Edhem ‘Eddie’ Custovic Ph.D., by day is an engineering academic & researcher at La Trobe University, Australia and the founder/director of the La Trobe Innovation & Entrepreneurship Foundry (LIEF). He is a business owner, entrepreneur, thought leader, mentor, philanthropist and a global citizen. Eddie was born in Bosnia & Herzegovina and lived for extended periods in Switzerland and Germany before migrating to Australia. His multicultural background, multilingualism and ‘borderless’ approach to work enable me to take a politically and culturally sensitive perspective on life, volunteer roles, and professional career. In 2015, with the culmination of first-hand experiences and passion to help those in need, he founded the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation. The foundation’s vision is to break down ethnic division in his homeland through a simple approach of empowering youth through education, technology access and leadership development. Custovic is widely credited for bringing in a new levels of energy, ideas and pathways to mobilise the intellectual capacity of BH diaspora. The result of his work is evident in the dozens of projects and initiatives that he has led on 4 continents. He has worked on cutting edge R&D projects securing significant funding and support globally in a variety of sectors including; defence, communications, power, food & agriculture, automotive, health, sports technology and civil/construction. In 2014, Custovic along with his team, was recognised for the innovative work in developing the first fully digital HF OTH radar system ‘TIGER’ radar and the project was awarded the Engineers Australia (State & National) Engineering Excellence Award 2014 – Research/Development and Innovation. Custovic is highly regarded for his drive and leadership that have led him to become one of the youngest senior leaders and board members within the IEEE, the world’s largest professional organisation. Custovic currently served as the Chair of the Industry Engagement Committee where he engaged with C-level executives and Fortune 500 organisations on a regular basis. In 2015, Custovic was recognised for his outstanding leadership and received the IEEE Young Professionals Achievement Award. He is considered by youth as the go to person for mentoring, career development, industry experience and life coaching. As a result, he was recognised by the University leadership and awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Award for “Supporting Student Employability” in 2015 and was named employability champion by the University in 2018. He is a tireless ambassador for STEM education and this is evident through his continued work to bridge the gap between primary/secondary/university education and industry. Custovic was the Engineering Project Coordinator for the Learn, Access, Experience Professions (LEAP) program which was funded by the Australian Federal Government to accelerate the participation of regional, low SES and minority participation in STEM higher education. Under his leadership the program excelled, reaching more than 10,000 students in over 200 state schools. He wholeheartedly has a deep commitment to making positive change for the world. For Custovic, the intersection between scientific innovation and human empowerment is where we can really “disrupt the future”. His life motivation is to use the powers of engineering, education, networking, entrepreneurial mindset and the spirit of positive change to empower individuals and grow local economies while delivering the scientific advancements of our finest minds for the benefit of future generations. Custovic is an active contributor to Online & Print Media globally, TV & Radio.

Vernisa Rejhan-Ićindić is a leader navigating in the business and philanthropy landscape between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden.

With a professional background within lean and agile management in both private and public sector in Sweden working with operational excellence, Vernisa has for the last five years worked in several leading roles within the IT company Softhouse that operates both in Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Vernisa was also chair of Swedish Chamber of Commerce in B&H for a mandate and advisor within the Swedish Institute Innovation Leaders program in Balkans. Currently Vernisa holds the strategic position of Talent and Performance Manager for Softhouse Consulting Group.

She is a proud board member of BH Futures Foundation with a passion to help shape future leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Emina Zahirović-Pintarić, Managing Director, has 10 years of diverse legal experience in private, non-profit and governmental sectors. She worked as an associate for international, regional and national law firms such Descartes Solicitors in the UK, top-tier law firm Wolf Theiss from Austria and BDK Attorneys at Law from Serbia. Also, she worked as a consultant for such international organizations as Transparency International BiH, International Financial Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group on regulatory reform on a local level, USAID Regional Economic Growth (REG) Project on the establishment of National Trade Facilitation Committee in the process of accession of BiH to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and International Telecommunications Union (ITU). As a LEADER alumnus, her leadership potential was recognized and she progressed within the organization quickly, transforming Restart into a woman-led organization.

​Dr. Senada Zatagić graduated from the Law Faculty in Sarajevo, where she also attained her master’s degree while working in practice as well. She holds a Ph.D. in international relations from Selçuk University (Turkey), and her dissertation concerned the analysis of legal impacts of the European Human Rights Court’s decisions concerning discrimination in the enjoyment of the right to be elected in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is a researcher and lecturer focused on international law, human rights, transitional justice, and migrations. She currently works as a lecturer at the MEF University Law Faculty in Istanbul and a consultant for IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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​Selma is a licensed psychotherapist who has worked in the mental health field for over ten years. She holds post-graduate training in infant and child mental health, maternal mental health, complex intergenerational trauma, and attachment-related problems. Selma specializes in helping Balkan mothers heal intergenerational wounds to parent their children with a safe and secure relationship in mind. Through her work, she has created a meaningful movement of Balkan mothers who are healing and changing how they parent their children. You can find Selma on Instagram at @balkanmamatherapy.

Tea is a refugee and genocide survivor, from the former Yugoslavia, who has worked in the reproductive rights, health, and justice movements for 14 years. As associate director of policy at Advocates for Youth, they lead an international portfolio focused on the sexual and reproductive freedom, rights, and health for young people (aged 14-24) in the United States and in countries impacted by US foreign aid and policy. Before coming to Advocates, Tea worked on legislative and administrative advocacy on the local, state, and national level for abortion access, sexual health education, LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination in K-12 schools, transgender youth inclusion in sports, and genocide education. Tea believes in creating sustainable and accountable organizing communities and founded Breathe with Tea, a trauma-informed coaching program for social justice advocates and changemakers looking to develop self- and community-care practices for the long-term fight for healing, justice, and joy in our communities. Tea is also one of the founders of BiHDC.

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