A lawyer by training, specialized in the evaluation of public policy, Alenka carried out her studies in Lausanne, Geneva, Berlin and Paris. She benefits from many years of experience in strategy and innovation consulting for large companies, foundations and various public entities. Together with Danny Bürkli she supervises the activities and partnerships of the staatslabor and is responsible for strategy and development. Alenka is particularly interested in issues of citizen participation, innovation culture, and service and public policy design.

Danny studied political science in Zurich, Geneva and the USA. After his studies he worked in Berlin for a leading international strategy consultancy. He was part of the founding team of the Centre for Public Impact, a global organization dedicated to effective government. He helped establish and grow the organization as part of its leadership team. Danny has a keen interest in complex systems theory and in emerging public administration paradigms. He jointly leads the staatslabor team together with Alenka Bonnard.

After studying law in Zurich, Montpellier and Lausanne, Nicola co-founded and presided over the leading Swiss foreign policy think tank foraus for ten years. He is a moderator and counsels various government departments, international organizations and foundations on their innovation processes. In addition, he presides over Science et Cité, is board member of Akademien Schweiz, member of the Swiss UNESCO Commission and politically active. As president of the staatslabor, Nicola contributes to staatslabor's strategy and content and is particularly interested in the societal impact of public innovation

A political scientist specialized in economics and European law, Maximilian co-founded and directed several think tanks and organizations which are part of today's Swiss national political landscape. Currently based in Zurich, he offers counsel on their innovation strategy to a variety of clients in Switzerland and abroad, while also participating in numerous non-profit projects. At staatslabor, he is in charge of various key projects and deals with strategic issues. Maximilian is particularly interested in the digitalization of democratic processes.

Ivo studied International Economics in Paris, Geneva, and St. Gallen and has specialised in energy markets, climate policy, and sustainable digitalisation strategies. Amongst others, he has worked for the OECD and ETH. He’s a co-founder of the grassroots think tanks foraus and Argo. In the scope of his work for staatslabor, Ivo is particularly interested in how the public sector can leverage the collective intelligence of its employees as well as of the residents of Switzerland to tackle complex political and social challenges.

Christa started her career in the hospitality industry and then switched to public administration. She has several years of experience in project management, holds a corresponding certificate of advanced studies from the Bern University of Applied Sciences and is interested in the development and modernisation of public services. Christa is also passionate about process development, a skill she also brings to bear in her current role as staatslabor’s Operations Lead.

Dario Meloni studied psychology and sociology in Zurich, Bern and Amsterdam. He has several years of experience in advising corporations and the public administration, especially in the field of behavioural sciences. Before his role as a consultant, he worked in the federal administration and at ETH Zurich. Dario is particularly interested in how public administrations can align their services, processes and policies to the needs of citizens and society.

Alana studied International Affairs in St. Gallen and Canada. In addition to her studies, she was involved in a student association that promotes sustainability in business and management. Now, after completing her Bachelor's degree, she would like to apply the knowledge she acquired. Alana is particularly interested in regional integration processes and Switzerland's relationship with the European Union. In addition, she is fascinated by issues of asylum and migration policy.

Sabine Zeilinger studied communication and sociology in Zurich, has a master's degree in corporate communication and is currently completing a mediation training. She has many years of experience in communication, transformation, leadership and has worked on various major projects with complex issues and numerous stakeholders for NGOs, the Swiss government and the Swiss Post. Most recently, she worked as Head of Communication and member of the Executive Board at the Swiss Red Cross. She is interested in new collaboration and leadership models and topics such as diversity & inclusion, equality, sustainability and transformation.

Stefan Vasilic is currently studying Business Information Technology and works part-time at staatslabor. In addition to his studies, he is keen to gain professional experience in an innovative environment with a focus on the public sector. He has  completed an apprenticeship as a media technologist and has experience working in IT support. His interests relate to digital transformation, specifically to IoT (Internet of Things).  Besides the technological aspects, he is interested in process management and process optimization using new tools. 

Dimitria is a political scientist by training. She studied in Constance, Brussels, Waterloo/ Canada, and Pavia. Before joining the staatslabor, she interned at the European Parliament, and the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Furthermore, Dimitria consulted for Global Affairs Canada as part of her studies in Canada. She aims at breaking up institutional silos, designing public processes as efficiently as possible, as well as making them impact- and purpose-driven for users, such as citizens.

Milena Rutz studied psychology at the Universities of Bern and Basel and has been applying her expertise to a wide variety of innovation and digital projects for over 15 years. Her experience from working in a Biel-based ideas factory, a Bernese digital agency and the scientific university context, as well as her methodological know-how, form the foundation for her multifaceted consulting and innovation work at staatslabor. She also shares her wealth of experience and love of experimentation within various teaching assignments in the fields of applied psychology and interaction design. Milena Rutz is passionate about the psychological design of digital products, innovation processes and collaboration. She is driven by an eye for the underlying issues, interdisciplinary interfaces and the discovery of new contexts.

Sara obtained a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology and Migration Studies in Bern and Neuchâtel and completed a CAS in Civilian Peacebuilding. She has several years of experience in managing programmes and projects in a national and multilateral setting as well as in leadership in public administration. She is particularly interested in the use of synergies, the efficient design of processes and in innovative forms of cooperation and organizational development. 

Following a Bachelor’s degree at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne which took her to Indonesia, Hong Kong and India, Mahé studied Sustainable Development at the University of Basel. In parallel to her studies, she gained professional experience in hotel management, theater, and academic research. Mahé is passionate about the sustainable transition of society. She is eager to contribute to this transition with innovative, transversal, and collaborative solutions.

Pascal is a user experience designer, professional wheelchair athlete and speaker. After completing a design apprenticeship, he gained work experience as a screen designer in leading advertising and app agencies. His goal to design products and processes in the simplest possible manner moved Pascal to study a Master's degree in Human Computer Interaction Design in Rapperswil. He is committed to user-centered design and is highly interested in technological change and the resulting transformation of society.