Our Team
Dr. Elissavet Lykogianni
Founding Partner & Managing Director
Elissavet Lykogianni, PhD, is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Connectus. Elissavet has extensive expertise in the policy domains of Research & Innovation, Digital market and Employment, Skills, Migration, Education and Social affairs. With her research background (PhD in Applied Economics), she has led numerous projects involving large, multi-disciplinary and international research teams of Universities and Research institutes and possesses a very strong network of researchers in the academic sector in Europe.
During the past 15 years she has built considerable expertise in the coordination of policy-related studies and the management of international consortia for a variety of (framework) contracts for DG Research, DG Education, DG Competition, Cedefop, DG Connect, among other, such as the EC Multiple Framework Service Contract for Expert Support with the Production and Analysis of R&D Policy Indicators, Horizon projects and Grants in the areas of Migration and Inclusion, as well as studies in the areas of Employment, Education and Skills, Cultural Heritage, Digital policies, R&D and Innovation policies.
Elissavet speaks fluently English, Dutch and Greek and understand French at intermediate level.
Laura Fortea
Project Manager
Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Tourism from the University of Valencia and a master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism and ICT from the Open University of Catalonia. She is currently pursuing a master’s in Political Science at UNED and is responsible for managing several projects, writing project proposals, and Connectus’s communication.
Her interest in geopolitical, environmental, and socio-cultural issues has led her to establish herself in the field of EU projects, contributing to initiatives of her interest related to sustainability and environment, social inclusion, fundamental rights, equality, or R&D.
Mother of 3 cats and passionate about gastronomy, Laura is always eager to acquire new knowledge and get to know other cultures. She speaks fluently 3 languages (Spanish, Catalan, and English), is fairly fluent in Italian and a little bit in Russian and Greek.
Julie Guegan
Senior Project Manager & Policy expert
Julie Guegan holds a master’s degree in social sciences, and she is a distinguished fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, recognized twice with European Commission awards for her contributions to citizen empowerment and participatory democracy. Julie is dedicated to enhancing collaborative methodologies and has founded the Global Collaboration Institute, which has quickly become a leader in democratic innovation under her guidance.
Giorgia Barazzoni
Senior Project Manager
Giorgia holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Bologna, Italy, and has earned a double master’s degree in Sustainable Territorial Development from the University of Padua, Italy, and Quito, Ecuador. Dedicated to promoting human rights, fostering social cooperation, and advancing sustainability, with a particular emphasis on gender equality, Giorgia is equally committed to non-formal education initiatives. With extensive experience in international cooperation projects in developing countries and field research, Giorgia is fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish. She now embarks on her career in European project management, specializing in initiatives related to Migration and Integration, Sustainability and Environment, and Education. In the meantime, she continues her training as a yoga instructor and pursues her greatest passion for traveling and exploring different cultures.
Choco
Office Dog
Meet Choco our favorite dog! He is very loving, friendly, cuddly, and loves long walks!
