Martina Kolesarova

A black-and-white headshot of a smiling woman with chin-length hair parted to the side. She wears a ruched-neck top and small earrings. Behind her are graphic depictions of three circles, one teal, one light green and one white.

Co-Executive Director, Pontis Foundation

Slovakia

Martina Kolesarova is a co-executive director of the Pontis Foundation, Slovakia’s largest non-private foundation. She is leading programs in social innovation and impact philanthropy as well as the organization’s strategic focus and vision. Martina has strategically led the foundation’s first accelerator and impact philanthropy fund for social innovation in education, which has expanded to include nearly 70 alumni organizations. The fund will provide $2 million in awards to Slovak civil society over the next two years. Martina has actively collaborated with the Office of the Prime Minister and other ministries in order to shape public policies on social innovation and she is a member of the Impact Measurement working group within the European Venture Philanthropy Association. Martina is passionate about innovation as the main driver of societal change and cross-sectoral cooperation as the main tool to achieve it.

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