2023, Lena Sobczinski has been employed as Executive Assistant at the Crespo Foundation.
Katrin Frank
Office Management
After graduating from high school and training as a hotel manager in Germany and abroad, she gained first professional experience in the front office of various hotels. From 1995 on she worked for various companies in different industries as an executive assistant, office manager, clerk and in accounting. Since 2022, she has been employed in the area of "Office Management" with the Crespo Foundation.
Ana Phuladze
Office Management
studied Business Administration & Finance at Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree, she came to Germany in 2011, where she took the German Language Test for University Admission (DSH). In 2014, she started studying Sociology and Economics at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, and in 2023, she specialized in SAP ERP 6.0 Controlling (CO) with additional qualification in Financial Accounting (FI) through further education. Since 2023, she has been employed in the area of "Office Management" with the Crespo Foundation.
Guriya Ismailova
Office Management
gained an accredited qualification in Business Administration, Bookkeeping and Accounting at the State College for Industry and Economics of the City of Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan, Russia. Following her arrival in Germany, she obtained her Certificate of Secondary Education (Hauptschulabschluss) from 2015 to 2016 within the framework of the SABA Scholarship of the Crespo Foundation. From 2017 to 2020, on a part-time basis, she trained for her Diploma in Office Management with the organisation VbFF-Verein zur beruflichen Förderung von Frauen and the cooperation partner AWO Hessen Süd e.V. in Frankfurt am Main. Since 2021, she has been employed in the area of office management with the Crespo Foundation.
Cora Stein
Section Manager Education and Social Affairs
studied Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology together with Romance Languages and Historical Ethnology at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main and Università La Sapienza in Rome. In keeping with her areas of specialization, namely Migration Research and Urban Culture, she then worked on various intercultural projects and integration projects.
In 2006, she took over the project management of "SABA – Education Scholarships for Female Migrants". In the following years she was accountable as consultant for the conception and implementation of the programmes of the Cresco Foundation in the focus areas "Educational Guidance", "Family" and "Aesthetic Education". Since 2020, she has been responsible for the development and expansion of existing programmes in the section "Education and Social Affairs".
Friederike Schönhuth
Section Manager Cultural Affairs and Education
studied Visual Communication specializing in Sculpting at Offenbach University of Art and Design and then Art History and Sociology at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main. After freelancing in various Frankfurt museums and foundations during her studies, she worked as a consultant for visual art and curator of the “ars viva” Prize bestowed by Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft in der BDI (Association of Arts and Culture of German Business attached to the Federation of German Industries) in Berlin. From 2010 to 2016, she headed up the “Cultural Education” section of the foundation Kunst und Natur in Bad Homburg and Munich. Since 2016, she has been working for the Crespo Foundation as Project Manager for project strategy, conception and implementation in the fields of “Aesthetic Education” and “Art” and, in addition, actively ran her own agency for artistic and cultural education, RED PONY. Since 2020, in her capacity as Section Manager, she has been responsible for the development and expansion of the existing programmes in the section "Cultural Affairs and Education".
Dr. Maja Pflüger
Section Manager Strategy Implementation and Funding Management
studied German Philology and Geography in Tübingen and Hamburg. She gained her first professional experience in publishing and theater. After earning a doctorate in Theater Studies, she worked for three years as a lecturer for the German Academic Exchange Service for German literature and language at the University of Toruń in Poland. Subsequently, she was responsible for the "German as a Foreign Language Department" at Ulm University. From 2000 on she headed the International Cultural Exchange, International Education and Immigration Society teams at the Robert Bosch Stiftung. She completed further training in process consulting and coaching in an agile environment. Since 2022, Dr. Maja Pflüger has been responsible for strategy implementation and funding management at the Crespo Foundation.
Jenni Werner
Communications Consultant
studied Political Science, Media Science and Sinology at the University of Trier and at the Ocean University of China, following an voccational training as Diplom-Verwaltungswirtin. Since 2011, she has worked as a PR consultant in various agencies and, from 2014 to 2021, was in charge of the corporate communications department of the non-profit Karl Schlecht Foundation where she developed the issues campaign FÜHRUNG+X. Since 2021, Jenni Werner has been responsible for the development of the Crespo Foundation's communications.
Dr. Sandra Poppe
Project Leader
studied Literature, Romance Languages and Book Studies in Mainz und Dijon. After receiving a Ph.D. in Comparative Media Studies she worked as a research assistant and Junior Professor for General and Comparative Literature at the University of Mainz. More recently as Managing Director she was in charge of the administrative office of the media convergence research area. Simultaneously, she completed an intensive course of studies in Foundation Management at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel. Dr. Sandra Poppe has been a project consultant at the Crespo Foundation since 2013. She is leading the project WORTMELDUNGEN – Der Literaturpreis für kritische Kurztexte.
Katja Schaffer
Project Consultant
studied Theater, Film and Media Studies and Cultural Anthropology in Frankfurt am Main and Seville and also completed a commercial apprenticeship. During her professional career, she has worked in various industries in the fields of communication, marketing and event management. In 2018/19 she completed the advanced training program "Book and Media Practice" at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. After working as a freelancer in cultural management, among other clients, for the Cultural Office of the City of Frankfurt, she joined the team of the Crespo Foundation in the summer of 2020. There she is in charge of the project WORTMELDUNGEN – Der Literaturpreis für kritische Kurztexte.
Nicole Lustig
Project Consultant
studied educational science with the main emphasis on andragogy, extracurricular youth education and counselling at Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main. Gaining a wide range of professional experience in systemic advising and career guidance since 2009, she was entrusted to manage a variety of projects of both vocational and general education as well as consumer education. Her work was in the first place focused on the specific needs of those clients who would benefit in their professional and personal development from high quality education work. At the Crespo Foundation she is in charge of the project TELLUS | miteinander lehren – voneinander lernen (Teaching with one another – learning from one another).
Gianna Raser
Project Consultant
studied History of Art, Psychology and German Philology in Koblenz und Heidelberg. After a traineeship in the cultural education programme in the Stiftung Nantesbuch (formerly ALTANA Kulturstiftung) she assumed the management of a cultural education project at a special needs school in Frankfurt. On a part-time basis, she trained in the area of person-centred counselling. At the Crespo Foundation she is in charge of the project TELLUS | miteinander lehren – voneinander lernen (Teaching one another – learning from one another).
Yvonne Nünlist
Project Consultant
studied General History at Zurich University. Her career path took her from her position as cantonal equal opportunities officer and research assistant at a Swiss vocational training project into cultural administration. In Zurich, she served as press officer at the Theater am Neumarkt, managed the productions of numerous independent theatre and dance companies and was responsible for the dance event Tanztag Zürich. Most recently, she was employed as project manager in a well-known Frankfurt artist management agency. Since 2021, Yvonne Nünlist has been working in the Crespo Foundation for the TELLUS | miteinander lehren – voneinander lernen programme.
Olivia Sarma
Project Consultant
studied Cultural Anthropology, Romance studies and Art Education at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main and at the Sapienza Università di Roma. From 2009 to 2015, she worked as a freelance trainer and consultant on the topics of racism, discrimination, and empowerment, as well as an educational consultant for volunteer services. In 2013 she completed further training as a trainer and consultant with a focus on migration and discrimination. Four years later she completed further training as a systemic consultant. From 2015 to 2020, she managed the counseling center response for victims of right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence at the "Bildungsstätte Anne Frank" in Frankfurt am Main. Since 2020, she has been responsible for the project "SABA – Bildungsstipendien für Migrantinnen".
Jamila Adler
Project Consultant
studied Sociology in Marburg and Frankfurt with her main focus on anti-racism migration research and gender studies. In Mainz she worked as deputy director in a migrants’ self-help organisation on state and federal migrant policy projects. Thereafter she was responsible as process consultant with an educational institution for the intercultural opening up of administrative departments and SMEs and for the vocational qualification of refugees. Laterally, as education consultant, she mentored young adults in volunteer programmes. Since 2013 she has also been working on a freelance basis as a trainer for anti-discrimination and diversity-oriented topics. Since 2021, Jamila Adler has been working with the Crespo Foundation as a consultant on SABA – Bildungsstipendien für Migrantinnen, a project which is involved with scholarships for female migrants.
Nillufar Hossaini
Project Consultant
studied economics at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Iranian Studies at the Phillipps University in Marburg. She has many years of professional experience in foreign cultural policy, political education work and in the field of flight and migration in Germany and abroad. In 2019, she completed further training as an anti-discrimination consultant. Laterally, Nillufar Hossaini worked as an educational consultant and advisor for victims of right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence at the "Bildungsstätte Anne Frank" in Frankfurt am Main. Since 2021 she has been working with the Crespo Foundation as a consultant on "SABA Bildungsstipendien", a project which is involved with scholarships for migrants.
Laura Kurtz
Project Consultant
studied culture management as well as performing arts and music management in Freiburg, Breda (Netherlands) and Frankfurt/Main. While studying in Frankfurt she worked for the the concert hall “Alte Oper”, the university of music and performing arts and as a freelancer for outreach projects of a concert organization. After graduating (M.A.) she managed several productions of the Biennal 2016 at the Hessian State Theatre of Wiesbaden. At the same time she started working at Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain where she was responsible for the management and further development of the funding program for cultural education projects. At the Crespo Foundation she is in charge of the projects in the field of Aesthetic Education.
Hanna Knell
Project Consultant
studied Theatre, Film and Media Studies, Visual Anthropology and Theatre and Orchestra Management in Frankfurt am Main and Seville. Since 2010 she has worked in a variety of positions as Culture Manager, Dramatic Advisor and Press Officer, including in Frankfurt’s Weltkulturen Museum, the Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts and in the free dance and performance scene. In 2018 she was artistic and organisational director of the site-specific IMPLANTIEREN performance festival and, from 2018 to 2121, managed the experimental performance and production space Frankfurt LAB. Since 2021, Hanna Knell has been working for the Crespo Foundation as consultant in the area of dance and aesthetic education.
Dr. Natalie Failla-Grahn
Project Consultant
studied sociology at the University of Mainz and the University of Malta. She received her a Ph.D. at the University of Vienna by analyzing the integration processes of refugees. From 2008 on she worked in the field of migration and integration and held various management positions in public and private non-profit organizations in Austria. More recently she changed to the German Administration. In the respective divisions she held the economic and personnel responsibility for roughly 330 employees and was responsible for the strategic development. Dr. Failla-Grahn has been a project consultant at the Crespo Foundation since 2018.
Jana Weyer
Project Consultant
studied European Art History and English Studies (B.A.) in Heidelberg and Leeds and Cultural Education (M.A.) in Ludwigsburg. During her studies, she worked as a student assistant at University of Stuttgart and as a student trainee at Robert Bosch Stiftung. She worked as a freelancer for art education in several museums. After a one-year traineeship at the Crespo Foundation in the field of "Culture and Education", Jana Weyer has been employed as a project consultant at the German Children and Youth Foundation (DKJS) since 2022 and is responsible for "Das fliegende Künstlerzimmer im Quartier" of the Crespo Foundation.
Chiara Eich
Trainee
studied Theatre, Film and Media Studies and "Art-Media-Cultural Education" at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, where she is currently participating in the advanced training program "Book and Media Practice". Besides her studies she worked for four years as a caregiver in an elementary school in Frankfurt. She completed internships in editorial and production departments at film, television and festivals and gained experience as a freelance editor from 2019-2021. Since 2022, Chiara Eich has been working for the Crespo Foundation as a trainee in the section "Aesthetic Education and Art".
Erik Gebbert
Trainee
studied Fine Art and Teaching of Art (Diploma) at the Braunschweig University of Art (HBK) and has been a master student of Asta Gröting (sculpture) since 2015. During his studies, he worked as a research assistant at the HBK in the fields of Fine Art and "KUNST.Lehramt", among others. He worked in several museums in Leipzig as a freelancer in the Teaching of Art and supported a non-profit association for political art in the acquisition of funding. Since 2022, Erik Gebbert has been working for the Crespo Foundation as a trainee in the section of "Aesthetic Education and Art".