CONNECTING. INNOVATING. INSPIRING.
Our theme this year, Vivid Visions: A Decade of Diaspora Development, looks toward the future of what the 20’s will bring for the Bosnian and Herzegovinian diaspora. This year, we are in search of your ideas and lessons from the past while proposing specific plans for the future.
We are not asking for submissions for this year’s conference but we are asking you to bring your thinking caps. So bring your expertise, from figuring out how to apply for school funding to …running your nonprofit …to starting your own HVAC company, we want to hear your ideas.
We want to collaborate with YOU this year to create goals for the next decade for the diaspora. We are stronger together and we can’t make positive changes unless we all do our part and step forward.
Here are some of the questions that will guide our conference day on May 22nd.
How do you envision our community in the next decade?
Think about what it means to be a part of a community. How do we feel included or excluded? Where do we see our family and friends in the next decade? What will our community futures look like?
What goals have you set for the next decade with regards to your work?
How do you define your goals? Are you goals specific to the diaspora or Bosnia and Herzegovina as well? Once you achieve these goals what do you expect?
What goals have you set in regards to communication within the next decade?
How do your communication goals take inconsideration multilingualism? How do your communication goals take into consideration accessibility for people who are blind or deaf/hard of hearing? Are your goals digitally accessible?
What have you learned over the last decade that will inform your goals?
Take a look back at your work, what were your wins and your losses? How did you evaluate your wins and losses? Where did you win that you weren’t expecting and where did you lose that you weren’t expecting?
Who will you work with over the next decade to accomplish these goals?
How do you envision our community in the next decade?
What goals have you set for the next decade with regards to your work?
What goals have you set in regards to communication within the next decade?
What resources do you need for these goals?
What kind of resources will you need to achieve these goals and build capacity? Will you need volunteers, interns, financial support, mentorship etc.?
What inspired you to achieve what you have at this point?
Was it an event? A class? Or just pure necessity that inspired you to get to where you are? What keeps you inspired to keep going?
What challenges do you think you will face?
What roadblocks are you expecting? Are these roadbloacks financial, community support, educational? How are you addressing burnout and capacity growth?
May 21, 2021
Join us at 8pm EST/5pm PST for our traditional Networking Event.
During this time you’ll get a chance to meet the other attendees and network a bit to get more comfortable.
May 22, 2021
Then spend your Saturday with us by logging on at 2pm EST/ 11am PST for the full day of conference programming.
During this time you’ll hear from our Keynote Speakers: Restart and BH Futures Foundation. They will kick off the conference and close out to inspire us into further action.
The rest of the day will be spent in workshops that will be led by community organizers, academics, business leaders and subject specific experts. During this time we will need your ideas and expertise while we discuss the next decade of development in the diaspora and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Registration
Students $10.00
Early Bird Registration $30.00 (until 5/3)
Regular Registration $40.00 (until 5/17)
Late Registration $50.00 (after 5/17)
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Edhem ‘Eddie’ Custovic
Bosnia and Herzegovina Futures Foundation
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
Bosnia and Herzegovina Futures Foundation
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
Restart.ba
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.
WORKSHOP LEADERS
WORKSHOP LEADERS
Selma Bacevac
Balkan Mama Therapy
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.
Arijana Ramic
Bosnian Business Directory
