Co-Founder & Executive Director
As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Kali Polis Project, Marnie is bringing to life an urban studio semester internship program in the Athens region of Greece.
With over 25 years of experience as a Canadian global urban affairs leader, Marnie provides government, non-profit and private sector clients around the world with urban climate public affairs services including government relations, stakeholder engagement, strategic communications and advocacy. Previously, she worked at two large North American municipalities, served four mayors, and has lived and worked in five global cities- Sydney, Toronto, New York, Vancouver and Athens.
Marnie has a Master of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Toronto.
Marnie is also the founding Greek Advisory Board Chair of Ecogenia — the first NGO in Greece that promotes sustainability through civic engagement, training and employment opportunities for young people.
Co-Founder & Academic Director
Cardaras is a writer, two-time EMMY award-winning journalist, and documentary filmmaker. Cardaras has been teaching journalism courses to university students since 1991 – including at LaSalle (Philadelphia), Syracuse (London campus), the American International University (Richmond, UK) and Northeastern (Boston). She was the chair of Communication and Digital Media at The New England Institute of Art and was chair of Communication at California State University, East Bay.
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With a PhD in Public and International Affairs and as a professor, she has fostered the development of students as curious, engaged, and effective citizens of their communities and of the world. The core mission of The Demos Center, which she founded and now directs, is to promote democracy through the encouragement of civic engagement. The Center is the culmination of her dedication to government and public policy that serves the people; journalism that shines a light in the dark corners of the world; and in the fostering of art and creativity, which are the hallmarks of all free societies.
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The Kali Polis Project is a natural extension of her career trajectory as the specialized internship program supports students who want to make a difference in municipalities across Attiki.
Managing Director
As Managing Director of The Kali Polis Project, Melina is responsible for project management, network development, and fundraising. She is driven by a commitment to mobilize all of society in climate action.
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Melina brings over six years of experience spanning civil society, the private sector, and intergovernmental organizations across Europe and the United States. This includes having served as Founding Member and Development Manager for Ecogenia, Greece’s first national youth climate corps.
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Melina holds an M.A. in International Public Management from SciencesPo Paris School of International Affairs and a B.A. in Political Science from Barnard College of Columbia University. As a first generation Greek-American, Melina is proud to call Athens her home and is committed to being a part of shaping the region and country’s sustainable and resilient future.
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Communications Manager
Fridoon was born in Kabul and fled in 2016 due to his family’s media work, eventually arriving at Moria Refugee Camp in Greece, where he lived for over a year. There, he documented refugee experiences.
Fridoon holds a BA in Communication from The American College of Greece (ACG) and completed a Harvard field course on Migration and Refugee Studies.
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Over the past decade, he has produced internationally screened documentaries, interviewed influential individuals, and spoken at major events.
Fridoon has received multiple awards and recognition from institutions like UN, is a two-time finalist for the Obama Foundation Scholars Program and was selected for the International Visitor Leadership Program. He is also featured by Business Partner Magazine among influential changemakers and among distinguished alumni of ACG in its 150th-anniversary publication.
He is currently developing a European social media platform designed to secure Europe’s digital sovereignty and strengthen democratic resilience.
Our Partners
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